Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, December 24th, 2025
Christmas Eve
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

New Life Version

Proverbs 23:13

Do not keep from punishing the child if he needs it. If you beat him with the stick, he will not die.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Children;   Hell;   Parents;   Thompson Chain Reference - Correction;   Discipline;   Family;   Fathers;   Home;   Punishment;   Social Duties;   Temperance;   Temperance-Intemperance;   The Topic Concordance - Chastisement;   Deliverance;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Parents;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Rod;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Discipline;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Heart;   Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Flogging;   Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Boyhood ;   Education;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Scourge;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Education;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Don’t withhold discipline from a youth;if you punish him with a rod, he will not die.
Hebrew Names Version
Don't withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
King James Version
Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
English Standard Version
Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
New American Standard Bible
Do not withhold discipline from a child; Though you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
New Century Version
Don't fail to punish children. If you spank them, they won't die.
Amplified Bible
Do not withhold discipline from the child; If you swat him with a reed-like rod [applied with godly wisdom], he will not die.
World English Bible
Don't withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Withhold not correction from the childe: if thou smite him with the rodde, he shall not die.
Legacy Standard Bible
Do not withhold discipline from the child,Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
Berean Standard Bible
Do not withhold discipline from a child; although you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
Contemporary English Version

-12-

Don't fail to correct your children. You won't kill them by being firm,
Complete Jewish Bible
Don't withhold discipline from a child — if you beat him with a stick, he won't die!
Darby Translation
Withhold not correction from the child; for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die:
Easy-to-Read Version
Always correct children when they need it. If you spank them, it will not kill them.
George Lamsa Translation
Do not withhold chastisement from a child; for if you beat him, he will not die.
Good News Translation

-12-

Don't hesitate to discipline children. A good spanking won't kill them.
Lexham English Bible
Do not withhold discipline from a child, if you will beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Literal Translation
Do not withhold correction from a boy, for if you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Witholde not correccion from ye childe, for yf thou beatest him wt the rodde, he shal not dye therof.
American Standard Version
Withhold not correction from the child; For if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Bible in Basic English
Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Withhold not correction from the child; for though thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
King James Version (1611)
Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Withholde not correction from the chylde: for if thou beatest hym with the rodde, he shall not dye thereof:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Refrain not from chastening a child; for if thou beat him with the rod, he shall not die.
English Revised Version
Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beat him with the rod, he shall not die.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Nile thou withdrawe chastisyng fro a child; for thouy thou smyte hym with a yerde, he schal not die.
Update Bible Version
Don't withhold correction from the child; [For] if you beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Webster's Bible Translation
Withhold not correction from the child: for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
New English Translation
Do not withhold discipline from a child; even if you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
New King James Version
Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.
New Living Translation
Don't fail to discipline your children. The rod of punishment won't kill them.
New Revised Standard
Do not withhold discipline from your children; if you beat them with a rod, they will not die.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Do not withhold, from a child, correction, When thou smitest him with the rod, he shall not die:
Douay-Rheims Bible
Withhold not correction from a child: for if thou strike him with the rod, he shall not die.
Revised Standard Version
Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.
Young's Literal Translation
Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.
THE MESSAGE
12 Don't be afraid to correct your young ones; a spanking won't kill them. A good spanking, in fact, might save them from something worse than death.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.

Contextual Overview

12 Open your heart to teaching, and your ears to words of much learning. 13 Do not keep from punishing the child if he needs it. If you beat him with the stick, he will not die. 14 Beat him with the stick, and save his soul from hell. 15 My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will be glad also. 16 My heart will be full of joy when your lips speak what is right.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 13:24, Proverbs 19:18, Proverbs 29:15, Proverbs 29:17

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 21:18 - when they 1 Samuel 3:13 - restrained them not 1 Kings 1:6 - had not Proverbs 22:15 - but Luke 15:18 - I have Ephesians 6:4 - but Hebrews 12:7 - endure

Cross-References

Genesis 23:5
The sons of Heth answered Abraham,
Genesis 23:8
He said to them, "If you are willing to have me bury my wife, hear me, and ask Zohar's son Ephron for me.
2 Samuel 24:24
But the king said to Araunah, "No, I will buy it from you for a price. I will not give burnt gifts to the Lord my God which I do not pay for." So David bought the grain-floor and the bulls for fifty pieces of silver.
Acts 20:35
In every way I showed you that by working hard like this we can help those who are weak. We must remember what the Lord Jesus said, ‘We are more happy when we give than when we receive.' "
Romans 13:8
Do not owe anyone anything, but love each other. Whoever loves his neighbor has done what the Law says to do.
Colossians 4:5
Be wise in the way you live around those who are not Christians. Make good use of your time.
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money. Be happy with what you have. God has said, "I will never leave you or let you be alone."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Withhold not correction from the child,.... When he has committed a fault, and correction is necessary; for to spare it is the ruin of the child, and no proof of true affection in the parent, but the reverse; see Proverbs 13:24;

for, [if] thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die; if he be beaten moderately, there is no danger of his dying under the rod, or with the stripes given him; besides, such moderate and proper corrections may be a means of preserving him from such crimes as would bring him to a shameful and untimely death, and so he shall not die such a death; and by such means, through the grace of God, he may escape the second, or eternal death.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

i. e., “You will not kill your son by scourging him, you may kill him by with holding the scourge.”

Proverbs 23:14

Hell - Sheol, the world of the dead.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile