What is he doing at the gate? Understanding Proverbs 31:23 and its implications for responsible manhood in the context of African societies (original) (raw)
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PhD Thesis, 2023
The Akan culture does not treat women the same way it treats its men; there are gender related roles among the Akan cultural practices. Matrilineal inheritance notwithstanding, the Akan woman always plays the second option to her male counterpart. This is obvious in the selection for inheritance which always goes for a male even for nephews, appointments to public office, which follows the same trend no matter her contribution to that society. The objectives of the study included the investigation of the context of the marginalization and dehumanizing cultural practices among the Akan of Ghana and to ascertain how the virtues of the industrious woman in Proverbs 31:10-31 and the cultural situation of the Akan woman can elucidate each other. Inculturation and Liberation hermeneutical methodology were used to study the poem. In this methodology every aspect of the explanation is carefully influenced by the perspectives of the receptor community (Akan of Ghana), their past experiences and cultural practices as a people. Proverbs 31:10-31 is well preserved with few variants which suggest that the poem could have been an adaptation from a male heroic poem. This is made manifest by the several masculine variants in a poem that is meant to eulogise a woman. The presence of Late Biblical Hebrew (LBH) vocabulary and Aramaisms suggest post-exilic Persian period influence on the text. It is most probable that the industrious woman in Proverbs 31:10-31 is a literary creation by a post-exilic poet, as an antithesis of the historic moral and social failures of the Hebrew womanhood during the 8th century B.C.E. for didactic purpose. This is aimed at the moral and social reengineering of the Hebrew society. It is most probable that Ezra might have had a hand in either the writing, redaction or the editing of the poem of Proverbs 31:10-31. With the help of contextual methodology (inculturation and Liberation Hermeneutics) the cultural condition of the Akan woman of Ghana is seen as silent champion instead of a slave and marginalized gender. The Akan woman is empowered for the good of the Akan society with the emulation of the virtues of the Industrious woman of Proverbs 31:10-31. Future studies could aim at the contribution of some Akan women who managed to shatter the glass ceiling of male dominance for the good of the Akan society, the role and identity of such women would help demystify the misconception about the role and place of women in the Akan society.
Old Testament essays, 2013
The 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.
Verbum et Ecclesia
In varying Jewish and African contexts (cf. the Yorùbá and Sotho in the present essay), the ‘ēšet hayil is regarded as a historical figure who should serve as a model for women both young and old. As an organic scholar within an African context, I am both fascinated and also challenged by how biblical notions of gender and womanhood, as portrayed in the paean on the ‘ēšet hayil in Proverbs 31:10–31, seem to be at variance with notions of gender and womanhood as depicted in some Yorùbá and Sotho proverbs. Noting the emphasis in Proverbs 31:10–31 on the positive image of the ‘ēšet hayil as the ideal wife, this article shows that overall, in the African proverbs, the woman is depicted positively as a mother, though many proverbs (cf. especially the Yorùbá proverbs) cast the woman as a wife in a negative light. It is argued that the epitome of womanhood, which in Proverbs 31:10–31 is the ideal wife, appears to stand in tension with the image of a good mother and of a bad wife observed i...
Proverbs 31 in dialogue with Acts 9:36–43: An Afro-feminisation of Mother Earth for equity
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies
A close relationship between masculinity, alcoholism, widowhood and gendered poverty is evident in contemporary African society. Alcohol consumption among young men begins at an increasingly early age due to availability of low-priced alcohol presented in different varieties. Young, beautiful and sexy girls are used to advertise alcohol. Many young men are addicted to alcohol and totally unable to be free from alcohol addiction. This sad state coupled with the impact of globalisation on the economies of many African countries has left many men jobless. Consequently, many households are headed by women in a patriarchal context where men are supposed to be the heads of the family. Through an Afro-feminisation of Mother Earth lens, this article re-read Proverbs 31 in dialogue with Acts 9:36–43, to show the role of women in the socio-economic sustainability of the family, society and in enhancing gender equity.Contribution: This article re-read Proverbs 31 in dialogue with Acts 9:36–41 ...
The “Woman of Substance” (Proverbs 31:10-31) and Ecclesiastical Dignity in Nigeria
KIU Journal of Humanities, 2021
There have been agitations and quests for women inclusion in church leadership. While these engagements had produced some results there is still room for more improvement. There are women with virtues and strength of character like the-woman of substance‖ in Proverbs 31:10-31 who would be of great benefit to ecclesiastical dignity if given opportunity to serve at the top echelon of church leadership. The study employed synchronic and existential methods in analysing the biblical text within the context of contemporary realities in Nigeria. The church in Nigeria would be better equipped to face the challenge of inadequate efficient and trustworthy leaders if hardworking, focused, virtuous, women are given a chance to work in partnership with the few committed men in ministry.
A Poem in Praise of a Virtuous Wife: Implications for Development in Africa
Rugyendo, Medard (2018). A Poem in Praise of a Virtuous Wife: Implications for Development in Africa. Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies. 2(9), 15-24., 2018
The Bible has various teachings about hard work and industriousness as one of the virtues that leads to development of an individual, family and as a corporate society of Israel. One of its books; Proverbs, provides us with one of the most relevant and exciting texts in form of a poem praising a virtuous wife (Proverbs 31:10-31). However though praised, among the Israelites a woman was treated differently as compared to a man and was usually excluded or had her rights restricted on the basis of gender. In the African family setting, the virtues described are important for promoting social economic development. A good social-economic development has one of its roots in such strong and stable families. Thus, this chapter bases itself on the teachings of the above text. Various implications will be drawn for a modern African society based on the virtuous wife: To what extent are such virtues promoted in our society today? To what extent do we women promote sincerity, hard work, trust and industriousness in today's society? How can the growth of our economies in Africa base on such virtues? Questionnaires, in-depth interviews, participant observation and relevant literature will be the instruments to obtain data for this chapter.
Woman Wisdom and the ethical vision of the book of Proverbs: An African reflection
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2015
An 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 as 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.
Being Wise and Being Female in Old Testament and in Africa
Scriptura, 2013
Woman Wisdom in the book of Proverbs is viewed as an enigmatic figure who performs multifaceted roles of a teacher, builder, and nourisher, among other things. Drawing on Proverbs 9:1-6, this paper looks at the depiction of Woman Wisdom as a hospitable woman who beckons to others to come and share of her bounty. The association of the seemingly affluent Woman Wisdom with hospitality calls to mind the image of the African woman who carries out her own hospitality and accommodativeness often in the midst of aggravating poverty. The paper therefore urges the wealthy to take a cue from Woman Wisdom and be more ready to share freely of their overflow and of their space as a way of alleviating poverty in Africa and upholding the dignity of all. It also calls on women and women groups to emulate Woman Wisdom (and the lyI x; tv, ae) by offering alternative strategies to the chronic poverty on the continent.