Proverbs 22:6 in Context
Proverbs 22:6 read in its full chapter context. See the verses before and after, plus historical setting and flow of thought.
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
— Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)
Where This Verse Sits
Proverbs 22:6 appears in Proverbs chapter 22, verse 6. Solomon wrote this around 950 BC. The Hebrew phrase 'the way he should go' literally means 'according to his way'—suggesting training adapted to each child's unique nature, temperament, and gifts. Ancient Hebrew education was primarily oral, through repetition, modeling, and experiential learning within daily life.
The Verse Itself
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
— Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)
Flow of the Passage
To grasp Proverbs 22:6 fully, read it inside the surrounding paragraph. The verses before set up the argument, and the verses after show its outworking. Proverbs 22 as a whole carries forward the theme of parenting, and this single verse is one beat in that larger movement.
Solomon emphasizes the importance of early spiritual training. The training includes instruction, discipline, and modeling. The seeds planted in childhood bear fruit in adulthood.
Cross-References
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