“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.