Concerns about the current work ethic and the future of work in this generation and how it affects the sphere of evangelicalism, and even our national fabric, has me noticing various references to work (particularly the management side) as I am reading through Scripture. A short passage in Proverbs stuck out to me while I was reading through Proverbs over Christmas break.
Prov. 29:21 ?He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.? KJV
The first thing that ran through my mind was "Is this a good thing or a bad thing?" So I did a little word study and compared various translations. The main translations I routinely reference are as follows:
?Whoever pampers his servant from childhood will in the end find him his heir.? ESV
?He who pampers his slave from childhood will in the end find him to be a son.? NASB
?A servant pampered from youth will turn out to be insolent.? NIV
?A servant pampered from childhood will become a rebel.? NLT
?Whoso is bringing up his servant delicately, from youth, [At] his latter end also he is continuator.? YLT
They all seem to agree that "delicately" is pampering, a practice that is generally negative in its outcome. The New International, New Living, and Young's Literal present very negative results. I am not sure how to take the King James, English Standard, or NASB translations of son/heir.
My question is this: Could this be presenting that which we are experientially observing in the current work climate, that the worker/servant/slave that is unduly, habitually coddled (pampered) will generally develop an entitled mentality regarding work/citizenship (such as we are seeing so much of) as opposed to becoming productive workers/citizens?
Prov. 29:21 ?He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.? KJV
The first thing that ran through my mind was "Is this a good thing or a bad thing?" So I did a little word study and compared various translations. The main translations I routinely reference are as follows:
?Whoever pampers his servant from childhood will in the end find him his heir.? ESV
?He who pampers his slave from childhood will in the end find him to be a son.? NASB
?A servant pampered from youth will turn out to be insolent.? NIV
?A servant pampered from childhood will become a rebel.? NLT
?Whoso is bringing up his servant delicately, from youth, [At] his latter end also he is continuator.? YLT
They all seem to agree that "delicately" is pampering, a practice that is generally negative in its outcome. The New International, New Living, and Young's Literal present very negative results. I am not sure how to take the King James, English Standard, or NASB translations of son/heir.
My question is this: Could this be presenting that which we are experientially observing in the current work climate, that the worker/servant/slave that is unduly, habitually coddled (pampered) will generally develop an entitled mentality regarding work/citizenship (such as we are seeing so much of) as opposed to becoming productive workers/citizens?