Bribery and the Informal Economy in Proverbs
In most cases, the Hebrew Bible unequivocally condemns the use of a bribe-gift (שחד, מתן), declaring such an economic transaction as contradictory to the ways of YHWH. But three verses in Proverbs (17:8; 18:16; 21:14) advocate for a morally positive outlook in the usage of such gifts. Commentators a...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2021
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| In: |
Biblical interpretation
Year: 2021, Volume: 29, Issue: 1, Pages: 49-66 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Proverbs
/ Bribery
/ Gift
/ Economy
/ Economic anthropology
/ Redistribution
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament NCE Business ethics |
| Further subjects: | B
Economy
B Poison B Bribery B Economic anthropology B Proverbs B Yehud |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In most cases, the Hebrew Bible unequivocally condemns the use of a bribe-gift (שחד, מתן), declaring such an economic transaction as contradictory to the ways of YHWH. But three verses in Proverbs (17:8; 18:16; 21:14) advocate for a morally positive outlook in the usage of such gifts. Commentators account for this divergent view of bribery through a variety of creative solutions, though none of these explanations align with the most straightforward reading of the text to encourage bribery. Through the lens of economic anthropology, this paper suggests that the moral endorsement of the bribe-gift is a direct result of the development of a local informal economy. The economy of Yehud centered on redistribution, creating robust informal networks. Within redistributive economies, social scientific studies suggest that the bribe can broaden access. As a result, these three verses in Proverbs challenge older understandings of bribes in light of a new economic reality. |
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| ISSN: | 1568-5152 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Biblical interpretation
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685152-00284P02 |