Proverbs in Middle East North Africa (MENA) Cultural Context

All proverbs are inextricably related to the culture of their origin. The proverb has a form and function distinctive to that culture. Biblical proverbs thus reflect MENA (Middle East North African) culture and should be interpreted primarily in that context. For a reader from a different culture, this requires the use of appropriate mental software. This article proposes reading scenarios as the key components of this software. Four are reviewed: normative inconsistency, collectivistic personality, three-zone personality, and secrecy, deception, and lying.