The Book of Enoch: Ancient Vision or Inspired Scripture?

The Book of Enoch: Ancient Vision or Inspired Scripture?

The “Book of Enoch” is one of the most famous writings outside the Bible. It fascinates because Jude quotes it directly, some early Christians admired it, and yet it’s absent from nearly every Bible except the Ethiopian Orthodox canon. What is it? Why was it written? And why is it not considered Scripture by most of the Church?

Background: What Is the Book of Enoch?

The “Book of Enoch” (often called 1 Enoch) is a collection of Jewish writings attributed to Enoch, the man who “walked with God” and “was no more, because God took him” (Gen. 5:24). But the book was not written by the historical Enoch. Like many pseudepigrapha, it was given his name to lend authority.

The work itself is a compilation:

• The Book of the Watchers (ch. 1–36): Fallen angels, their judgment, and visions of heaven.

• The Book of Parables/Similitudes (ch. 37–71): The “Son of Man” figure and final judgment.

• The Astronomical Book (ch. 72–82): A detailed (and often confusing) account of heavenly lights and calendars.

• The Book of Dreams (ch. 83–90): Symbolic visions of Israel’s history.

• The Epistle of Enoch (ch. 91–108): Woes, blessings, and the final triumph of the righteous.

Date and Authorship

The Book of Enoch was not written in one sitting. Scholars date its various sections between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century AD. Portions were found in Aramaic at Qumran (Dead Sea Scrolls), showing its popularity among Jews before Christ. The “Parables” section (with the “Son of Man”) may have been composed later, possibly around the time of Jesus.

The actual author(s) are unknown — Jewish scribes and visionaries who drew on Scripture, apocalyptic imagery, and expanding traditions about angels and the end times.

Etymology and Name

• Hebrew: חֲנוֹךְ (Ḥănôk) — “Dedicated” or “Initiated.”

• Greek (LXX): Ενώχ (Enōch).

• The name signals a “dedicated” one who was initiated into divine mysteries — fitting for a book that claims to reveal hidden heavenly secrets.

Why It Is Included in Some Canons

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church includes 1 Enoch as canonical, as does the Eritrean Orthodox Church. This is because the Ge’ez translation was preserved in their tradition, and the book carried deep influence. For them, Enoch is part of the inspired Word.

Elsewhere, it was widely read and respected, but never universally accepted as Scripture.

Why It Shouldn’t Be Considered Canonical (Outside Ethiopia)

• No universal reception: The Jewish canon never included it, nor did the Greek-speaking church at large.

• Late composition: Much of it post-dates the prophetic era. The “Parables” section is likely pre-Christian but late.

• Doctrinal concerns: Some teachings about angels, astronomy, and judgment feel more speculative and mythic than inspired.

• Early rejection: While Tertullian and some early Fathers valued it, others (like Augustine, Jerome, and most councils) rejected it as non-canonical.

Early Church Usage

• Appreciated: Early Christians like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian cited it with respect. Tertullian even argued it should be Scripture.

• Rejected: Later Fathers rejected it, noting that Jude quoting Enoch doesn’t make the whole book inspired. The church recognized that citing truth from a work doesn’t mean canonizing the whole thing.

Jude’s Quotation and the Question of Authority

Jude 1:14–15 cites Enoch directly: “Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people…”

This raises the big question: if Jude quotes it, why isn’t the whole book Scripture?

The answer: quoting doesn’t equal canon. Paul also quotes Epimenides (a pagan poet) in Titus 1:12 and Menander in 1 Corinthians 15:33. Quoting true words doesn’t endorse the entire source as divinely inspired. Jude used a line that was true, but that doesn’t make all of 1 Enoch inspired Scripture.

Wrestling with Enoch’s Value

• Historical: Enoch gives us a window into Jewish thought before Jesus — angels, messianic hope, apocalyptic visions.

• Literary: Its imagery influenced NT writers. The “Son of Man” in Enoch 46, 62, and 69 resonates with Jesus’ favorite self-title.

• Theological: While not Scripture, it shows the atmosphere of expectation into which Jesus stepped.

The early church valued it for background, but distinguished it from inspired revelation.

Conclusion

The Book of Enoch is fascinating, influential, and valuable for understanding the world of Second Temple Judaism. It shaped early Jewish and Christian imagination, and Jude even quoted it. But the early church was wise: quoting truth does not equal canonizing the book.

For most Christians, Enoch is best read as background — a witness of Jewish hopes and fears — not as Scripture itself.

In the end, the real Enoch “walked with God” (Gen. 5:24). The Book of Enoch shows how later generations tried to imagine what he saw. But the true revelation comes in Christ, the one greater than angels, the Son of Man who is Lord of all.