“Ḥokma of the Hands” in early Jewish sapiential tradition and the Letter of James

Abstract

In early Jewish wisdom literature, a Hebrew idiom occurs that combines “hands” with “wisdom.” This construct has been overwhelmingly translated along the lines of “manual wisdom” and implying craftsmanship or the work of an artisan. This article examines “wisdom of the hands” and argues that its meaning relates to acting wisely, as distinguished from merely acquiring knowledge or cognitive assent, and is used especially in the context of wielding authority. As such, this idiom may inform another rare expression, namely being “doers of the word” and not only “hearers” in James 1:22.

Doers of Torah: Lights from the Targumim and Their Implication for Jas 1.22

“…Benjamin Wold (2020) recently pointed out, however, that we know of no exact Hebrew equivalent of the Greek phrase that James uses, and he proposed a completely different background. In an article in which he shows that the Hebrew expression ‘wisdom of the hands’ (חכמת ידים‎) describes someone who acts wisely, particularly in the context of exercising authority, he proposes that James simply refers to a common topos in Jewish sapiential literature.…”

“…For Wold, λόγος does not refer to Torah but rather to a wisdom that is ‘identified with the order of creation’ (Wold 2020: 85). 10 This is not impossible, but Wold fails to offer a convincing challenge to the majority view that sees ‘the word’ as related to the Torah in some sense.…”

“… 18. Unfortunately, Wold (2020: 83–85) does not always do justice to those he criticizes. He sees the expression ‘doers of the law’ (עושי התורה) found in ‘1QpHab VIII 1’ and ‘1QpPsa (4Q171 1 2 ii 14, 22)’ as the closest parallel to what we find in Jas 1.21 and claims that his opponents failed to refer to it, which is incorrect.…”

“… 13. Wold (2020): 83. In 1 Macc 2.67, the phrase ‘doers of the law’ is written with the article before both nouns (τοὺς ποιητὰς τοῦ νόμου), in keeping with Apollonius’s Canon. …”