“Discipline your son while there is hope”: “Discipline” renders the verb form of the noun used in 3.11. This saying probably refers to corporal punishment, as in 13.24. “Your son” is made inclusive in some modern translations with “your children.” Revised Standard Version “while there is hope” may also be understood as “because there is hope.” In this case the sense of the line is “. . . for in that [discipline] there is hope” (New International Version). Note that Good News Translation has translated the underlying sense of this phrase: “while they are young enough to learn.” Bible en français courant says “as long as you have hope of helping them.” We may translate this line, for example, “Correct your children while you still have hope in them.”

“Do not set your heart on his destruction”: This line is difficult to interpret. It says literally “and do not lift your soul on his death.” “Lift your soul” probably has the sense of “be determined,” “set your mind on,” or “be desirous.” “His destruction” is literally “his death” and is taken by some to mean the father should not kill his son through discipline. Revised English Bible translates “only be careful not to flog him to death.” New Jerusalem Bible has “but do not get so angry as to kill him.”

Another interpretation understands “his destruction” as what the children or son bring upon themselves if they are not disciplined. Scott translates “and do not indulge him to his own destruction,” and Moffatt “and do not let him run to ruin.” Note that Good News Translation places this second interpretation in its text and the first one in its footnote. Translators who use notes may do likewise.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .