The Hard Way

(Proverbs 29:21 KJV)  He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.

When I went to my software I was shocked at the words that came up on the screen for verse 21,

(Proverbs 29:21 GNB)  If you give your servants everything they want from childhood on, some day they will take over everything you own.

If you compare it to the KJV you see a totally different ending.  The NASB echoes the KJV.  GNB stands for Good News Bible.  I put it into the paradigm of paraphrase.  The others that I consider paraphrases match the GNB.  What goes on?

I find an answer as I look at the word used for “son” (4497).  This is not the normal word for son in the Old Testament.  The standard word [ben] (1121) is used almost 5,000 times.  The word used here has an interesting definition, only one, “progeny” comes close to “son”.  The other two give us an insight into the different translations:  grief, thankless one. 

This is not a lesson in treating your servants or slaves well.  This is a caution about spoiling your children.  Solomon watched his father, David, do it.  I can only guess that Solomon did not learn from his fathers example.  He left no son [ben] to rule a united kingdom but only sons (4497) so spoiled that they split it and took it on the road to destruction.

So?  The hard way is just that, the hard way.  Being a parent, employer, pastor or leader of any kind demands high standards if we are going to see others develop into righteousness.