The Book of Proverbs gives wisdom to the prudent on what and how to eat and drink. Tyndale (2019) observed that wisdom is observed, studied, and learned. Providing a more succinct thesis, Swindoll (2021) noticed that the Book of Proverbs brings divine truth into proper focus, enabling the listeners to look at their earthly sojourn through the God’s lens and also ensure to live according to aphorisms there. This is the essence of Proverbs 23:19–21, 29–32 in the context of the growing level of alcoholism in Benue State. The pericopes captured the fact that alcohol addiction, otherwise known as alcohol dependence, has disadvantages in the long and short run, with its life-threatening consequences. The rhetor in the pericope noted that the urge and temptation to become drunk with alcohol begins with a glimpse, and the most effective strategy in dealing with it involves not allowing it to happen in the first place (Ulrich 2018). The aphorisms in study texts are vital in addressing the pandemic of alcoholism among the people of Benue, particularly the Tiv and Idoma people.

Tiv and Idoma comprise the dominant tribes in Benue State, although there exist other minor ethnic groups such as Etilo and Igede. The level of commitment to alcoholism by the Tiv and Idoma people has had consequences for the drunkard, their family, close relatives, and their friends. Early in the morning, the young and the old alike gather in drinking joints where alcohol is specifically made, known as Burukutu in Benue State. It is used to kick-start the day’s activities. Charles (2021) noticed that in Benue for a long time now, people have sold alcohol beyond 22:00 and some until the next day. Also, in the evening, they gather again to drink themselves into a stupor. Sometimes, some of them stagger to their homes. Some are killed by running vehicles. Others fall into gutters and sustain severe injuries, losing their eyes, among others. In Benue State, alcohol addicts had been involved in alcohol-related dangers such as accidents, physical combat, among others. It is also sad to note that alcohol addicts value their drinking motives more than the experiences of negative impacts of alcohol on their social life (Gire & Shaahu 2015). Others rape their biological daughters, beat their wives, and break televisions in the homes. In fact, the level of alcoholism in Benue State has received little attention from the government, governmental organisations, civil-based organisations, and even the scholarly community. Most research has focused on alcoholism in other parts of Nigeria, but existing literature has carefully avoided providing a missiological response to this crisis, especially from the Old Testament and specifically from the Wisdom Corpus.

This is a qualitative study with data gathered from relevant academic literature. Data analysis was carried out using literary analysis method. A literary analysis is a careful examination of the mechanism of a literary work and a discussion of how that mechanism functions to reveal meaning (Skrabanek 2014). The aim of this study is to use Proverbs 23:19–21, 29–32 to address the problem of alcohol addiction in Benue State. Firstly, this study gives a succinct narrative on Proverbs 23. Secondly, thematic analysis was carried out on the pericope. Thirdly, the challenge of alcoholism was sketched, and thereafter the hermeneutical framework was established.

The Book of Proverbs belongs to the wisdom corpus, where the aphorist uses persuasive and concise words to get his audience’s attention and participation. Other books in the corpus include Ecclesiastes and Job. Lawrence (2006) asserted that the Book of Proverbs is a corpus of pieces of advice and counsel from the teacher to the students with the aim of guiding the student’s moral life. Proverbs 23 says that when human minds are corrupted and under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other substances, it impairs their sense of judgement and thinking and inhibits the human ability to reason, according to the Bible, and it depresses the functioning of the conscience (Relevant Bible Teaching 2022). The Book of Proverbs is attributed to King Solomon of Israel, but he was not the only author, because this book was likely finished long after his life and reign with King Hezekiah and other wise men between 715 and 686 BC (Heimbigner 2021).

A literary appraisal of the book reveals that Proverbs 23 encourages the wise to live a happy life by avoiding alcohol addiction. According to Scott (2007), anyone who has the fear of God, according to the rhetor in Proverbs will likely make sensible choices that will lead a happy life. These choices are only carried out by the prudent that is one who disciplined himself or herself by objective reasoning. According to Ademiluka (2020), Proverbs 23:29–35 has implications for the church with regard to their role in curbing alcoholism. These implications range from the effects of alcohol on the victim and also on the community. Thompson and Owens (2013:701) are of the view that in the pericope wisdom complains of the contempt of scorners.

It is paramount at this juncture to talk about wine in the Old Testament. According to Fairchild (2022), wine represented life and vigour. In the Old Testament, it was also a symbol of gladness, blessing, and wealth as was identified in Genesis 27:28. In the words of Thorn (2017):

McDonald (2012:1) noticed that wine was for festivity when everyone is happy. Also, among the ancient Jews, the poor in the land were provided with wine whenever there was merriment.

It was not the entire verses in the Book of Proverbs 23 that were chosen in this study. The study only engages verses 19–20 and verses 30–31. The reason is that only these verses touch on the thesis of this article. The chosen pericopes were evenly divided into three sub-themes, as shown underneath.

Currently, reports reveal that in Africa, when it comes to consumption of alcohol, Nigeria ranks first (Dumbili, Uwa-Robinson & Odeigah 2022). Notwithstanding the increasing consequences of alcoholism, many more persons are still victims, and in the context of this essay, the Tiv and Idoma tribes of Benue seem to be indicted. Benue State is located in the middle belt of Nigeria. It is one of the popular states known to have the highest wave of alcoholism in Nigeria. The early drinking habit shows the likelihood of future alcohol dependence or abuse among teenagers, youths and adults with its resultant effect of multiple sexual relationships (Audu et al. 2020). Unfortunately, while concerned individuals were trying to curb this anomaly, the crisis of alcoholism escalated, with many people getting involved in drinking on a day-to-day basis.

In most streets in Benue State, there are joints where the young and the old meet in the morning and evening to drink themselves into a stupor. In the state, apart from the normal type of alcohol, there is another one that is known as Burukutu where sometimes mentholated spirit is added to a fermented solution of millet or guinea corn and people take it under the guise of getting over their life challenges. According to Eshemorkha (2020), it is a popular alcoholic beverage made from the grains of Guinea corn, millet, and maize. Little did they know that it heralded the beginning of their social, economic, and mental challenges as active men in the state.

Unfortunately, in Benue State, there is this kind of apathy the government shows towards controlling the distribution of alcohol such as Burukutu. Sometimes students leave their school to come to these joints to drink themselves into a stupor, and they end up raping their classmates, beating their teachers, stealing in the school, and being expelled by the school authorities. Agberotimi (2021) observed that it is not uncommon for bars to be situated near schools, which makes them easily accessible by the students. The school authorities have done much to salvage the situation, but the issue keeps escalating.

Several reasons have been given for the alcohol addiction in Benue state, especially among the Tiv and Idoma tribes. Firstly, there is the belief that depression causes people in the state to turn to alcohol. They see alcoholism as a way to forget the challenges they are going through. Sometimes one may have lost the job, and starts indulging in alcoholism just to get over the situation. Merikangas and Gelernter (1990) noticed that alcoholism plays an aetiological role in some depressions, while Beck, Weissman and Kovacs (1976) noted that the joint effect of depression, hopelessness, and alcoholism can increase suicidal attempts. Also, people who might be having problematic relationships or marriages may see alcoholism as a way out.

Secondly, some people feel that life has no purpose. This may be based on boredom, or the fact that they have not accomplished as much as expected or as their mates have. It happens mostly among the youths. This is the basis for the report of the World Health Organization (WHO 2022) that alcohol consumption causes death and disability relatively early in life, especially among those aged 20–39 years. They further revealed that approximately 13.5% of the total deaths are attributable to alcohol. For the victim, there is nothing to fall back on, nothing to make them feel okay. Thus, alcoholism seems to be the only way out.

Thirdly, some of the drunkards are unable to manage their personal life challenges. It seems that the problem is just too much to bear. When one becomes intoxicated with alcohol, it may trigger suicidal thoughts and also homicide (Klimkiewicz et al. 2012). They seem to be struggling between suicide and attempted suicide. In fact, even when they are unable to handle their personal issues, family, environment, and work issues tend to compound the problems, making the victim develop low self-esteem, and see alcohol as an escape mechanism from these challenges.

Fourthly, some become alcohol addicts because of the curiosity of wanting to know how sweet it is to sit among people and drink and talk about useful and mostly useless things. In the words of Cowley (1992), alcohol addicts were previously non or moderate drinkers who, at different stages, ignored their speed and increase in the quantity consumed at any point in time. Thus, some drink alcohol on the quest to learn something new, and ignorantly, they become addicts within a short time.

Fifthly, many of the alcohol addicts joined the bandwagon based on peer pressure from their friends to belong. Hawkins et al. (1997) are of the view that youths who engage in alcohol use do so because of a lack of parental care and discipline, emulation, sickness, and a lack of self-control. They want to belong to the ‘big boys’ community. This impairs the physical and psychological health of the drinker and also exposes others to the risk of accidents, violent behaviour, and several other adverse conditions, including death (Asagba, Agberotimi & Olaseni 2021).

The decision to pick out verses 19–21 and 29–32 of Proverbs 23 is because they speak directly to the issue of alcoholism, which has become a pandemic among the Tiv and Idoma people of Benue State. Looking at the exegesis of Proverbs 23:19–21, 29–32, the problem of alcoholism and its implications – societal and personal – were analysed and described. These problems and implications of alcoholism suit the contemporary happenings in Benue state. According to Eniojukan and Chichi (2014:48), the prevalence rate was 21%; initiation age was 10–17 years (62.2%) with more male drinkers (89.2%); the most preferred drink is beer (79.3%) and major source are friends (56.8%). Furthermore, because of increased hypertension, heart disease, liver problems and cancer in Benue state, these diseases are found to be higher amongst alcholics (Chafa 2018). Unfortunately, the number of alcoholics has continued to increase. For instance, in a study carried out by Chafa (2018), the alcoholic prevalence rate was 70.0% among the youths but was relatively low on a male female ratio of 7:3. The aphorisms in the study texts reveal thought-provoking themes that would speak anew to the increasing alcoholism among the people of Benue State. These themes include the relationship between peer pressure and alcoholism, and consequences of being an alcoholic and addict. In Benue state, peer pressure is a major factor promoting alcoholism. Also, adequate information on the dangers of being an alcoholic seems to be lacking among the people of Benue state. Proverbs 23 is believed to provide a new lens to the people of Benue state.

Proverbs 23 tells humanity that the essentials of moral living are the same in all ages, and the wisdom embedded in these ancient advices fits very well with what is happening in contemporary developments in Benue State. The pericope made it clear that people put themselves at risk of injuries, accidents, health problems, relationship problems, mental disorders, and poor school performance when they engage in alcoholism (Agberotimi 2021). There are some faith-based interventions that can curb alcoholism in Benue State. There is the need for the church to liaise with civil-based organisations and non-governmental organisations and engage in mass sensitisation on some drinking joints, telling alcohol addicts on the dangers of continuing in the wrong path. Also, alcohol addicts should see the path they are pursuing as very dangerous looking as what the rhetor in Proverbs 23 projected for them. The rhetor warns that alcohol addicts may end up in poverty and penury. This prompts alcohol addicts in Benue State to readjust their lives and follow the wise path by shunning alcoholism. Consequently, the government needs to start closing down some of these joints that sell mentholated spirits mixed with fermented maize to young people. This will drastically reduce the number of intoxicated people on the streets of Benue State. There should be some form of rehab unit in churches where alcohol addicts may be kept for a while so that they can lose contact with their fellow alcoholics. This will help them to overcome addiction. There is the need for alcoholism to be included as a subject in secondary schools, and in advanced level education. This will help to sensitise the students on the dangers of them indulging in alcoholism or its addiction. There is also a need for hospitals to have a special section for counselling. This is important so that those people who were brought to the hospital as a result of their involvement in alcoholism will be told persuasively on the dangers of their continual indulging in alcohol and other related substances.