I was listening recently to a radio
talk show dealing with the question of corporal punishment of
children. Some spoke in favor and other spoke against it.
On several occasions the Jewish Proverb
was quoted to provide moral support and religious sanction to the
practice of corporal punishment: “Spare the rod, and spoil the
child,” they quoted. In fact the the verse reads (quoting from
the New American Standard Bible): “Whoever spares the rod hates
the child, but whoever loves will apply discipline.” Callers to
the radio station interpreted the verse, as I have heard on many
other occasions, in support of corporal punishment including
spanking a or even using a belt or a switch as an effective and
appropriate way of shaping the attitudes and behavior of children.
As I listened, it became one of those
occasions when I wondered. How am I, as a person of the 21st
Century, to understand my faith tradition. We know today that there
are other and better ways to train our children. Spanking is
hitting, and an adult hitting a child is an abuse of power from which
flows painful (in contrast to growthful) memories and the potential
for negative emotional and developmental consequences. An adult
hitting a child is a disrespect which teaches the child that it is ok
to disrespect others, especially if they are smaller or weaker than
you. It is an example suggesting that it is acceptable, even
recommended, to resolve disagreements with violence.
So, as a Christian, what do I believe,
how do I resolve this contradiction between my knowledge as a
modern
person and this proverb that, in faith, I hold up as reflecting divine
wisdom? My pondering was interrupted by a woman who called into the
program. Speaking against corporal punishment, she said (and this is
what caught my attention): “Our problem is that we use the Bible
to justify our cultural norms.” She continued by explaining that
the context for the use of the term “rod” in the proverb is
actually the experience of a shepherd community. The rod was a long
pole or stick that was used by the herder of sheep not to hit the
sheep but to steer or guide them, give them direction. And so, the
caller explained, the proverb's reference to the rod is a reference
to teaching and guiding our children, not a justification for hitting them. (Cross reference: Psalm 23:4)
This caller named and illustrated a
very common error in how we approach our sacred writings. One of our
biggest mistakes in reading the Bible is to read it as though it had
been written today. On the flip side, she pointed to an important
principle of biblical interpretation.
Even with the modern and updated
translations, it is important to recognize that the cultural setting
for the biblical stories and language are very different from
our own. When we fail to recognize this historical and cultural
distance, our tendency is to misunderstand the meaning of a passage
by incorrectly reading our own setting and culture into the story.
Thus for example, with the story of “spare the rod,” we imagine
that it is supporting the historical violent practice in American
culture of hitting our children and we may, as many do, argue that
this is what God instructs us to do when in fact the writer's
intention (and the divine wisdom revealed in the text) is completely
different. In consequence, as people of faith we end up
misunderstanding the true depth and challenge of our religious texts.
So here is the principle for biblical
interpretation: As “people of the Book”, it is critical that we
approach our Scriptures first
with the question of what the writer – 2,000
years ago, or more – intended in what s/he wrote. To the best
possible of our ability, we need to understand their
setting, their lives,
their culture first.
What did the words and story mean to them?
What was their point
of reference? This is where the modern studies in archeology,
anthropology, cultural and Biblical studies are important resources.
Today we have a wealth of knowledge about ancient times that was not
available to those of even the most recent past centuries.
So the first step
is to do our best to understand what was intended in the ancient
setting of the original writer. Only after this first step can we
responsibly move to the next, which is asking what wisdom a
particular story or passage may reveal for our lives today. Often
this “application” to our present setting is less direct and more
a matter of thinking symbolically or drawing analogies. Thus, in
our example, as a shepherd's rod was used to direct and guide sheep,
so by analogy the “rod” in relationship to our children is a symbol for giving guidance and direction.