But what exactly is reproof? In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word (yåkach), which we translate as rebuke, can mean “dispute, reason together, prove; argue, judge, rule, reprove, rebuke; dispute (legally).”6 Essentially, to reprove or rebuke means “to correct, to convince or convict” and “would not only imply exposure of one’s sin but also to call a person to repentance.”7 In other words, we stop our children in their tracks, point out their sin and its consequences, and call them to repent.
