Poverty in the Book of Proverbs

Western interpretations of poverty proverbs in the Old Testament Book of Proverbs have tended to see a status quo acceptance in the ancient texts, thus neglecting existential challenges of the poverty issue. In contrast, Lechion Peter Kimilike argues that African proverbial material on poverty may – when used comparatively to interpret the corresponding Old Testament poverty proverbs – create a more dynamic analysis. The author’s new and thought-provoking interpretation suggests «an African transformational hermeneutic» that balances between the questions and methodology of the «global [i.e., western] guild» and the concerns of the African interpretative context.