This saying about the training of children is a single statement in which the second line expresses the consequence of the first line.

“Train up a child in the way he should go”: “Train up a child” is rather unnatural English, but the sense is clear. Other English versions say “teach children,” “give children training,” or “start a child.” “The way he should go” could refer to what is good and right in life, which may be expressed as “in the right way” (New Revised Standard Version) or “on the right road” (Revised English Bible). Or it may have the sense of training for life, as in “Teach children how they should live” (Good News Translation) or “Give a lad the training he needs for life” (Scott). A common rendering in Pacific languages is “Teach children to do what is right.”

“And when he is old he will not depart from it”: This is the consequence of the training described in the first line. The Hebrew begins with a word that gives emphasis to the thought of this line; Revised English Bible expresses this as “and even. . ..” “Is old” is the verb for reaching old age; but “when he is old” does not mean only in old age, it means through all the years of life. So Good News Translation expresses this as “they will remember it all their life,” and one other translation that is a good model says, “and he will keep going this way right up to his old age.” “Not depart from it” is a negative way of saying “will follow that way.”

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 .