A familiar Bible saying, checked in context
Train up a child in the way he should go
Word for word
This is a contiguous KJV phrase in Proverbs 22:6; the rest of the proverb speaks about age and departure from a way.
By @The..Mustard..Seed · Updated
Read the relevant KJV passage
Proverbs 22:6Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Compare the evidence
The preceding saying contrasts snares with a guarded path. It belongs to the surrounding wisdom collection, not a narrative guarantee.
Proverbs 22:5Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.
The next proverb turns to wealth and debt, showing that these are compact wisdom observations rather than one continuous parenting argument.
Proverbs 22:7The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
What the context adds
Proverbs 22:6 is exact KJV wording and includes a second half often left off: “when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The proverb speaks in the compressed style of wisdom literature. Readers can take its counsel about formation seriously without turning it into a promise that no child will ever make a painful choice or that a parent can control another person’s life. The neighbouring sayings cover different subjects, which is part of how Proverbs works. Reading several together helps a reader hear the form of a proverb rather than using one line as a verdict on a particular family.
A question to carry forward
How does the proverb’s literary form affect the way you would speak to a parent facing a painful outcome?
Keep reading
Read Proverbs 22:1–6 and notice how the sayings move between choices, character, and outcomes.
Share this finding
Use the vertical card to point viewers back to the full passage and context on this page.
Download TikTok-size card →See an error or have a source to add? Send a correction. Read our editorial standards and source and study method.