In this section I will discuss about Enoch the prophet in the Old Testament. I find this person to be one of the most interesting characters in the Bible because there is so little about him. I will use the tools I have and some books I read to find out more about him. Let’s take a look.
In most Bibles, Enoch is mentioned five times (in five different chapters in the Bible) with the exception of the (King James Version) Enoch is only mentioned in four chapters.
Enoch in The New International Version 1984
Genesis 4:17-18 Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
Genesis 5:18-24 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. And after he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
1 Chronicles 1:1-4 Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah. The sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Note: Enosh and Enoch are not the same person. In the King James Bible Enoch is taken out of passage three. Why would the translators do that? Are they trying to hide something…?
Luke 3:37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan,
Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
Jude 14-16 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
Note: Jude had to know something or read about Enoch to write this in the New Testament. Even more interesting Jude or Judas might have been the brother of Jesus. Jude might have had access to more insight about Enoch threw Jesus.
Here is what I find intriguing. In Genesis 5:24 and Hebrews 11:5 Enoch walks with God and is no more, because God took him away. He didn’t die and is now . . . ?
This one is a little hard for my tiny brain to comprehend so I need to look for some more information to help me better understand this.
According to The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition Enoch was a man of outstanding sanctity who enjoyed close fellowship with God (for the expression ‘walked with God’) Like Elijah he was received into the presence of God without dying.
It is Probable that the language of Psalm 49:15; 73:24 reflects the story of Enoch. In that case the example of Enoch’s assumption played a part in the origin of Jewish hope for life with God beyond death. (In the Apocrypha, Wisdom 4:10-14 also treats Enoch as the outstanding example of the righteous man’s hope of eternal life.)
In the NT, Heb. 11:5. attributes Enoch’s assumption to his faith; the expression ‘pleased God’ is the translation of ‘walked with God’. [here is where it gets interesting]
Jude 14 quotes a prophecy attributed to Enoch in 1 Enoch 1:9
Let’s stop for a moment… Ok too much thinking my brain hurts. Now there is a Book of Enoch? If this book that Jude quoted is so important why is it not in the Bible we read today? Enoch was a prophet just like Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, ext. Enoch writings are just as inspired by God as all the other 66 books in the Bible because according to Genesis 5:24, Hebrews 11:5 “he walked with and pleased God” the book isn’t there but yet God was pleased with Enoch. Contradiction, I think so! Finally, The book of Enoch with 108 chapters can be read, found in Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament. But I am still skeptical about the books authenticity.
Back to The New Bible Dictionary.
In the interestamental period Enoch became a popular figure according to Gen 5:24, Heb 11:5, Jubilees 4.14–26; 10:17; and 1 Enoch. Probably the legend of Enoch was elaborated in the Babylonian diaspora as a counterpart to the antediluvian sages of Mesopotamian legend. So Enoch became the initiator of the art of writing and the first wise man, who received heavenly revelations of the secrets of the universe and transmitted them in writing to later generations.
In the earlier tradition his scientific wisdom is prominent, acquired on journeys through the heavens with angelic guides, and including astronomical, cosmographical and meteorological lore, as well as the solar calendar used at Qumran. He was also God’s prophet against the fallen angels. Later tradition (2nd century bc) emphasizes his ethical teaching and especially his apocalyptic revelations of the course of world history down to the last judgment. In the Similitudes (1 Enoch 37–71) he is identified with the Messianic Son of man (71:14–17), and some later Jewish traditions identified him with the nearly divine figure Metatron (2, Gn. 5:24; 3 Enoch). Early Christian apocalyptic writings frequently expect his return to earth with Elijah before the End.
1 Enoch (Ethiopic Enoch) is among the most important intertestamental works. The complete text survives only in Ethiopic, but sections are extant in Greek and important fragments of the original Aramaic are now available from Qumran. 1 Enoch comprises five books: the Book of Watchers (1–36), the Similitudes (37–71), the Astronomical Book (72–82), the Book of Dreams (83–90) and the Epistle of Enoch (91–105). The Qumran mss include fragments of all these except the Similitudes, which are therefore now generally dated no earlier than the 1st century ad. Also from Qumran there are fragments of a hitherto almost unknown Book of Giants, which was probably the original fifth book of the Enoch Pentateuch, for which the Similitudes were later substituted.
The Qumran manuscripts help clarify the dates of these works. The oldest sections are the Astronomical Book and 6–19: these date from no later than the beginning of the 2nd century bc and may be as early as the 5th century. The Book of Watchers (incorporating 6–19) cannot be later than the mid-1st and is probably from the mid-3rd century bc. The Book of Dreams is from 165 or 164 bc. The Epistle of Enoch and Book of Giants may date from the end of the 2nd century bc.
Other works under the name of Enoch are from the Christian era. The Similitudes (1 Enoch 37–71) (important as perhaps illustrating the background to the use of ‘Son of man’ in the Gospels) seem to be a Jewish work, though some argue for Christian origin. 3 Enoch (Hebrew Enoch) is a Jewish work of disputed date. 2 Enoch (Slavonic Enoch) is a late Christian work which may incorporate Jewish material.
Bibliography. R. H. Charles, The Book of Enoch, 1912; P. Grelot, Recherches de Science Religieuse 46, 1958, pp. 5–26, 181–210; J. T. Milik, The Books of Enoch: Aramaic Fragments from Qumrân Cave 4, 1976.
Ok so 1 Enoch has 5 books within it
The Book of Enoch
1. The Book of Watchers (1–36)
Who are the “Watchers”?
2. The Astronomical Book (72–82)
This sounds like something to do with astronomy or astral
projection.
3. The Book of Dreams (83–90)
As Neo once said, “Whoa!”
4. The Epistle of Enoch (91–105)
In the New Testament The Epistles were letters? This might be a Letter to us…?
5. The Book of Giants (unknown)
The only thing I can say here is Genesis 6:4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
In conclusion Enoch and his books remain a mystery…
Special Thanks to:
The New International Version 1984
Biblegateway.com
