A study of Proverbs 10:12–15 and family unity in the Nsukka local government area

Abstract

Amid colossal family disunity among the Nsukka people, this article sufficed to interrogate reasons for family disunity among the Nsukka people and advance solutions using insights from the book of Proverbs 10:12–15. Scholars agree that the book of Proverbs contains wisdom collections that could help to form a united family. Proverb 10 is apt for this study because it includes the major collections of 375 Solomonic proverbs, which propose love, forgiveness, an understanding mind, and wisdom as a panacea for family disunity. The article adopted the rhetorical approach of exegesis in nuancing the text of Proverbs 10:12–15. Also, the article used the snowball referral method of sampling techniques to recruit 30 participants for the study and used a semi-structured method of interview to gather data from various agencies such as the Administrative Judge, Nsukka High Court, Enugu State, Nigeria; Nsukka Social Welfare; Area Command Headquarters, Nsukka; and Nsukka Urban Divisional Police Headquarters, Enugu State. The study revealed that there are many cases of family disunity in Nsukka. Among the factors responsible for these cleavages are the quest for resource control, unguided speech, divorce, diversity in beliefs, and failure to write a will. The article recommends the inclusion of Proverbs 10:12–15 in marriage course modules and secondary school schemes of work. Also, seminars and symposiums are recommended periodically by church leaders and policymakers to teach family unity using insights from Proverbs 10:12–15.

Contribution: This article is a contribution to theology and ethics. It nuanced the meaning of Proverbs 10:12–15 and uses its hermeneutical implications to advance solutions for family disunity among the Nsukka people. Therefore, it provides an interdisciplinary edge by cutting knowledge from the Old Testament literature of Proverbs and using it to solve societal problems of family dissension.