Proverbs 29:15

The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) A child left to himself.—Allowed to wander unchecked as the wild ass (Job 39:5).

Bringeth his mother to shame.—Whose foolish indulgence has ruined him.

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 29:15. The rod and reproof give wisdom — Correction and instruction going together; but a child left to himself — Suffered to follow his own will without restraint and chastening; bringeth his mother to shame — And father too, but he names only the mother, either because her indulgence often spoils the child, or because children commonly stand least in awe of their mothers, and abuse the weakness of their sex, and tenderness of their nature.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

29:11. He is a fool who tells every thing he knows, and can keep no counsel. 12. One who loves flatterers, and hearkens to slanderers, causes his servants to become liars and false accusers. 13. Some are poor, others have a great deal of deceitful riches. They meet in the business of this world; the Lord gives to both the comforts of this life. To some of both sorts he gives his grace. 14. The rich will look to themselves, but the poor and needy the prince must defend and plead for. 15. Parents must consider the benefit of due correction, and the mischief of undue indulgence. 16. Let not the righteous have their faith and hope shocked by the increase of sin and sinners, but let them wait with patience. 17. Children must not be suffered to go without rebuke when they do amiss. 18. How bare does a place look without Bibles and ministers! and what an easy prey is it to the enemy of souls! That gospel is an open vision, which holds forth Christ, which humbles the sinner and exalts the Saviour, which promotes holiness in the life and conversation: and these are precious truths to keep the soul alive, and prevent it from perishing.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Left to himself - The condition of one who has been pampered and indulged. The mother who yields weakly is as guilty of abandoning the child she spoils, as if she cast him forth; and for her evil neglect, there shall fall upon her the righteous punishment of shame and ignominy.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15. (Compare Pr 13:24; 23:13).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The rod and reproof; correction and instruction going together.

Left to himself; suffered to follow his own will or lusts without restraint and chastening. His mother, and father too; but he names only the mother, either because her indulgence oft spoils the child, or because children commonly stand in least awe of their mothers, and abuse the weakness of their sex, and tenderness of their natures.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The rod and reproof give wisdom,.... Are the means of giving wisdom to a child, reproved by its parent with the rod; and of driving out foolishness from him, and of making him wiser for the time to come; he shunning those evils for which he was before corrected, Proverbs 22:15; So the children of God grow wiser by the corrections and chastisements of their heavenly Father, which are always for their good; and he is a man of wisdom that hearkens to the rod, and to him that has appointed it, and learns the proper instructions from it, Micah 6:9;

but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame; a child that has the reins thrown upon his neck, is under no restraint of parents, but suffered to take his own way, is left to do his own will and pleasure; he does those things which his parents are ashamed of, one as well as another; though the mother is only mentioned, being generally most fond and indulgent, and most criminal in suffering children to have their own wills and ways; and so has the greater share in the shame that follows on such indulgences.

Geneva Study Bible

The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. left to himself] Comp. 1 Kings 1:6.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. - The rod and reproof give wisdom to the young. The former denotes bodily correction, what we call corporal punishment; the latter, discipline in words, rebuke administered when any moral fault is noticed. The idea here enunciated is very common in this book (see Proverbs 10:1, 13; Proverbs 13:24; Proverbs 23:13). But a child loft to himself bringeth his mother to shame. The verb translated "left" (שָׁלַח, shalach) is used in Job 39:5 of the wild ass left to wander free where it wills. A child allowed to do as he likes, undisciplined - spoiled, as we call it - is a shame to his mother, whose weakness has led to this want of restraint, fond love degenerating into over-indulgence (comp. Proverbs 17:21; Proverbs 28:7). Septuagint, "A son that goeth astray shameth his parents." Proverbs 29:15

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

A proverb with שׁבט, Proverbs 29:15, is placed next to one with שׁופט, but it begins a group of proverbs regarding discipline in the house and among the people:

15 The rod and reproof give wisdom;

     But an undisciplined son is a shame to his mother.

With שׁבט [a rod], which Proverbs 22:15 also commends as salutary, תּוכחת refers to discipline by means of words, which must accompany bodily discipline, and without them is also necessary; the construction of the first line follows in number and gender the scheme Proverbs 27:9, Zechariah 7:7; Ewald, 339c. In the second line the mother is named, whose tender love often degenerates into a fond indulgence; such a darling, such a mother's son, becomes a disgrace to his mother. Our "ausgelassen," by which Hitzig translates משׁלּח, is used of joyfulness unbridled and without self-restraint, and is in the passage before us too feeble a word; שׁלּח is used of animals pasturing at liberty, wandering in freedom (Job 39:5; Isaiah 16:2); נער משׁלח is accordingly a child who is kept in by no restraint and no punishment, one left to himself, and thus undisciplined (Luther, Gesenius, Fleischer, and others).