Say “Proverbs” and “parenting,” and people immediately think of all the passages about spanking.

But I’m thinking there is something else.

I want to know how old is the child to whom the writer is speaking.

This would be good to know, because at whatever age it is, it is advisable, according to Proverbs, to warn him that if he doesn’t listen to you he is going to die.

Death, death, death. It is everywhere in Proverbs. Cougars will kill you. Laziness will kill you. Your mouth will kill you.

You will die. Or you will live enslaved and it will be too late for anything but a few years of regret.

Listen and live or die, my son.

No coddling in Proverbs.

So when should we talk this way?