en_tn_condensed/pro/23/14.md

rod

piece of wood

It is you who must beat him ... and save his soul

"You are the one who must beat him ... and save his soul." No one else will do it. The hearer is responsible to save the child's soul from Sheol, and the way to save him is to beat him.

save his soul from Sheol

If the hearer beats his children with the rod, they will not die young because they have done foolish or evil things. The word "soul" is a metonym for the person. Sheol is the world of the dead; going to the world of the dead is a euphemism for dying. Alternate translation: "you will keep him from the world of the dead" or "you will keep him from dying" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism)