AbstractWith few exceptions, the majority of biblical scholars (Euroamericans and Africans) concentrate on comparing ancient Israelite proverbs with the so-called ancient Near Eastern proverbs. Despite the importance of proverbs in Sub-Saharan Africa it is doubly unfortunate that the majority of African biblical scholars did not think it wise to compare proverbs from ancient Israel with Sub-Saharan African proverbs. It is also a double tragedy that young people in Sub-Saharan Africa are ignorant of proverbs because they have refused to learn them because they think them archaic. Proverbs in both ancient Israel and in Africa are similar in function and classification. Thus, they serve as advice, reproach, warning, encouragement and further explanation of some facts. They have great value and importance, such as giving a sense of identity, community, culture, respect for authority and elders, sacredness of everything under the sun and a sense of hospitality and others.

AbstractProverbs 22:1 accords premium to “a good name” above riches. The book belongs to the OT wisdom tradition which has been adjudged as most suitable for character teaching. Hence, this study examines the text in the light of the concept of character, with specific focus on attitude to money in Africa, using the Nigerian context as an illustration. The work proposes that Prov 22:1 is relevant in contemporary Africa where the loss of regard for reputation has led to corruption and the concomitant unemployment and poverty. Recent events in Nigeria, for instance, have shown a total break-down of respect for the age-long African value system so much that ex-convicts of corruption are actually celebrated on release from jail. The work therefore calls for a reawakening of the traditional African value system in which theft was more or less a taboo as people aspired for the ideals of “a good name.” To achieve this there is a need for African leaders to engender policies that would enforce the traditional values to be inculcated in their subjects. More importantly, leaders at all spheres of the African community must lead by example in the aspiration for the ideals of “a good name.”

AbstractThis article is an invitation to scholarship to take another look at the function of ancient Israelite Wisdom Literature; not only as it encroaches on the Pentateuch and Prophetic literature, but also as it relates to African-Ewe (and other) theologies and vice versa. In particular, the pervasiveness of proverbs and wise sayings among Ewe people makes proverbs the most fertile ground upon which the message of the Bible can be planted, nurtured and brought to fruition. In other words, because proverbs and wise sayings are a kind of theological backdrop of the life of the Ewe people, Christianity needs to approach the Ewe people with the wisdom of Proverbs in order to bring the people to understand, accept, imbibe and put to effective use the message of the Bible since Ghanaian-Ewe proverbs and wise sayings can be a very effective way of transmitting the Judeo-Christian message to the peoples of Africa in general, and to the Ewe people of Ghana in particular.

AbstractIn Proverbs and the African Tree of Life Dorothy BEA Akoto-Abutiate juxtaposes chosen sayings from Proverbs and selected Ewe Folk proverbs using the agricultural metaphor of “grafting,” which she calls a “hermeneutic of grafting.” Though these two sets of sayings come from completely different cultural contexts, Akoto argues that folk sayings/proverbs, which abound in Africa, should be considered as an already mature, established tree on to which a piece of the biblical tree is spliced or engrafted to produce hybridized fruits that have uniquely different tastes than the fruits of each tree individually. This metaphorical grafting process allows the message of the Bible (in Proverbs) to be understood, imbibed and appropriated in Africa.

AbstractIn recent scholarly debate, more attention has been given to the Book of Proverbs. This book, unlike others, has not been extensively studied when it comes to translation techniques or text-critical research. Nevertheless, the textual witnesses of Proverbs demonstrate some variants, more particularly a lot of minuses and pluses, which are relevant to our understanding of the text. This article provides a text-critical analysis of Prov 16,1-7 using the methodology proposed by Bénédicte Lemmelijn presented in her book ‘A Plague of Texts? A Text-Critical Study of the So-Called ‘Plague Narrative’ in Exodus 7,14-11,10’. The results of this analysis lead to the conclusion that the LXX translator, who translated freely, had a different Vorlage, which had another verse order than MT and 4QProvb. This contribution offers a step forward in the quest for a better understanding of the translation technique of LXX-Proverbs.

AbstractThe book of Proverbs falls within wisdom literature with 31:10-31 as part of its epilogue. The Hebrew poet here has both theological and literary purpose - to instruct the covenant community in godliness through realistic reflection on society. As such, the characteristic attributes of the godly and industrious female figure portrayed in this acrostic poem may well be taken as an existing reality rather than a mere literary poetic imagination. Therefore, functioning as an epitome of womanhood for all generations, this acrostic poem finds close affinity with the characteristic attributes of the cultured traditional as well as the godly Miship woman of Nigeria. This article basically endeavours to show the resemblances between the qualities of the human woman of Prov 31:10-31 and the Miship woman within the Nigerian context.

AbstractThe poem appearing in the epilogue of the book of Proverbs (Prov 31:10-31) is classically a paean poem that eulogises the outstanding qualities of the female figure assumedly portrayed as an epitome of womanhood. This article seeks to address the unbalanced portrayal of the couple in the paean by inviting readers to pay close attention to the mention of the male figure in vv. 11, 23, 28-29 and to discover his salient role often glossed over or overlooked by interpreters. It draws attention to the civilised and humane personality of this male figure who, suggestively, is to be seen to serve as the architect of the achievements and public praise of his wife, given the patrilocal and patriarchal context of ancient Israel. In view of this, it is argued, he also deserves to elicit praise. By implication, it also invites the contemporary African male figure, particularly the Nigerian one, to follow the legacy of this husband by exhibiting the characteristics of responsible African manhood as he functions as husband and father.

AbstractThis article argues the following : (i) there is a close but neglected relationship between

AbstractHIV / AIDS poses a serious existential challenge in Africa. Its effects have been devastating, particularly for the disadvantaged members of society. Women, children, orphans, displaced people, prisoners and others have been negatively affected by the pandemic. Patriarchy has also compounded the vulnerability of women. Women are unable to negotiate safer sexual practices with their partners, especially in the marriage context. Religious and cultural factors have combined to dangerously expose women to HIV infection in Africa. Due to the influence of Christianity in Africa, its sacred writings have been used selectively to justify the marginalisation of women. This study offers a re-reading of Proverbs 31: 10-31. It interrogates the meaning of being "the good wife" in the context of HIV / AIDS in Zimbabwe. The first section analyses the influence of African and biblical patriarchal values and how they expose women to HIV infection. The second section explores new models for appreciating "the good wife" in the era of HIV / AIDS. The third section calls for greater action by women's religious groups in HIV / AIDS awareness, prevention and care. Phenomenological techniques like cultivating empathy and recognising the value of religion guide the study.

AbstractIn this article, Claassens employs Martha Nussbaum's understanding of human flourishing as a hermeneutical framework for interpreting the portrayal of the “Woman of Substance” in Proverbs 31, the ʾēšet ḥayil that alternatively has been translated as the “good wife,” “virtuous woman,” “capable wife,” “noble woman,” or most literally, “woman of strength.” The author proposes that Nussbaum's understanding of human flourishing as evident in her capabilities approach may reveal some interesting perspectives regarding the way women are portrayed in the biblical text in the creative space opened up when text and contemporary context are brought together. Moreover, by reading the text in terms of Nussbaum's thoughts of human flourishing, we will also be reading life, contemplating the significance of the intersection of gender and human flourishing for women in communities everywhere who are struggling to survive.

AbstractThe terms 'honour' arid 'shame' translate two Greek words, τιμή and ἀτιμία respectively. In classical times, these formed pivotal values in Graeco-Roman society. Cultural anthropo-logists, in their studies of different Mediterranean societies, have used the English 'shame' and 'honour' to render a variety of indigenous expressions, dealing with codes of unacceptable or acceptable behaviour. These so-called Mediterranean values have been transposed upon biblical values, by scholars eager to show continuity between the two. This study takes issue with that approach. Christianity has fundamentally influenced modem Mediterranean values, particularly with regard to issues like sexuality, purity and gender roles. Proverbs offers an understanding of shame and honour which is quite distinctive, and should be appreciated in its own right. Wisdom and folly are the pivotal values around which all other values find their proper place.

AbstractThis book refutes three traditional hypotheses which have dominated Old Testament scholarship this century: the claim that there were schools in ancient Israel; that in these schools a professional class of 'wise men'; taught; and that their teaching consisted of the moral standards of the civil service. Professor Golka disputes the claim of Old Testament scholarship that biblical proverbs were literary works of art, much influenced by the civilisations of Egypt and Mesopotamia. By comparing biblical proverbs to those of tribal societies of Africa, he concludes that the proverbs of the Hebrew Bible derive from a tribal society - that of the Israel of the period of the Judges.In this ground-breaking work, Friedemann Golka reveals the extent to which the sources and results of social anthropology can be used in Old Testament scholarship to make significant new findings.

AbstractThe focus of this article is on the function of the acrostic form in Proverbs 31:10-31.The traditional image of women as sexual objects is subverted, and the tertium comparationis of the image is descriptionbed as women's outstanding ability to ACT wisely. Seen in this way, the message of the poem is as follows: 1. It is a critique on philosophical wisdom. 2. It reassures people that it is safe to take the bold step to leave the haven of knowledge, and venture into the complex and unknown real world of decisions and choices. 3. It reminds people that they should continue to be discerning, and never become complacent about their previous choices. Wisdom too can prove to be beneficial, but can also tum out to do harm. This sets the poem in a similar class as other wisdom books like Job and Ecclesiastes, which are critical towards theoretical wisdom estranged from the practice of acting wisely, as well as the New Testament book of James, in which faith is equated with acts.

AbstractSee also: Habtu, Tewoldemedhin. “Proverbs.” In Africa Bible Commentary: A One-Volume Commentary Written by 70 African Scholars, edited by Tokunboh Adeyemo, 747–86. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006.

AbstractA contextual reading of Proverbs 31:10–31 indicates that the periscope was and is still being used to judge women and their conduct, not only personally but also professionally. The placing of Proverbs within the wisdom genre, as well as considering the possible author(s) of the Book of Proverbs, gives readers a better understanding of the community, culture and society in which it originated. Proverbs invites the reader to converse in what is truly meaningful in life. The purpose of the article is to render Proverbs 31:10–31 more accessible to its readers and to involve the reader within the context in which the pericope came to life. The woman in Proverbs 31:10–31 does not truly exist. The Wisdom Literature reflects her as an ideal paradigmatic figure. Women should be inspired by her qualities and values, as well as be encouraged to emulate these desirable attributes. The woman of Proverbs 31:10–31 should be viewed as a role model that other women can look up to. Women, especially in South Africa, represent diverse groups that include different races, class and cultures. This should not prevent women from working together to transform the lives of all women. Working together as a ‘sisterhood’ can assist women in reaching shared goals, instead of working against each other or against men. She is a personification of the woman, wisdom theology, encouraging what women should strive for. This woman portrays the way in which women should live while they are pursuing a relationship with God.<br /><br /><strong>Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications:</strong> This article brings theological discourse into discussion with gender studies, hermeneutic studies, dogmatic and ethical studies as well as practical theology. It also explores the relationship between the ‘noble woman’ of Proverbs 31:10–31 and the women of today. It impacts the Old Testament’s theological concepts of women, especially the ‘noble woman’ as praised in Proverbs 31:10–31.

AbstractThe study of royal wisdom in the Old Testament should be based on the relevant texts. Attention is here drawn to such texts. A better understanding of the phenomenon of royal wisdom in the Old Testament calls for an investigation of Israel's neighbors. This book deals also with the ancient Near East (i.e. Egypt, Babylon, Assyria and the west-Semitic region). The concept "wisdom" recurs in ancient Near Eastern languages; the study of these terms and their semantic fields is valuable in such a work; therefore, it has been dealt with. The investigation demonstrates both similarities and differences between the Old Testament and contemporary literature. It may be right to say that Israel was to some extent influenced by her environment. However, in the Old Testament Yahweh is regarded as the only Source of wisdom -- manifested in judicial wisdom, in the building of the temple, in proverbial wisdom etc., and there is a development of ideas on the subject of royal wisdom, beginning with the wise kings David and Solomon, then in the "Messianic" oracles of Isaiah, the importance of the torah as expressed in the "King's Charter" in Deut. 17:18-20, in Deut. 4 and in later Wisdom literature, e.g. Prov. 1-9 and Ecclesiaticus (Ben Sirach). These documents make no mention of the king but Moses is considered an imparter of the torah. The investigation shows that royal wisdom was regarded as a divine prerogative. - Abstract

AbstractProverbs 5:15-20 is not about ecological issues such as water management. However, the biblical author employed water-related metaphors as a way of speaking about faithfulness in marriage. The young man is instructed to drink water from his own cistern/well and to restrain himself from wasting this precious resource on the public areas (vv. 15-16). The article explores attitudes or assumptions towards water that might have informed the author's use of water-related metaphors in an attempt to promote fidelity in marriage. The water management metaphors in Proverbs 5:15-20 are relevant in contemporary Africa, where water crises have developed not necessarily because of a lack of resources, but often because of issues related to poor water management. The investigation is enabled by a hermeneutics of suspicion and retrieval or trust. Two of the six eco-justice principles associated with the Earth Bible Project are applied, namely the principles of intrinsic worth and interconnectedness.

AbstractSome rare lexemes and word forms in Prov 1-9 may have been chosen because of the way they sound. These words contribute to discernable phonic schemes of consonants and vowels in the Masoretic Text. I identified roots, lexemes, and word forms within Prov 1-9 that occur five times or less throughout the Hebrew Bible. Some of these represent unusual forms of common words, such as חָכְמוֹת rather than 1:20 ) חָכְמָה ; 9:1), while most stand as rare words, regardless of form. I present eleven of the strongest examples from Prov 1-9 (1:33; 2:18; 3:27; 4:26; 5:3; 7:6, 20; 8:6, 12, 22, 30), examining how the rare term contributes to the phonic and conceptual contexts of the passage. (https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-87003884a)

AbstractThe phrase &apos;the poor are not us&apos; captures the socio-economic transforming framework held by ordinary people in Africa in the challenge of poverty. It is a dynamic paradigm that expresses positive nationalism and promotes a welfare economy to secure life in society. This African heritage can be used by readers of the Bible, regardless of status, to work at a meaningful interpretation in the struggle against poverty today. The article presupposes a similar holistic world view of ancient Israel informing the poverty proverbs. It situates the latter in a popular social context thus emphasizing a holistic transforming perspective of poverty proverbs in the Book of Proverbs

AbstractAn African Perspective on Poverty Proverbs in the Book of Proverbs: An Analysis for Transformational Possibilities. This thesis contributes to the emerging global scholarly discussion on prioritising the practical relevance of biblical interpretation, particularly in Africa. Taking poverty as a case study, this thesis employs the notion of the popular social origin of proverbs to critically analyse the subject in the Book of Proverbs. A social anthropological approach, historical-critical methods, rhetorical criticism and contextual exegesis are used to analyse proverbs regarding the poor in the Book of Proverbs and African proverbial material. On one hand, the investigation reveals that many Western scholars take their cue from the `official' social context of the Book of Proverbs. However, the impact of an unconscious subjectivity owing to the Western secularising influence on their studies into poverty has posited a conservative status quo in the way the Book of Proverbs addresses it. On the other hand, an investigation of similar traditional African proverbial material on the poor reveals a holistic transformative possibility. Its life-centred dynamism is located in an integrative worldview that comprises mutual assistance, collective responsibility, family, community, social, political, religious and economic networks as one whole. Because cultural parallels exist between the society of ancient Israel and traditional African societies, the thesis argues the use of the African proverbial performance context in the interpretation of proverbs concerning the poor in the Book of Proverbs. The result of such cross-cultural application highlights the possible transformative social, economic, political and religious supportive networks essential to a viable and sustainable holistic development of society. Consequently, such a holistic approach to poverty may enable Bible readers to make meaning and empower the will of African Christians to rise practically to the challenge of poverty eradication in all spheres of their lives. A caution also to the universal church is to be found in the fact that the Book of Proverbs made an essential contribution to the transformation of the social, economic, political and religious life of Israel. Approaching the Book of Proverbs in terms of a popular context is a fact that can no longer be simply ignored.

AbstractArticle Friedemann W. Golka and African Proverbs on the Poor was published on 10 Jul 2002 in the journal Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (Volume 114, Issue 2).

AbstractAfrican biblical scholars have recognized the importance culture plays in biblical interpretation for Christianity’s sacred texts to be authentically African. Cultural resources can liberate biblical interpretation from expert ideological dominance by creating critical reading masses in order to empower the community for transformation from the reality of multifaceted injustices such as poverty. Also the approach creates room for an equal fair dialogue with mainstream interpretive methods in biblical studies. This paper elaborates a model to the preceding aspects through transformative contextual exegetical interpretation of Prov 31:1-9 using the holistic cultural context, of the Bena of Tanzania. The said setup akin to the ancient Israelite one is inherently life-giving and sustaining to potentially transform the well-being of humanity for sustainable development. The reading goes beyond a stance of pure self-interest by challenging the victims to become involved in the eradication of poverty in African communities, especially with respect to leadership.

AbstractSample comments of dominant biblical studies of the Old Testament Book of Proverbs indicate a deep-seated and wide-spread conviction that the book has a conservative status quo framework. Such suggestions sometimes go so far as to give the impression of divine sanction of structural poverty in society. This is done through the spiritualization of the reality of poverty. Nevertheless, this article argues that the Old Testament Book of Proverbs when approached from an African perspective has a transformative framework. A close look at poverty proverbs in terms of the interpreter&apos;s African presuppositions and cultural expectations rereads some transforming possibilities which underlie poverty texts in the Book of Proverbs.

AbstractThe point of departure of this paper is that proverbs are related to both metaphors (generally highly valued) and platitudes or stereotypes (generally despised and distrusted). Moreover, it is often said, especially in non-Western societies, that proverbs embody wisdom. Drawing on Kenneth Burke&apos;s

AbstractIn his ground-breaking doctoral thesis, &apos;An African Perspective on Poverty Proverbs in the Book of Proverbs: An Analysis for Transformational Possibilities&apos;, Lechion Peter Kimilike advocates what could be called &apos;a methodology from the African grassroots&apos; or &apos;a methodology from below&apos;. Poverty is a challenge facing many people at grassroots level on the African continent. These African masses readily find themselves at home as they interact with the Old Testament text on account of the many similarities that exist between the Old Testament and African world views. Challenging the elitist Western approaches to the Book of Proverbs, particularly how the scholars in question have failed to use the book to resuscitate the voice of the poor from the proverbs on poverty in this book, Kimilike proposes what can be called an African transformational approach to the Old Testament. He uses the latter, not only to suggest a possible popular social location for poverty proverbs in Proverbs, but also, drawing largely on the rich African lore that is African proverbs, to reread Old Testament poverty proverbs to challenge poverty in Africa. This paper is an attempt to make a brief presentation of Kimilike&apos;s African holistic approach to the interpretation of the Book of Proverbs, an approach mainly shaped by the researcher&apos;s African context.

AbstractGo hloka le pudi ya leleme le letala, ie, to lack even a green-tongued goat, is an African idiom which reveals extreme poverty for one who lacks such a goat. Such a person "eats a louse and uses its larva as relish!" From the wisdom literature of African peoples, it becomes evident that even in pre-colonial Africa, poverty stared some in the eye. Similarly, some Old Testament scholars argue for a popular setting of the Book of Proverbs. Using the Marikana incident as a hermeneutical lens to show the indignity of poverty, I argue in this article that to be poor, is to be deprived of human dignity. Selected Northern Sotho/Pedi and Old Testament proverbs will also be used to show the indignity of living in poverty.

AbstractCommitted to the ethic of industry, also, possibly persuaded by the precarious context of the production of the text of Prov 1-9, the wisdom teacher persuades his (male) students to watch and learn from the ways of the ant (nemalâ). The nemalâ can be regarded as one of the lowest members of the created species. Apart from the optimistic wisdom mentality embedded within Prov 6 : 6 - 11, noteworthy is also the inter-connectedness between human beings and nature. The latter reveals the holistic outlook which typified biblical Israel, including the members of the post-exilic community in Yehud. Research on the wisdom underlying both the HB proverbs and selected African (Northern Sotho/Pedi) proverbs, has revealed apparent resemblances between Israelite and African world views. If Prov 6 : 6 - 11 is read from an African-South African holistic point of view, which insights might be gained from the text regarding the interconnectedness between human beings and Earth? How may the insights gained be received in an unequal context such as present day South Africa? The preceding questions will form the core of the contents of the present investigation.

AbstractIn hermeneutical phenomenology, a genuine conversation is sought between the researcher and the text or the life expression under investigation. In the present article, a conversation will take place between myself and selected texts from Proverbs, in particular, the text of Proverbs 1:8-9 as well as selected Northern Sotho proverbs. In line with the spirit of hermeneutical phenomenology, I come to the text with some measure of prior understanding an / or presuppositions. The latter entails among others, the apparent resemblances between the world view of the indigenous African peoples of South Africa and those of pre-exilic Israel and post-exilic Judah on parent-child relationships within a monogamous family context. Of particular interest is the phenomenon of parental instruction as it is observable from the gendered (?) nature of the musar of the father and the torah of the mother in Proverbs 1:8-9. Located within the genre of Instruction (cf. Proverbs 1-9), Proverbs 1:8-9, is significant because it forms part of the first pericope within the whole book of Proverbs which addresses the theme of parent-child relationships in the family context. The article seeks to provide a clearer understanding on the world views provided by both my own African-South African context and the textual context of Proverbs 1:8-9 on the following: 1) the role played by both parents in the general upbringing of their children and 2) the significance of the different words used for the nature of upbringing offered by each parent in Proverbs 1:8-9. In a nutshell, what was the nature of the phenomenon of parental instruction as it was practiced in these differing contexts? Could one draw any points of resemblance between the content of biblical texts under investigation and a similar theme from related African-South African proverbs?

AbstractThe image of a woman who is portrayed negatively in Proverbs 1-9, that is, Woman Stranger, has been engaged variously by Hebrew Bible scholarship, especially by feminist biblical scholars. Some have argued that Woman Stranger is in fact one woman symbolic of a variety of traits. The trait that seems to feature glaringly in Proverbs 7 is that of a woman who exercises her sexual powers outside the boun-daries of conventional heterosexual marriage. A new phenomenon occurs in present-day South Africa. Should the phenomenon be regarded as a sign of the deconstruction of patriarchy and its power to control female sexuality? It entails among others, the seduction of younger men, designated as Ben 10’s, by older women (read: female ‘blessers’ and/or sugar mummies), something akin to what Woman Stranger is portrayed as doing to the young man in Proverbs 7. The main question addressed by this article is: If the preceding South African phenomenon is used as a hermeneutical lens to read the text of Proverbs 7, which light might be shed on such relationships especially in present day South Africa? To the honouree, Professor Hendrik Bosman, which teachings and commandments from the wisdom acquired and imparted through his teaching and parenting may he impart in the context discussed here?

AbstractNotions about worthy womanhood are shaped to a large extent by the cultural contexts inwhich they are constructed. In the global village though, shaped as it is mainly by Eurocentriccultures, it would be presumptuous to assume that one can with certainty pinpoint what maybe termed ‘purely traditional African notions of womanhood’. Also, it will be an exaggerationto argue that Africa does not have its own notions on ideal womanhood. Particularly inChristian African contexts, notions about womanhood are still shaped to a large extent by boththe traditional African worldviews and the received biblical interpretations about womanhood.In the preceding scenario, one wonders if women’s identities reveal their real selves or whetherthey are tamed, and thus artificial. In one’s attempt to unravel notions of womanhood fromboth the corpus, Proverbs 10:1–22:16 and in the South African context (cf. selected Africanproverbs), this article has sought to answer the following main question: if images of womenin selected African (Northern Sotho) proverbs (cf. also selected South African narratives) andin the book of Proverbs (cf. Pr 10:1–22:16) are brought together, what kind of picture mayemerge from such a comparison?

AbstractSee also: Masenya (ngwana’ Mphahlele), Madipoane J. “Wisdom and Wisdom Converge: Selected Old Testament and Northern Sotho Proverbs.” In Interpreting the Old Testament in Africa: Papers from the International Symposium on Africa and the Old Testament in Nairobi, edited by Mary N. Getui, Knut Holter, and Victor Zinkuratire, 133–45. Nairobi: Acton, 2001.

AbstractGeneralizations on Africa and on what is African abound, despite the fact that Africa is not a homogeneous whole. However, cultural pointers can help us identify what may be labeled as Africa's wisdom traditions. African proverbs, the focus of this chapter, form an important entity within African folklore. Research has revealed that the Hebrew Bible shows some points of resemblance with Africa. Despite the points of resemblance, it must be acknowledged that there is a gap in time, culture, and language between the cultural propellants that produced the Hebrew Bible and what we find in the African context. Bearing this gap in mind, this chapter will engage the following themes: first, an overview of African wisdom traditions; second, proverbs as language; and third, themes connecting biblical and African proverbs.

AbstractThe Pew Charitable Trusts financed the African Proverbs Project with Dr Stan Nussbaum as co-ordinator, for three years (1993–1996). He assembled a number of scholars who had collected and studied proverbs. The purpose of the Project was to encourage further work of collecting, studying and publishing proverbs. It organised international and interdisciplinary symposia and embarked on three types of publications. One kind of publication was the African Proverbs Series, with Prof. John Mbiti as editor. Five volumes were published in 1997, each with proverbs from respectively Ethiopia, Uganda, Lesotho, Burkina Faso and Ghana. Their size ranged from 584 to 1 497 proverbs in African languages, with translations into English or French. Another set of publications with the Rev. Joshua Kudadjie as editor, covered proverbs for preaching and teaching purposes. Three volumes have come from Malawi, Ghana and Liberia. The Project also published an annotated bibliography by Prof. Wolfgang Mieder. The report from one of the symposia appeared in 1997. The third manner of publication is in the form of a CD-ROM edited by Dr Stan Nussbaum and published in 1996. This is a very comprehensive collection and source of material that includes, inter alia, books from the Project, some 28 000 proverbs, a bibliography with 1 000 items, summaries and extracts from published collections, and a language survey of work on proverbs. The Project has generated both local and international interest in African paremiography and paremiology. Four academic institutions in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and the Ivory Coast, with links to others in Africa, Europe and America, are continuing this work on proverbs. Keywords: african proverbs project, african proverbs series, proverb, paremiography, paremiology

AbstractThis article explores the notion of the translator as an agent of cultural mediation with respect to a very difficult aspect of translation: the translation of biblical proverbs into Sudanese languages. Particular attention is paid to a recent argument concerning strategies for indigenisation and foreignisation as well as the matter of hegemony in translation. These possibilities and challenges are especially acute in the translation of proverbs. Differing strategies of foreignisation and indigenisation produce different kinds of translations, which, on the one hand, may fulfil differing needs within the community, and which, on the other hand, effect different kinds of change.

AbstractIn many oral cultures local proverbs are highly regarded for their wisdom and prized for their aesthetic expression. In this study Jay Moon provides an in-depth look at the use of local proverbs among the Builsa culture of Ghana, West Africa. In particular, the author&#39;s research shows how local proverbs can facilitate contextualized expressions of Christianity that are both biblically authentic and culturally relevant. The process of initiating and sustaining this form of expression is explicated with the help of an engaging narrative, providing valuable insights for those striving for genuine and meaningful expression of Christ in culture. This study will be especially beneficial to the missionary community, particularly for the purposes of appreciating oral literature in primary oral cultures, finding proper roles in the contextualization process, identifying cultural values via the window of local proverbs, training missionaries in cultural understanding, and tailoring discipleship training to incorporate significant aspects of orality

AbstractProverbs 31 has been viewed as two separate poems: 31:1-9, the words of Lemuel&apos;s mother, and 31:10-31, an acrostic poem on the capable wife. Careful analysis of the two poems shows that these were juxtaposed by the redactor as a single composition through lexical and thematic links. It is equally observable that there is no title between the two compositions. Other than the shift in style where the first nine verses are prescriptive and the final 22 verses are descriptive, there is no indication to treat the two as separate. From these indicators, this paper seeks to argue for the plausibility of the final chapter as the final parental (motherly) instruction in which these formerly independent compositions are juxtaposed by the redactor for that specific purpose. This view will obviously yield some interpretational implications on the book of Proverbs that we would like to table for ongoing analysis.

AbstractThe article explores crucial differences and emphases between mainstream Western interpretations of Wisdom and important scholarly voices from the continent of Africa. The divergent trends are highlighted mainly in respect of the central theme of the volume, namely, human dignity and poverty. The perspective maintained in the article to avoid undue reductionism towards a singular methodological stance and to acknowledge positively ‘other’ spaces for interpretation is informed by the concept of model-dependent realism. In conclusion, a few considerations are tabled which could facilitate a space of dialogue and simultaneously value a sensitivity towards a post-colonial ‘African’1 scholarly voice. doi: 10.7833/111-1-28

AbstractThis article investigates the conceptions of night in the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs in the light of the theology of night in the book of Job and the Psalter. It is noted that though some levels of correspondence are observable in the understandings of night in Proverbs-Ecclesiastes-Song of Songs and in Job-Psalter, the points of divergence are stronger. Whereas a strong feminist case can be made regarding the depictions of night especially in Proverbs and Song of Songs, evidence from Job-Psalter differs. In contrast, the unmistakable focus on God in the Job-Psalter conceptions of the night is completely absent in Proverbs-Ecclesiastes-Song of Songs.

AbstractAn observable gap in scholarship is a comprehensive ethical reflection on the portrayal of wisdom as feminine in the book of Proverbs and its implication for wisdom ethics. Besides this lacuna is the observation that the few existing studies on the ethics of the book of Proverbs take their point of departure essentially from a Western conception of ethics. This article has approached the book of Proverbs from an ethical perspective and has argued that the African view of ethics has a rich quality embedded in communitarian values that can be explored heuristically to interpret the ethical vision of the book of Proverbs. Such an approach, it is suggested, has pedagogical relevance to the teaching of biblical ethics especially in Africa.

AbstractThis article explores the potential for the use of traditional proverbs in teaching and preaching. Although most stress is laid on proverbs of the Arimi of Tanzania, examples are also drawn from Kiswahili, Kihuyu, Kipare, Kigisu, Kihaya and Kimaasai. The author maintains that this fertile field of pedagogical resources has been largely neglected by the church. As a background to the presentation an introduction is given to the use of proverbs in the Old Testament. Succeeding sections deal with the meaning, source, suitability, classification and employment of proverbs. The article concludes by illustrating how the judicious use of proverbs produces interest and vitality in the educational and evangelistic task.

AbstractThis paper is a critical engagement with Dorothy Bea Akoto-Abutiate’s book Proverbs and the African Tree of Life: Grafting Biblical Proverbs onto Ghanaian Eve Folk Proverbs (Leiden: Brill 2014). In the book, Akoto-Abutiate grafts together the African Ghanaian folk proverbs and the proverbial sayings in Proverbs 25:1-29:27 in order to appropriate the Biblical message in the Ghanaian context. For Akoto-Abutiate the Biblical book of Proverbs or the Bible in general is a ‘tree of life’ and so is/are the African cultural context(s). She, therefore, suggests the ‘hermeneutic of grafting’ as the most appropriate model through which engagement between African cultural context(s) and the Biblical text can productively happen without undermining the former. The African cultural context in this model is regarded as the dominant and pre-existing tree of life onto which the Biblical shoot(s) are grafted. This paper engages ‘hermeneutic of grafting’ from a decolonial perspective thereby highlighting the pros and cons of Akoto-Abutiate’s approach.

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to explore new research on Adam Smith (1723–1790), the author of the classic economic text An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776) and his often-disregarded earlier work The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759). This is accomplished to provide an alternative perspective on the hermeneutics of wealth in the Book of Proverbs, which is often reduced by Marxist approaches as a mechanism to secure the privilege of the scribal classes of Israel. In order to do this, the following terms generally associated with wealth will be studied: הוֹן (hôn), כֹּחַ (kôach), חַיִל (chayil), עָשַׁר (‛âshar), עָשִׁיר (‛âshîyr) and עֹשֶׁר (‛ôsher). This analysis aims to determine whether the assumption of Marxist approaches to biblical interpretation is correct to suggest that wealth is mainly the result of the market dynamics that are exploited by the capitalist classes at the expense of workers. It will be argued that there are similarities between wealth and self-interest as proposed by Smith and the Book of Proverbs. This perspective incorporates self-interest and wealth in a socio-ethical system in which justice is paramount for social harmony, hereby providing a positive dialogue partner with Marxism and other economic theories to address socio-economic problems in South Africa.

AbstractEmploying the thoughts of French philosopher Henri Bergson (1859-1941), the question is asked if the wisdom perspective(s) in the Old Testament regarding poverty were essentially made from a stance of basic self-interest, which (despite some positive admonitions to help the poor) fails to really engage in the latter&apos;s plight. To locate the wisdom perspective(s) on poverty as one among many in the Bible, attention is briefly given to the latter. Various and diverse wisdom perspectives are also indicated especially in the book of Proverbs (reflecting Bergson&apos;s basic view). However, it is argued that the book also contains some proverbs which can be interpreted as going beyond a stance of pure self-interest. Some conclusions are drawn in view of present-day poverty eradication.

AbstractThe Confessio Patrum is a collection of Patristic writing compiled in Egypt in Arabic. The last writer in the CP is the patriarch Christodulos († 1077). It was subsequently translated into Ga'az and it is in Ethiopia that the CP, known as Haymanotä Abäw made its fortune as the chief Patristic resource text, after the Qeralos. It played a key role net only in the traditional Church training as an important part of the so called "Books of the Scholars" but also in the theological debates with missionaries and within the Ethiopian Orthodox Täwahado Church. The HA is read in the liturgy throughout the Holy Week, until the vigil of Easter Sunday and during the Eucharistie celebration at the time of the clergy's communion. Theological treatises and traditional Ethiopian commentaries quote abundantly from the HA taking for granted that the authors under whose names the various passages are presented, have indeed penned them. The aim of this paper is to provide a specimen indicating that, often this is not the case. Researchers dealing with quotations drawn from the HA always need to verify their authenticity.

AbstractBlack scholars have been underrepresented in Old Testament scholarship, particularly in North America. This bibliography seeks to address this problem by highlighting the work of Black Old Testament scholars to encourage others to use these publications in research and teaching. The bibliography is not designed to be comprehensive, but merely to illustrate the range of scholarship available from these Black scholars.

AbstractThe article takes as point of departure that meaningful dialogue is a possibility only where there is difference (or distance) and the possibility of connections. From this point of departure the possibility of dialogue between African proverbs and biblical texts are explored. The narrative metaphor, as used in narrative theology and narrative therapy, is used to emphasize the possibility and importance of such dialogue. With reference to a number of African proverbs and biblical texts, the article then attempts to show that such dialogue bears witness to a rather complex relationship between African proverbs and biblical texts.

AbstractAn African theology of inculturation needs to take into consideration the oral literature of the African people, including their rich treasure of proverbs. However, African proverbs have been largely neglected in situations where the Bible is studied and taught on this continent. This article is a plea for a revaluation of African proverbs in such situations. I first propose a theological framework within which the study of African proverbs in dialogue with the Christian faith fits. Then certain characteristics of (African) proverbs that make them suitable instruments for the dialogue between culture and faith are discussed. Finally, I explore some opportunities for using African proverbs when we read or teach the Bible in Africa.

AbstractV.H.'s essay addresses the issue of the on-going dialogue between faith and culture (inculturation). It argues that, since there is a cultural gap between biblical wisdom and current African wisdom, inculturation will be more than the explaining or the reenacting of biblical faith in terms of corresponding African concepts or customs. Inculturation should also involve the keeping of different traditions in a creative tension. V.H. then argues that metaphorical proverbs might be useful tools for dealing with tensions in creative ways. They can bring about a better understanding of new perspectives, or even changes to one's conceptual and religious frameworks. Illustration materials include OT wisdom literature, Jesus' use of proverbs in the Synoptic gospels, and African proverbs. [Published abstract--Robert D. Haak].] Abstract Number: OTA22-1999-FEB-306

AbstractThis study explores strategies for interpreting paradox, and paradoxical proverbs in particular. According to Neal R. Norrick only three basic strategies regularly recur in the interpretation of paradox, two of which appear valid for paradoxical proverbs generally. He calls these strategies: separating frames of reference, averaging opposites, and modifying one term of the paradox. With reference to Proverbs 26:4-5, this study confirms but also extends Norrick&apos;s findings. Interpreters of this proverb pair have applied more than the above three strategies for resolving paradox, which could be explained by the fact that, in this case, more than one proverb constitutes the paradox, and it is used in a literary context. This study also shows that a complex network of factors is involved in the interpretation of paradoxes that are constituted by antithetical proverbs.

AbstractThe use of proverbs is often prompted by a conflict situation or problematic circumstances. Proverbs can serve a variety of functions in such conflict situations. Proverbs can be used to inflame or defuse conflicts. In addition, proverbs can also be used to introduce completely new frameworks, resulting in the conflict becoming redundant. This study focuses on this reframing function of proverbs. A discussion of the dynamics of problem formation and problem resolution provides the background for a brief overview of various functional properties of proverbs. Material is then presented to illustrate the above principles: the first example is taken from a biblical text, namely 1 Samuel 24:14, where David uses a proverb to defuse the conflict between him and king Saul; the other describes how a proverb is used in a conflict resolution process in the Angolan Fiote community.

AbstractEcodomy studies need heuristic models to inform Christians how to cope with theirworld. The Bible presents different appropriate models. These models are to be read inconjunction with each other. The models presented by the sapiential literature inProverbs and the apocalyptic literature in Daniel are studied in this chapter. The Booksof Proverbs and Daniel seem to present opposite viewpoints on what life should be.Proverbs propagates a life of faith, wisdom and participation in the orderly world Godcreated. Daniel’s advice is to wait upon God in this chaotic world. It is proposed that theseseemingly opposing viewpoints are to be read in dialogue with each other. Theirjuxtaposition presents a lifestyle that is optimistic as well as realistic, trusting God’ssuperior reign.

AbstractPoverty is referred to in Proverbs, as well as Sirach and&#160;<span style=

AbstractA Ricoeurian hermeneutic affords readers of the Old Testament an opportunity to access the biblical text anew as a source and norm for faith. Reese gave a convenient summarising description of Ricoeur&apos;s hermeneutical approach. Ricoeur organised his considerations around four poles, namely distanciation, objectification, projecting of a world, and appropriation. These operate as the structuring considerations of a Ricoeurian hermeneutic and were illustrated with a sample proverb (i.e. Pr 14:2) from the collection Proverbs 10:1-15:33.

AbstractThere is a twofold challenge connected with the hermeneutics of the wisdom literature in Scripture. The first is to correctly interpret any given text and genre within its specific ANE literary, religious, and sociocultural context. The second is to convey the import of such sapiential discourse to a contemporary audience in their local environment. In this paper I discuss some crucial aspects of this complex enterprise from a translational perspective. After an initial overview of rhetoric in relation to proverbial literature, I examine its particular manifestation in the structure and style of Proverbs 26:1- 12, with a special focus on the paradoxical pair of verses 4-5. There are more textual organization and communicative significance here than meets the ear of the hearer in terms of form, content, and emotive intent. This added rhetorical dimension greatly increases the difficulty of re-presenting such passages adequately (appropriately as well as acceptably) within a different linguistic, literary (oral), and social setting. Several critical issues of relevance will be discussed and illustrated with reference to a creative translation of this passage into the language and poetic tradition of the Chewa people living in Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique.

AbstractThis paper argues that modem reconstructions of Israel's wisdom movement, and the subsequent regard for the book of Proverbs, would do well to take note of the theories of human development current in psychology and pastoral theology. To this end, J Fowler's complex model of human faith development is used to suggest that Proverbs actually reflects an advanced level of faith development, perhaps even beyond that of Job and Ecclesiastes. This is in contrast to those who characterise Proverbs as reflecting a predominantly rigid notion of moral reciprocity (act-consequence), a view which would place Proverbs on a decidedly elementary level of faith development.