Abstract
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.
Highlights
Raising children involves more than providing the material and emotional needs of children
The wisdom sentence is the basic element of the form of the text (McKane 1970:2)
It has so many wisdom sentences, which is the basic element of the pericope
Summary
Raising children involves more than providing the material and emotional needs of children. The scope of this article will be to exegete the pericope of Proverbs 1:8–19, where parents have roles to play in the lives of their children, especially as it relates to Tiv youths. In the pericope, the analysis looks at the way that Solomon was able to engage persuasive languages in addressing his son not to join the evil company of his peers.
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