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

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.

An Early Reader of James? Ethical Parallels between the Epistle and 2 Enoch

The letter of James remains an enigma in many ways, including its immediate reception. Another enigmatic work, 2 Enoch, though vastly different in temperament and form, contains numerous ethical parallels with the epistle. Most prominent among the ten detailed here are the use of the imago Dei to prohibit slander, an absolute ban on taking oaths and a warning to wealthy landowners not to exploit day laborers. Utilizing criteria developed by Luke Timothy Johnson, a strong case can be made that 2 Enoch is to be numbered among the earliest readers of James. If so, there are implications for the date, geography and social context of both works. This proposal also sheds light on the relationship between the oath-formulas in Jas 5.12 and Mt. 5.33-37.

Boundaries, Intersections, and the Parting of Ways in the Letter of James

The letter of James reveals long embedded anti-Semitic elements at work in the articulation of the distinction between Judaism and Christianity. However, careful examination of the text and the history of the early synagogue and church challenges us to rethink how (and whether) Judaism and Christianity have parted ways. James’s use of biblical traditions is not simply an embrace of torah piety or “works righteousness,” but rather a careful juxtaposition of wisdom and prophetic traditions aimed to call the letter’s first readers, and us, to move toward the margins of our ecclesial, academic, and wider communities.