The Peoples' Bible, Imbokodo, and the King's Mother's Teaching of Proverbs 31

The aim of this article is, first, to look closely at a new NRSV Bible, The Peoples' Bible, putting to the test its own call for reading inclusively, with acknowledgement of and sensitivity to the diverse societies and cultures of the USA, particularly marginalized minority groups. Following general comments and praise for this exciting new publication, the editorial decision to juxtapose a short description of ubuntu theology with Prov. 31:8-9 will be examined. In the course of this article, several distinctly South African examples of biblical criticism will be described. Next, the postcolonial-critical method called Imbokodo, developed and practised by Old Testament scholar Makhosazana Nzimande, will be applied to Prov. 31:1-9 to foreground a new and illuminating perspective, which is ultimately skeptical of the (at least implicit) suggestion of the appropriateness of associating Prov. 31:8-9 and ubuntu. As will become clear, tackling this topic has been a challenge for the author in some profound and personal respects.