Proverbs 22:6 - Meaning and Application

Here is, first, a great duty given especially to parents and teachers of children, so wisdom may not die with them. Train children in that age of empty pleasures so they are kept from its sins and traps, and in that learning age so they are ready for what they are meant to do. Teach them the faith, bring them into it, and keep them under discipline. Train them like soldiers, who must learn how to handle their weapons, keep their place, and obey commands.

Train a child, not in the path his sinful heart would naturally choose, but in the path he ought to follow, the path you would choose for him if you truly loved him. Some understand this as meaning, train a child according to his ability, with a gentle hand, like nurses feed little children, little by little and often (Deuteronomy 6:7). The work should fit the child’s stage and strength.

Second, there is a good reason for this care and effort with children. When they grow up and grow old, they will likely not depart from it. Good lessons learned early usually stay with a person for life. What first seasons a vessel often leaves its smell in it.

Many have indeed turned away from the good way they were taught, and Solomon himself did. But early training may still help bring them back, as Solomon is thought to have been restored. At the very least, parents will have the comfort of knowing they did their duty and used the means God gave them.