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

In this article, I argue that the phrase ‘doers of the word’ in Jas 1.22 is derived from the Hebrew expression הרותה ישוע‎ or the Aramaic one אתירוא ידבע‎. Both phrases possess an identical meaning that remained stable over time, functioning almost as technical terms. The first one is found in some...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal for the study of the New Testament Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 373 - 400
Main Author Hirschi, Vincent
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.03.2024
Subjects
doers of the law
Targum
Qumran
doers of the word
Dead sea scrolls
Epistle of James
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Summary:In this article, I argue that the phrase ‘doers of the word’ in Jas 1.22 is derived from the Hebrew expression הרותה ישוע‎ or the Aramaic one אתירוא ידבע‎. Both phrases possess an identical meaning that remained stable over time, functioning almost as technical terms. The first one is found in some Pesharim from Qumran while the second appears in the Targumim. In both corpora, the phrase is consistently found in contexts of judgment (often implying a division within the elect people between those who remained faithful to God and those who did not) and bears strong ethical overtones. Most of these passages are eschatologically oriented and present the ‘doers of the law’ as closely related to the Messiah. I suggest that the expression found in James still carries the overtones of the original phrase it translates.
ISSN:0142-064X
1745-5294
DOI:10.1177/0142064X231211522