Hebrews 12:5

καὶ ἐκλέλησθε.… “And ye have clean forgotten the exhortation, which speaks to you as to sons, My Son, etc.” καὶ introduces a fresh consideration. Calvin, Bleek and others treat the clause as an interrogation, needlessly. The παράκλησις is cited from Proverbs 3:11, and includes Hebrews 12:5-6. The only divergence from the LXX is the insertion of μου after υἱέ. But Bleek calls attention to the fact that the Hebrew of the last clause stands, according to the present punctuation, וּכְאָב אֶת־בֵן יִרְצֶה = and as a father the son in whom he delights. The LXX instead of כְאָב have read כֵאֵב the Piel of כָאֵב to feel pain, and so to cause pain; certainly a better sense. In the Book of Proverbs the speaker identifies himself with wisdom, and here the words are justifiably viewed as Divine. ὀλιγώρει is classical, meaning “make light of,” “neglect,” “despise”. παιδεία is discipline, or correction, or the entire training and education of childhood and youth. And it is here urged that by the trials and difficulties of life God trains His children; that to view sufferings in separation from God and to be oblivious of God's design in them is disastrous; and that despondency and failure of faith under suffering are inappropriate, for trials are not evidence of God's displeasure, but on the contrary tokens of His love, the uniform discipline to which every son must be subjected, ὂν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ … the emphasis falling on ἀγαπᾷ. ὃν παραδέχεται, “whom He takes to Him as a veritable son, receives in his heart and cherishes” (Alford). The word is similarly used in Polybius, xxxviii. 1, 8. [The same passage from Proverbs is cited by Philo (De Cong. Erud. gratia, p 544) who adds, αὕτως ἄρα ἡ ἐπίπληξις καὶ νουθεσία καλὸν νενόμισται, ὥστε διʼ αὐτῆς ἡ πρὸς θεὸν ὁμολογία συγγένεια γίνεται · τί γὰρ αἰκειότερον υἱῷ f1πατρὸς ἢ υἱοῦ πατρι; Cf. Menander's ὁ μὴ δαρεὶς ἄνθρωπος οὐ παιδεύεται, and Seneca's De Providentia where the same comparison is elaborated, and the great principle laid down “non quid, sed quemadmodum feras, interest”.]