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The Bible has been the most influential text in all of Western culture. It's difficult to understand medieval or early modern or much of modern literature without knowing it...

Prof. Barbara Newman, Northwestern University
from 2006 Bible Literary project

Spare the rod and spoil the child (Proverbs 13:24)

Picture description: Jesus
Picture copyright: V.

bible verse

“He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.” (Proverbs 13:24)

meaning

This expression means that if you don’t discipline children, they will become spoiled.

origin and application

In the past, a rod was used for punishing children who were naughty. But times have changed, and many countries have outlawed physical punishment in schools.
Rod has become a metaphor for punishment. This expression means that if you don’t discipline children, they will become spoiled.

example

Keywords

child discipline rod spoil

Related Information

NIV official site
Chinese Bible (???)

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