Proverbs 22:6 (ASV)

Passage

Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:4 The reward of humility [and] the fear of Jehovah [Is] riches, and honor, and life.

Proverbs 22:5 Thorns [and] snares are in the way of the perverse: He that keepeth his soul shall be far from them.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor; And the borrower is servant to the lender.

Proverbs 22:8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap calamity; And the rod of his wrath shall fail.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "train", "child", "should", "even", and "depart". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "train" and "child", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "Thorns and snares are in the way..." into verse 7's "The rich ruleth over the poor And...", so "train" and "child" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "train" and "child" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.