en to the inexperienced,
To the youth knowledge and a purpose.

The third aim of the wise was to educate the receptive and all who came
to them in the attitude of disciples. This aim corresponded very closely
to that of the modern educator. Again the preface to the book of
Proverbs clearly expresses this educational ideal:

That the wise man may hear and increase in learning,
And the intelligent man may receive counsel.
That he may understand a proverb and parable,
The words of the wise and their riddles.

The wise, therefore, sought not merely to instruct, but to educate; that
is, to develop sane, happy, and efficient men and women. They sought to
train those who would have not only knowledge and experience, but also the
ability to apply these successfully in the varied relations of life.
Above all, they endeavored to educate not parts of a man, but the whole
man. Hence their interest and the subjects that they treat are as broad
as human experience.

The wise were keenly alive to the importance of youthful education.
The proverb:

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

voices the fundamental principle upon which all effective education is
based. They recognized that in the plastic days of childhood and youth
ideals and character and efficiency could best be developed, and that
education was not the work of a moment, but a gradual, progressive
development.

Primary education, however, they intrusted to parents, and in many
proverbs emphasized the responsibility which every parent owed to his
child. They also counselled parents regarding the training of their
children. The maxims:

The rod of correction gives wisdom,
But a child left to himself brings disgrace to his mother.
Chastise your son while there is still hope,
And set not your heart on his destruction.
He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him chastises him,

express their appreciation of the importance of discipline in the early
training of the child. It is not clear at what age the wise took up the
instruction of the young. Possibly it was at about the age of twelve,
when the individual passed from childhood to adolescence, with its
increasing dangers and possibilities. Many of their teachings are
especially adapted to the problems of this tempestuous period.

VI. The Methods of the Wise. In attaining their aims the wise men of
Israel employed a variety of methods