"If you punish him with the rod, he will not die" (23:13). What are these two sayings saying?

The two verses go together: "Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die" (23:13), and "Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol" (23:14). Correction is musar, the word of "Apply your heart to instruction" (23:12), the verse just before, and of "Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding" (23:23) (tap correction). The first verse speaks of what is not to be held back from a child; the second sets the rod beside "save his soul from Sheol" (23:14). The sayings say no more about "he will not die" than their own words, and these notes don't either. Right after them the voice turns to "My son": "My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine" (23:15). The book speaks of the rod in other sayings too (Proverbs 13:24, 22:15, 29:15), and the honest questions on Proverbs 13 and 22 look at 13:24 and 22:15. These notes explain 23:13-14 only from their own words; they don't apply them to any modern practice, law or debate, or say how anyone should discipline a child. If these sayings touch anyone harmed at home, make room to talk, and help them find someone they trust to talk to further, such as a pastor or a counselor.