The Holy Bible and GaDangme Proverbs
Let us consider or evaluate few of GaDangmes values and proverbs in the light of Biblical teaching, which point to their Hebrew Israelites origins.
The GaDangmes call to make the right use of opportunity and act appropriately is affirmed in Biblical texts like the popular passage that there is time for everything under the sun (Ecclesciates 3: 1-8), Bei ye keha nofeeno”
Again, the Bible teaching on cause and effect and the boomerang reaction are echoed in Deuteronomic principle which runs throughout the Bible. The Bible teaches that we reap what we sow (Galatians 6: 7-10) GaDangmes say, “Noni oduo le, no obaakpa”
Justice, fairness and impartiality are counseled in GaDangme proverbs: “Ke okee nwei no le, okei shikpon no”. The idea expressed here is essentially the same as the one expressed in Deuteronomy 16: 18-20 concerning the appointment of judges and administration of justice in ancient Israel.
The Dangmes also acknowledges that blessing comes from the truth as stated in their saying: “Anokwale joo kaa tsui he”, meaning telling the truth cools down the angry heart”. The Bible teaches that knowing the truth makes one heart free. (John 8: 32), and speaking the truth to one another makes for harmony (Ephesians 4: 20-32)
The desire and counsel for peace and reconciliation is expressed in the Ga proverb: “Ajo ajo le esee be sane” This means that peace brings no trouble in its wake. Similar sentiments are expressed in Mathews 5: 25-26; Romans 12: 14-21, where people are advised to make peace and not seek litigation or revenge.
Knowledge and wisdom are not the monopoly of any one person. This means that we should confer with others in order to benefit from their wisdom. The Dangme proverb: “Yi kake ye da mi” or the Ga proverb: “Yitso kome eyaa ajina”, meaning one head does not sit in counsel. Proverbs 3: 7 and Romans 12: 16 advise us not to claim any special wisdom, and in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2, the Apostle Paul shows the limitations of human wisdom.
GADANGME LAWS AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
The GaDangme laws are more or less the the same as the Ten Commandments or the Mosaic Laws. The Ten Commandments came from Exodus 20: 1-17
"And God spoke these words, saying: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Eqypt, out of the house of bondage".
1) English: You shall have no other God before me.
Ga: Yehowa kee midzi moni midzi, Kedze misee le moko
be;Yehowa kee.
English :The Lord said I am who I say I am. No one else is greater
than me; thus said the Lord.
Ga: Yehow kee, Midzi Yehowa. Moko be nitamo mi
2) English: You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any
likeness of anything that is in Heaven above, or that is
the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
you shall not bow down to them or serve them.
Ga: Nye kashoo amagai; ni nye kadzai ame.
3) English: You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain; for the
Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes HIS name in
vain.
Ga: Ahiee aloo atsee Nyonmo gbei keke.
4)English: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
Ga: Kaawo ohe mudzi ye Sabbath gbi le no.
Hogbaa le moko tsuu nii; edzaake esha ni
5) English: Honour your father and your mother that your days may
be long upon the land which the Lord your God is
giving you.
Ga: Buu otse ke onye koni oyi atse ye dzenee mli
* To the GaDangme "respect" is not only limited to one's parents, but also to all elders. GaDangme believe that to heed to the advice of the elderly, is to find success and life; to ignore it is to court failure and death.
6).English: You shall not murder
Ga: Okagbe gbomo, aloo okashwie adesa la shi.
* GaDangmes consider life and human blood as so sacred that they
may take away the life of another human being only in self-
defence or in time of war.
7) English: You shall not commit adultery.
Ga: Kaabo Adzwaman. Oke moko nya akawo. Yoo ke nuu
akawo kedzi amekpee ko amehe. Edzaake adzwaman
boo le esha ni. Ni esha nyomo dzi gbele.
* You are not to go to bed with a woman, if she is not
your wife. Neither should you go to bed with somebody
else wife, because it may cost you your life; for it is a
sin. The wages of sin is death.
8)English: You shall not steal
Ga: Okadzu moko nii.
* Right from infancy, GaDangmes instill in their child (children) not
to take things that do not belong to them. You are to eat out of the
sweat of your brows. As a matter of fact, GaDangmes resent
stealing and thieves/robbers to the extent that stealing or robbery is
very severely punished in GaDangme society.
9) English: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour
Ga: Oka male. Sane nikoo ohe eko le, oke ohe woo mli; aloo
onu onuko, ni ona onako.
*It means a GaDangme is not to lie or bear false witness. If you hear some issues that do not concern you, simply plug your ears. If you see an event or something that has nothing to do with you, simply turn your head the other way. GaDangmes abhor lairs, rumor mongers and those who bear false withness ("amale lo").
10) English: You shall not covert your neighbours wife, or house, his
servant, doknkey, maidservant or anything that is your
neighbour.
Ga: Ohie akako onyaanyo nya no; aloo nofeeno nidzi
onyaanyo le no.
*This means that are not to be jealous of someone's property or
take anything that belongs to your neighbour, including his
wife, etc.
The above GaDangmes laws along with some GaDangme
proverbs cited earlier are so identical to those in the Holy Bible
so that logical conclusion one may come to is that ancestors of
GaDangmes are what they claim to be, descendants of Hebrew
Israelites.
The GaDangmes call to make the right use of opportunity and act appropriately is affirmed in Biblical texts like the popular passage that there is time for everything under the sun (Ecclesciates 3: 1-8), Bei ye keha nofeeno”
Again, the Bible teaching on cause and effect and the boomerang reaction are echoed in Deuteronomic principle which runs throughout the Bible. The Bible teaches that we reap what we sow (Galatians 6: 7-10) GaDangmes say, “Noni oduo le, no obaakpa”
Justice, fairness and impartiality are counseled in GaDangme proverbs: “Ke okee nwei no le, okei shikpon no”. The idea expressed here is essentially the same as the one expressed in Deuteronomy 16: 18-20 concerning the appointment of judges and administration of justice in ancient Israel.
The Dangmes also acknowledges that blessing comes from the truth as stated in their saying: “Anokwale joo kaa tsui he”, meaning telling the truth cools down the angry heart”. The Bible teaches that knowing the truth makes one heart free. (John 8: 32), and speaking the truth to one another makes for harmony (Ephesians 4: 20-32)
The desire and counsel for peace and reconciliation is expressed in the Ga proverb: “Ajo ajo le esee be sane” This means that peace brings no trouble in its wake. Similar sentiments are expressed in Mathews 5: 25-26; Romans 12: 14-21, where people are advised to make peace and not seek litigation or revenge.
Knowledge and wisdom are not the monopoly of any one person. This means that we should confer with others in order to benefit from their wisdom. The Dangme proverb: “Yi kake ye da mi” or the Ga proverb: “Yitso kome eyaa ajina”, meaning one head does not sit in counsel. Proverbs 3: 7 and Romans 12: 16 advise us not to claim any special wisdom, and in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2, the Apostle Paul shows the limitations of human wisdom.
GADANGME LAWS AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
The GaDangme laws are more or less the the same as the Ten Commandments or the Mosaic Laws. The Ten Commandments came from Exodus 20: 1-17
"And God spoke these words, saying: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Eqypt, out of the house of bondage".
1) English: You shall have no other God before me.
Ga: Yehowa kee midzi moni midzi, Kedze misee le moko
be;Yehowa kee.
English :The Lord said I am who I say I am. No one else is greater
than me; thus said the Lord.
Ga: Yehow kee, Midzi Yehowa. Moko be nitamo mi
2) English: You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any
likeness of anything that is in Heaven above, or that is
the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
you shall not bow down to them or serve them.
Ga: Nye kashoo amagai; ni nye kadzai ame.
3) English: You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain; for the
Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes HIS name in
vain.
Ga: Ahiee aloo atsee Nyonmo gbei keke.
4)English: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
Ga: Kaawo ohe mudzi ye Sabbath gbi le no.
Hogbaa le moko tsuu nii; edzaake esha ni
5) English: Honour your father and your mother that your days may
be long upon the land which the Lord your God is
giving you.
Ga: Buu otse ke onye koni oyi atse ye dzenee mli
* To the GaDangme "respect" is not only limited to one's parents, but also to all elders. GaDangme believe that to heed to the advice of the elderly, is to find success and life; to ignore it is to court failure and death.
6).English: You shall not murder
Ga: Okagbe gbomo, aloo okashwie adesa la shi.
* GaDangmes consider life and human blood as so sacred that they
may take away the life of another human being only in self-
defence or in time of war.
7) English: You shall not commit adultery.
Ga: Kaabo Adzwaman. Oke moko nya akawo. Yoo ke nuu
akawo kedzi amekpee ko amehe. Edzaake adzwaman
boo le esha ni. Ni esha nyomo dzi gbele.
* You are not to go to bed with a woman, if she is not
your wife. Neither should you go to bed with somebody
else wife, because it may cost you your life; for it is a
sin. The wages of sin is death.
8)English: You shall not steal
Ga: Okadzu moko nii.
* Right from infancy, GaDangmes instill in their child (children) not
to take things that do not belong to them. You are to eat out of the
sweat of your brows. As a matter of fact, GaDangmes resent
stealing and thieves/robbers to the extent that stealing or robbery is
very severely punished in GaDangme society.
9) English: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour
Ga: Oka male. Sane nikoo ohe eko le, oke ohe woo mli; aloo
onu onuko, ni ona onako.
*It means a GaDangme is not to lie or bear false witness. If you hear some issues that do not concern you, simply plug your ears. If you see an event or something that has nothing to do with you, simply turn your head the other way. GaDangmes abhor lairs, rumor mongers and those who bear false withness ("amale lo").
10) English: You shall not covert your neighbours wife, or house, his
servant, doknkey, maidservant or anything that is your
neighbour.
Ga: Ohie akako onyaanyo nya no; aloo nofeeno nidzi
onyaanyo le no.
*This means that are not to be jealous of someone's property or
take anything that belongs to your neighbour, including his
wife, etc.
The above GaDangmes laws along with some GaDangme
proverbs cited earlier are so identical to those in the Holy Bible
so that logical conclusion one may come to is that ancestors of
GaDangmes are what they claim to be, descendants of Hebrew
Israelites.
