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This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the
ground which the Lord hath cursed” (Gen. 5:29). The word is scattered throughout the
Old Testament and all types of literature.
The basic meaning of
is “work.” Lamech used the word to signify
agricultural labor (Gen. 5:29). The Israelites were commanded to celebrate the Festival of
the Firstfruits, as it signified the blessing of God upon their “labors” (Exod. 23:16). It is
not to be limited to this. As the word is the most general word for “work,” it may be used
to refer to the “work” of a skillful craftsman (Exod. 26:1), a weaver (26:36), a jeweler
(28:11), and a perfumer (30:25). The finished product of the worker is also known as
&
“And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats [literally,
“work of a baker”] for Pharaoh.…” (Gen. 40:17); “And Moses and Eleazar the priest took
the gold of them, even all wrought jewels” [literally, “articles of work”] (Num. 31:51).
The artisan plied his craft during the work week, known in Hebrew as “the days of
work,” and rested on the Sabbath: “Thus saith the Lord God; The gate of the inner court
that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall
be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened” (Ezek. 46:1; cf. Exod.
23:12).
The phrase “work of one’s hands” signifies the worthlessness of the idols fashioned
by human hands: “Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we
say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth
mercy” (Hos. 14:3). However, the prayer of the psalmist includes the request that the
“works” of God’s people might be established: “And let the beauty of the Lord our God
be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands
establish thou it” (Ps. 90:17). Since the righteous work out God’s work and are a cause of
God’s rejoicing, “the glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his
works” (Ps. 104:31).
In addition to “work,”
also denotes “deed,” “practice,” or “behavior.” Joseph
asked his brothers, accused of having taken his cup of divination: “What deed is this that
ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?” (Gen. 44:15). The
Israelites were strongly commanded not to imitate the grossly immoral behavior of the
Canaanites and the surrounding nations: “After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein
ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you,
shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances” (Lev. 18:3; cf. Exod. 23:24).
However, the Israelites did not listen to the warning, and they “were mingled among the
heathen, and learned their works.… Thus were they defiled with their own works, and
went a whoring with their own inventions” (Ps. 106:35, 39).
Thus far, we have dealt with
from man’s perspective. The word may have a
positive connotation (“work, deed”) as well as a negative (“corrupt practice”). The Old
Testament also calls us to celebrate the “work” of God. The psalmist was overwhelmed
with the majesty of the Lord, as he looked at God’s “work” of creation: “When I consider
thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained”
(Ps. 8:3; cf. 19:1; 102:25). The God of Israel demonstrated His love by His mighty acts of
deliverance on behalf of Israel: “And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all
the days of the elders that [out] lived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the
Lord, that he had done for Israel” (Josh. 24:31; cf. versions).