17 Bible Verses on Disciplining Children

God gives parents a huge responsibility of raising kids! While this feels intimidating, God has given you a perfect example of parenthood by being a good Father to His children. One of the ways that God says to love your children is through discipline. The following verses explore what the Bible has to say about disciplining children.

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What Does the Bible Say About Disciplining Children?

Deuteronomy 8:5–6
Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.

2 Samuel 7:14
I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,

Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates his son,
but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Proverbs 19:18
Discipline your son, for there is hope;
do not set your heart on putting him to death.

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:15
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Proverbs 23:13
Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

Proverbs 29:17
Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;
he will give delight to your heart.

Proverbs 29:19
By mere words a servant is not disciplined,
for though he understands, he will not respond.

Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Hebrews 12:6–10
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.