Friends,
I need to have a word with you about spanking. Literally one word: DON'T.
The Bible makes it clear: don't spank - only people who hate their children spank. Instead, hit them with the Rod Of Correction:
He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes - Proverbs 13:24
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him - Proverbs 22:15
The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame - Proverbs 29:15
Ever wondered why perfectly healthy men used to always have walking sicks? Now you know.
Robert R. Gillogly, author and Associate Director of of The Villages, Inc., a youth residential care facility in Topeka, KS. writes:
I need to have a word with you about spanking. Literally one word: DON'T.
The Bible makes it clear: don't spank - only people who hate their children spank. Instead, hit them with the Rod Of Correction:
He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes - Proverbs 13:24
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him - Proverbs 22:15
The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame - Proverbs 29:15

"The rod in the Old Testament was basically a wooden walking stick, a stout club, staff, or a tree branch used primarily for defense as in the Twenty-third Psalm, or for marshalling the sheep, or for thrashing cummin. Other uses of the rod included a scourge to inflict punishment or to strike a servant (slave) (Ex. 21:20). It was also used as a scepter of authority, the symbol of a king's power, and an instrument of miracles, such as those performed by Moses and Aaron. But, essentially, the 'rod of God' (Ex. 4:20; 7:9; 12:19f.) was used for disciplining people, including children (see Prov. 3:11-12; Heb. 12:5-11). What better means for controlling the 'folly bound up in the heart of a child' (Prov. 22:15) than by using the 'shebet' or rod. The 'rod of discipline' will drive such folly out of children and make them docile and obedient; 'the rod and reproof gives wisdom' (Prov. 29:15)."
Dennis Rupert, pastor of New Life Community Church in Stafford, VA, writes: "Proverbs 23:13-14..... show that the rod WAS for beating. The shepherd usually used a staff, not a rod, for rescuing, guiding, and creating a boundary for the sheep. The shepherd used the rod for beating (if not always sheep, then enemies of the sheep). Both are necessary in the life of sheep and both are necessary in our lives. Just like Psalm 23:4 says, 'your rod AND your staff, they comfort me'."
"Concerning the word 'beating' (Hebrew naka, 'smite' in the King James language) ....There is a whole range of meaning for this Hebrew word (just as in English). The word is used to describe everything from whipping a donkey, to hitting a rock with a stick, to killing a man. The entire range involves unpleasant physical affliction, but not necessarily brutality."
"Concerning the word 'beating' (Hebrew naka, 'smite' in the King James language) ....There is a whole range of meaning for this Hebrew word (just as in English). The word is used to describe everything from whipping a donkey, to hitting a rock with a stick, to killing a man. The entire range involves unpleasant physical affliction, but not necessarily brutality."
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