PROVERBS
22:6
"Train
up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from
it."
This
verse emphasizes
the importance of training a child at the beginning of his or her life.
It is neither a promise
nor a command, but a
challenge to parents to set their child out on the right path early in life.
The
word train, or more accurately, dedicate,
is also used in reference to the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:63).
This
Hebrew word for train occurs four
times in Old Testament. In the
other three instances, it is translated dedicate and refers to the
dedication of a home (Deut 20:5) or the Temple (l Kings 8:63; 2 Chro. 7:5).
In
Proverbs 22:6, parents are admonished to train their children in the beginning
of their life. Train
denotes some sort of initiation in the first instruction or direction given to
children. It is an act of
consecration or setting the child apart unto the Lord.
The emphasis is on the advantage of early training in the ways of the
Lord. The phrase "in the
way he should go" refers to the way that leads to life—the
way of righteousness. The way is
literally a path. A
key theme in the book of Proverbs, way is used in a figurative
sense with ethical or moral implications (Pro. 19:9; 14:8; 14:12; 20:4).
The way of righteousness is contrasted with the way of the wicked in this book
of wisdom.
The
emphasis of the book of Proverbs is wise living. The
child's own desires or will are not the focus of this verse. The child's
personality or bent is not the issue. The goal of Proverbs is to teach wisdom,
which is grounded in the fear of the Lord (1:7) The way in which the child is to
be dedicated is the way of righteousness. Training in godliness must begin
early in life.
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