This article explored the rape of Dinah in Genesis 34:1–28 and its implications to the escalating rape cases during the period of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Nigeria. By examining the rape in the pericope and other key passages in the Old Testament, this article argues that it points towards care and justice for victims of rape, and prosecution of rapists. These social ethics are analysed in relation to the contemporary rape epidemic during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Like the rape in Genesis, rape victims in Nigeria have little or no access to getting justice and counselling from society, non-government organisations and faith-based organisations, against their aggressors (the rapists). These problems highlight the relevance of this biblical narrative for the policyholders, the government and churches in Nigeria.Intra/interdisciplinary implications: This research is based on the impact of rape on the victim and the aggressor in Genesis 34:1–28. Similar to what is obtainable amongst Nigerians during the COVID-19 pandemic, Genesis 34:1–28 reveals that rape has far reaching implications on the victim and the aggressor. It leads to low self-esteem, hate, suicide as well as the death of the aggressor or victim. Disciplines implicated include Old Testament, Religion, Cultural Studies and Sociology.
This article examined the warning against evil companions in Proverbs 1:8–19 and the role of the church in addressing the involvement of Tiv youths in crime in Benue State and its implications for actions. Wicked people were zealous in seducing others into the paths of destruction. Would young people shun temporal and eternal ruin? This was the reason for Solomon’s instruction in Proverbs 1:8–19. He admonished his son with the caption ‘hear,’ which presented the son with a choice. However, Solomon implored the child to refuse to take any step in destructive paths of evildoers. The persuasive nature of the pericope was important in addressing the growing crime rate amongst Tiv youths in Benue State. Most youths in Tiv communities were being enticed into joining criminal gangs, secret cults and rituals in order to make quick wealth. Unfortunately, the number of youths in these immoral acts such as YahooYahoo amongst Tiv youths kept on increasing in the midst of the growing number of churches in most Tiv societies. Rhetoric analysis was used as the methodology. As part of recommendations, parents should instruct, discipline and stop their children from engaging in acts that lead to death. The youths should also avoid evil companions to avoid falling into trouble.Contribution: Youths are the leaders of tomorrow, which makes admonition to youths a necessity for the growth of the Tiv Society. Proverbs 1:8–19 provides roadmaps that Tiv leaders and the church could adopt in preserving morality among Tiv youths.
Although progress has been made in examining different aspects of suicide in Nigeria, literature has yet to adequately explore suicide from the Old Testament lens. In this study, we extended literature by examining 2 Samuel 17:1-23 and its relevance to the increasing suicide rate among Nigerians. In the pericope, Ahithophel committed suicide by hanging himself due to the physical, mental, and emotional challenges he found himself. All these challenges culminate in frustration. These reasons also seem to be factors that have sustained the suicide rate in Nigeria. The frustrated in Nigeria are in a desperate state of mind. They are prone to adopting wild and hasty strategies to address their challenges, which is taking their lives knowingly. Findings reveal that the motivating factors to the increasing state of suicide in Nigeria are frustration, poverty, family challenges, ego, emptiness, and traumatic events. People find it difficult to feed, find job, bear children, and endure intimidation and harassment, among others. People think that the shortest way of mitigating these anomalies is to kill oneself. The impacts include the fact that people bereaved by suicide committed by their relatives are also at an increased risk of suicide, depression, and psychiatric admission. Suicide leaves the family of the victim in poverty, especially if the person is the breadwinner of the family. It also makes the family of the person that committed suicide to feelisolated. The import of Ahithophel resort to suicide is believed to speak anew to the increasing suicide rates among Nigerians. The narrative analysis method was adopted in this study. As part of the recommendations, Ahithophel committed suicide because things he expected to work out for him failed to. In the same vein, Nigerians should not expect things to always work well for them. Also, there is also a need for faith-based collaborations in sensitizing youths on the dangers of committing suicide.
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