Complete Books of Enoch: All Three: New Translation with Extensive Commentary: 1 Enoch (First Book of Enoch), 2 Enoch (Secrets of Enoch), 3 Enoch (Hebrew Book of Enoch)

Chapter 1: Introduction

Enoch was the son of Jared, great grandfather of Noah, and father of Methuselah, not to be confused with the Enoch who was the eldest son of Cain.

Many ancient sources referred to the Book of Enoch, but it was not until 1773 that the Scottish traveler, James Bruce, returned to Europe with three copies of what we know call the First Book of Enoch in Ethiopia.

There three Books of Enoch, all unrelated to each other, and by different authors of different times and languages. The book known simply as Book of Enoch for centuries is usually now called the First Book of Enoch (although is sometimes referred to as Ethiopic Enoch), while the more newly discovered second book of Enoch is now known as, not surprisingly, the Second Book of Enoch (although is sometimes referred to as Slavonic Enoch) of the Secrets of Enoch). The Third Book of Enoch is also known as the Hebrew Book of Enoch.

The First Book of Enoch was written in Ethiopic Enoch; the Second Book of Enoch was written in Slavonic , and the Third Book of Enoch was written in Hebrew. However, no manuscripts of any books of Enoch in their original language have been discovered.

Chapter 2: First Book of Enoch: Introduction

The First Book of Enoch contains accounts of a class of angel known as the Watchers, who, against God’s orders, came to earth to teach humankind all about weapons, spell potions, root cuttings, astrology, and astronomy, and alchemy. The Watchers had sex with human women, the result of which was the mysterious Nephilim. The First Book of Enoch states that God punished them being ordering that they be bound in Tartarus. This is also mentioned in the New Testament.

Scholars cannot agree about the author of The First Book of Enoch, although it is generally accepted that several authors were responsible for The First Book of Enoch.

The First Book of Enoch was excluded from the Christian Bible Canon, despite the fact that Jude quotes a passage from First Book of Enoch. Early Christians objected upon Jude’s inclusion in the New Testament canon on this basis. (Jerome, Letter 181.4.) The Church Father Tertullian stated that the First Book of Enoch should be included in the canon. Jerome, the third century Bible translator Jerome agreed, stating, Jude, James’ brother, left a short letter which is considered among the seven broad letters, and because in it he quotes from the apocryphal book of Enoch it is rejected by many. Nonetheless by age and use it has gained authority and is considered among the Holy Scriptures. (Jerome, Letter 181.4.)

Angels and Nephilim in the First Book of Enoch.

The following will likely make more sense after you have read the First Book of Enoch, but I am placing it here for easy reference so you can refer to it. I have included passages from where the angels and Nephilim mentioned in the First Book of Enoch appear in other ancient sources.

Angels were actually messengers. Angel is the transliteration of the Greek word, and not a translation. To transliterate (noun, transliteration) means to put the Greek letters into English letters. Angels is the transliteration but the meaning is messengers. The Hebrew word for angel actually means one dispatched as a deputy. The word occurs for an ordinary messenger as well as a supernatural messenger.

Notes

For the pagan supernatural messenger (pagan angel) context see inscriptions ZPE 30 (1978) 257 n. 7, and EG IV.210 (2nd c AD), as well as dedication to pagan TAM V, 1.185. The word also occurs in TAM V, 1.159 but it is not clear whether the messenger was a human or supernatural messenger. There is evidence for the term occurring in contexts where a derivation from Judaism has been ruled out. There is as yet no conclusive evidence as to whether the famous Thera angels were in fact Christian, cf. IG XII, 3 (1898) 455, 933-74, IG XII, Suppl. (1904) 1636, 1637 (2nd – 3rd c. AD)

The Archangel Gabriel

Parallel Accounts in the New Testament.

Luke 1

5-7 In the time of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was one of the descendants of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both right before God, and they acted blamelessly as to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 But they didn’t have any children, as Elizabeth was barren and they were both getting on in years.

8-11 Now it turned out that while Zacharias was serving God with his priestly duties when his priestly division was on duty, he was chosen by lot – 9 this was in line with the priestly custom - to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 At the time of the incense offering, the whole crowd of people was praying outside. 11 A Messenger of the Lord appeared in front of him, standing on the right side of the incense altar.

12-17 When Zacharias saw him, he got all mixed up and he became quite scared. 13 But the Messenger reassured him, Zacharias, don’t be afraid! Your earnest request has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you must give him the name ‘John’. 14 He will be a joy and a delight to you, and lots of people will shout joyfully because of him. 15 He will be important in the Lord’s sight! He’ll never take wine or sweet fermented liquor and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. 16 He will bring back many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will go on ahead of the Lord to prepare people for the Lord. He will be equipped with the same spirit and power that Elijah had, to correct the attitudes of parents to their children. He will correct disobedient people so that they will have the common sense of the people who are right with God, and make ready for the Lord people who are well prepared for him.

18-20 What’s going to make me believe that this is the case! Zacharias asked the Messenger. Me - I’m an old man, that’s for sure, and my wife’s well and truly getting on years!"

19 The Messenger answered, I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and who was sent to announce this Good News to you! 20 Well then! You will be silent! As you didn’t believe my words, which will in fact turn out just as I said, you won’t be able to speak a word until the very day it actually happens!

21-23 The people waited for Zacharias. They were surprised that he was spending such a long time in the temple. 22 When he came out, he couldn’t speak to them. They realized that he had seen a vision, because he kept on making signs and stayed firmly speechless the whole time. 23 And it turned out that as soon as his time of priestly ministry was completed, he went back home.

24-25 After these events his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and lived in seclusion for five months. 25 The Lord has done this for me! she exclaimed. He was watching over me to take away my inability to have children which the people considered to be a disgrace.

26-29 When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the Messenger Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, 27 to an unmarried girl who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The unmarried girl’s name was Mary. 28 The Messenger greeted her, Hello there, you highly favored person! The Lord is with you! 29 But she was deeply disturbed and wondered what sort of greeting this was!

30-38 The Messenger continued, Don’t be afraid, Mary! You’ve found favor with God! 31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32 He will be very important, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his Realm will never end.

34 How can this be? Mary asked the Messenger. I’m a virgin: I haven’t been with a man!

35 The Messenger answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will spread his shadow over you. The one to be born will be sacred and will be called the Son of God. 36 Your relative Elizabeth has also become pregnant with a son in her old age. They said she was unable to have children but now she is six months pregnant! 37 Every spoken word from God has power!

38 Fantastic! Mary exclaimed. I am the Lord’s slave servant! May everything you’ve said come true! And then the Messenger left her.

Notes.

Verse 11: The place of honor (the south side). The Messenger was standing between the altar and the golden candlestick. At the left side (north side) of the altar was the table with the sacred bread.

Gabriel in the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible

Daniel 8:15-27

Then it came about that when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was looking for its meaning, that suddenly someone who looked like a human stood in front of me. I heard a human voice calling out from the Ulai river banks, Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.

So he approached the place where I was standing and then I became terrified and I fell on my face. He said to me, Human, understand that the events you have seen in your vision relate to the future.

Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground, but he touched me, and stood me upright. He said, I’m here to reveal to you what will happen later in angry times. What you have seen pertains to the very end of time. The two-horned ram you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. The hairy goat demon you saw is the king of Ionia, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king. As for the horn that was broken, and the four others that took its place, four kingdoms will rise from that nation, but not by his power. And at the end time of their kingdom, when the wrongdoers have reached their limit, a king of bold appearance, one who understands enigmas, will arise. He will be very powerful but not by his own power. He will cause a huge amount of destruction and everything he does will succeed. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the sacred people. He will cunningly make deceitfulness prosper by his power, and he will praise himself. He will carelessly destroy many. He will rise up against the Leader of leaders, but in the end his power will be broken. The vision of the evening and morning that has been told to you is true, but hide the vision, as it’s about the distant future.

And I, Daniel, was weak for several days. Afterward I got up and attended to the king’s business, but I was appalled by the vision and no one understood it.

Daniel 9:21-27

While I was praying, the one Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, ran swiftly, and approached me about the time of the evening offering.

He explained to me, "Daniel, I’ve come here to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your prayers the word went out, and I’ve come to report it to you, for you are loved. So discern the utterance and understand the vision. Seventy weeks are marked out for your people and your sacred city, to stop rebellion, to put wrongdoing to an end, to make atonement for crime, to bring in continual justice, and to hide the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most sacred.

So perceive and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of the anointed one, a prince, there will be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it will be built again with streets and moat, but in a time of distress. After the sixty-two weeks, the anointed one will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the leader who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will come with a flood, and devastations are decreed up to the end of the war. And he will cut a covenant with many for one week, and for half the week he will make the sacrifice and offering cease. He will devastate the edges of the detestable, until that which is decided is poured out on the devastator.

The Archangel Michael

Accounts in the New Testament

Jude 9 (quoting from the pseudegraphical The Assumption of Moses.)

But Michael the Chief Messenger, when he was deciding the dispute, discoursing with Slanderer-Liar about Moses’ body, did not dare to impose an abusive sentence on him, but said, May the Lord impose the penalty on you!

Revelation 12

7-9 War broke out in heaven. Michael and his Messengers waged war against the dragon, and the dragon and his Messengers fought back. 8 But the dragon wasn’t strong enough, and thus they no longer had a place in heaven. 9 The mighty dragon was thrown down - that ancient snake called Slanderer-Liar, and also called Adversary, who leads the whole earth astray. He and his Messengers were hurled to the earth.

Accounts in the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible

Daniel 10:2-21

In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I did not eat any tasty food, no meat or wine touched my lips, and I did not use any lotions at all until the three weeks were over. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, I looked up and there in front of me was a man dressed in linen, and wearing a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.

His body was like a precious yellow gemstone, his face shone like lightning, his eyes were like fiery torches, his arms and legs gleamed like burnished bronze, and his voice sounded like a crowd of people speaking.

I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision. The people with me did not see it, but such fear came on them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision. No strength was left in me. My vigor was completely destroyed and I had no strength at all. Then I heard the sound of his words, and when I heard the sound of his words, I was on my face in a deep sleep with my face to the ground. A hand touched me which shook me to my knees and on the palms of my hands!

He said to me, Daniel, you greatly loved person, discern the words I’m about to tell you, and stand up! I have now been sent to you.

When he said this to me, I stood up shuddering. Then he said to me, Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to be occupied with Elohim’s presence, your words were heard, and I’ve come because of your words. But the spirit leader of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the foremost spirit leaders, came to help me, as I was left there with the spirit kings of Persia. Now I’ve come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come. Now I’ve come so you will discern what will happen to your people in the future, as the vision is about the future.

When he said this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and I was unable to speak. Then the one who looked like a human (Note: The Septuagint says, The one touched me with what looked like a human hand.) touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and spoke. I said to the one standing in front of me, I’m utterly distressed by the vision, and my strength has left me! How can someone like me, your master’s servant, talk to you, my master? I have no strength left, and I can hardly breathe.

Then the one who looked like a human touched me again and gave me strength. He said, Don’t be afraid, you loved person. Be at peace, be strong, be strong!

As he spoke these words, I suddenly grew stronger and said to him, Now please speak, my master, you’ve strengthened me.

He replied, Do you know why I’ve come? Soon I have to return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and then when I have left, the spirit leader of the kingdom of Ionia will come! But I will tell you what is written in the truthful writings, and there is no one who supports me against these except Michael, your spirit leader.

Daniel 12:1

At that time Michael, the great spirit leader who takes a stand for your people, will take a stand. There will be a time of trouble such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people - those whose names are found written in the book - will escape.

The angels Raphael and Uriel

Raphael and Uriel are not mentioned in the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible or the New Testament. Raphael features strongly in the Book of Tobit, a book of scripture that is part of the Catholic and Orthodox Biblical canon (and used by the Amish). The Book of Tobit is also found in the Septuagint, the ancient Greek Old Testament/Hebrew Bible text from the 3rd to 2nd centuries BC, which was translated from the Hebrew texts of the times. The Septuagint is quoted in the New Testament. It was widely used by the Hellenistic Jews of the era.

Hebrew and Aramaic fragments of the Book of Tobit were discovered in Cave IV at Qumran in 1952. The Book of Tobit was put forward by the Council of Carthage of 397 and confirmed for Roman Catholics in 1546 by the Council of Trent. The Book of Tobit is considered apocryphal by Protestants, and was not included as canon by ancient Judaism.

In The Book of Tobit 3:8., Raphael tells Tobit that God sent him to cure his blindness and to help his daughter-in-law Sara as the evil spirit Asmodeus had killed her 7 husbands. The Book of Tobit 3:17 states, Raphael was sent to heal them both, that is, to scale away the whiteness of Tobit’s eyes, and to give Sara the daughter of Raguel as a wife to Tobias, Tobit’s son, and to bind the evil spirit Asmodeus.

The Book of Tobit 12:15 states, I am Raphael, one of the seven sacred angels who present the prayers of the people devoted to God, and I go in and out in the presence of the splendor of the Sacred One.

Raphael is not mentioned in the Qur’an.

Raphael, Gabriel, Uriel and Michael are all mentioned in The Testament of Solomon. The Testament of Solomon is an Old Testament pseudepigraphical work, said to be, as the name suggests, written by King Solomon. It describes how Solomon was able to build the Temple by commanding demons, thanks to a ring given to him by the archangel Michael.

When a demon named Ornias harasses a servant, who happens to be a favorite of Solomon’s, by stealing half his pay and sucking out his life-force through the servant’s thumb, Solomon prays for help. As a result, the archangel Michael gives him a ring with the seal of God on it. The ring gives him the power to command demons. Solomon gives the ring to the servant and tells him to throw it at the demon Ornias’s chest while ordering Ornias to go to Solomon.

Ornias tells Solomon he is the offspring of the archangel Uriel. Solomon had trouble with Ornias, so prayed that the archangel Uriel would come and help him. Uriel came from heaven and made the sea monsters come out of the deep. Uriel told the demon Ornias to cut the stones for the Temple. Solomon ordered the demon Ornias to take the ring and do the same thing to Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Beelzebub says he used to be the highest ranking angel in Heaven.

Solomon questions all the demons as to which angel can frustrate them.

The demon Error is frustrated by Uriel, as is the demon Artosael.

The demon Ruaz is frustrated by Michael.

The demon Barsafael is frustrated by Gabriel.

The demon Asmodeus is frustrated by Raphael, as is the demon Obizuth.

Solomon eventually has control over all the demons and gets them to build the Temple.

The Nephilim

Here is the parallel account in Genesis 6:1-4: When humankind began to increase on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, those associated with God saw that the human women were beautiful and so they took wives for themselves from any they chose. ... The Nephilim were on the earth in those times, and also afterward, when those associated with God were having sex with the human women, who gave birth to their children. They were the Gibborim of ancient times, the famous ones.

The Septuagint, Philo of Alexandria, Josephus, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Lactantius, Eusebius, Ambrose of Milan, Jerome, Sulpicius Severus, and Augustine of Hippo all identified the Sons of God (correctly, the associates of God) of Genesis 6:1-4 with the angels who came to earth and had sex with human women.

Note

The words those associated with God are often mi)translated as sons of God" (but the word sons/children with a noun indicates an association with the noun and should be translated thus). This occurs only elsewhere in Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7, where it is clear these are angels.

Nephilim in Numbers 13:33

The word Nephilim occurs only twice in the Old Testament /Hebrew Bible, in Genesis 6:4 (see above) and Numbers 13:33. Here is the mention in Numbers 13:33: And there we saw the Nephilim (the Anakims, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves to be like grasshoppers, and we seemed the same to them.

Nephilim is the Aramaic word for Giants. It is translated by the English word giants in several Bible versions, which can be misleading, as the Giants of ancient times were not like the fairy tale giants we think of today. The word Rephaim is also translated by the English word giants or as the dead in several Bible versions.

Deuteronomy 2:11

Like the Anakims, they too were considered Rephaim, but the Moabites called them Emims.

Deuteronomy 2:20

That area, too, was once considered to be the land of the Rephaim, and the Ammonites referred to them as Zamzummims.

2 Samuel 21:20

In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a man of stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all. He also was descended from the Rephaim.

Deuteronomy 3:11

King Og of Bashan was the last of the Rephaim. His iron bed was more than 9 cubits (13 feet = 4.1 meters) long and 4 cubits (6 feet = 1.8 meters) wide. It remains today in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.

Deuteronomy 3:13

I gave the rest of Gilead and also all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, to the half tribe of Manasseh. The whole region of Argob in Bashan used to be known as a land of the Rephaim.

Note: Goliath is often said to be one of the Nephilim, but there is no evidence for this and the Bible itself does not say this. As we have seen, the two passages in Old Testament / Hebrew Bible which mention Nephilim have nothing to do with Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:4.

And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines. His name was Goliath, and he was from Gath, and his height was six cubits and a span.

Note: The Septuagint, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Josephus have his height as 4 cubits and a span, which is 6 ¾ feet tall (2 meters). Six cubits and span is 9 feet tall. However, Goliath was not called a Nephilim.

Which angel was the Leader of the Watchers?

Account in 2 Enoch

These are the Grigori, who with their chief Satanail rejected the Lord of light, and after them are those who are held in the great darkness on the second heaven, and three of them went down on earth to the place Hermon, and broke their vows on the shoulder of the Mount Hermon and saw the human women, and slept with them, and contaminated the earth with their deeds. In their times they caused lawless mixing, and Nephilim were born, amazing big people, and great hostility. So God judged them strongly, and they weep for their associates. They will be punished on the Lord’s great day. (2 Enoch 18:3-4.)

Account in Psalms.

Psalm 82

A psalm of Asaph.

1 Elohim presides over the assembly of El,

he gives judgment in the midst of the elohim: (Elohim)

2 How long will you defend the unjust

and show favoritism to the wicked? Selah

3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless,

defend the rights of the oppressed and suffering.

4 Rescue the poor and needy,

rescue them from the power of the wicked.

5 They know nothing, they understand nothing,

they walk around in the dark,

all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6 I said, ‘You are elohim,

all of you are associates of Elyon.’

7 Yet you will die like mortals,

you will fall like the other rulers."

8 Rise up, Elohim, and judge the earth,

for you own all the nations.

Note

Verse 1: Equally possible from the text, the assembly of El, or the mighty assembly.

Account in Isaiah 14:12-21

How you are fallen from heaven, Lucifer, (Light bearer) associate of dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!

"For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above El’s stars. I will preside on the appointed mountain in the sides of the north. I will climb to above the height of the clouds, I will be like Elyon.’

"But instead, you will be brought down to Sheol, to the sides of the pit. Everyone there