Colossians 3:21

Colossians 3:21. Fathers; as representing the ultimate household authority, and hence as especially needing this caution.

Provoke not your children; or, ‘do not irritate your children.' ‘To anger' is an unnecessary addition; the term used in Ephesians is different. Severe, unjust, capricious treatment is forbidden.

That they be not disheartened; this is the certain result of such treatment. Bengel: ‘a broken spirit, the bane of youth.' The child feels: I can never satisfy my father. Affection and confidence are destroyed, or at least cease to act as motives. Obedience becomes soulless, and the child loses its moral discrimination, and finally becomes reckless. The history of too many brought up in nominally Christian families. Comp. the positive precept; ‘bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord' (Ephesians 6:4). ‘Our heavenly Father, the Father of our spirits, Himself carefully guards against our becoming disheartened under His chastisement, and nothing rejoices Him more than that “we cast not away our confidence;” and so also in the relations of parents and children, much depends upon our not being rendered morose by the faults, but taking courage as to final triumph' (Rieger).