"He who assaults his father and drives his mother away is a shameful and disgraceful son."
assaults
This is the Hebrew word shadad which means to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin. The idea is that when you seek to ruin or devastate your authorities, you destroy what you so desperately need.
mother and father
This is the Hebrew word ab and em which means father and mother. The first authorities in your life. if you are not able to deal with their correction and direction, then you are a real problem. And you have a real problem.
shameful
This is the Hebrew word bos which means ashamed, disconcerted, disappointed, put to shame. The idea is what all parents know -- that if their children are rebels and especially violent rebels, then it is such a blow to accepted parenting practice that no one could call it successful parenting. It causes the parents to not want to show their face when a child is violent with the people who brought them into the world. Children need to learn how to handle rage, disappointment, unmet expectations, and temptations in appropriate ways by their parents.
disgraceful
This is the Hebrew word haper which means be ashamed, confounded. The idea is that any son or daughter who would get physical with their parents causes the parents to be significantly disgraced in the eyes of their peers, their colleagues, their friends, their authorities. Being physically violent with your parents is about as low as you can stoop in the "Honor your father and your mother" continuum.
We are hearing more and more about this kind of selfishness rearing its ugly head -- where children are being radically selfish and violent or threatening with parents; teens who are openly defying parents. There must be internal stops built into children when they are small that being violent with parents in not an option. We must teach the positive aspect of the Fifth Commandment. What are you going to do today to add value of the parents God gave you? Godly children add value to them.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz