1 Enoch / Chapter 100

1 Enoch 100

13 verses • Ge'ez (Ethiopic)

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

A vision of the last days unfolds: universal warfare where father fights against son, neighbor against neighbor, and blood flows like rivers. Horses will wade through the blood of sinners. The righteous are told not to fear, and the angels are summoned to protect them. The sinners will have no escape — even the earth, sea, and sky bear witness against them.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

The image of horses wading breast-deep in blood (verse 3) is one of the most vivid and disturbing in all apocalyptic literature, directly paralleled in Revelation 14:20 — 'blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle.' The summoning of angels as protectors of the righteous (verse 5) reflects the developed angelology of the Enochic tradition.

Translation Friction

The extreme violence of the imagery raises questions about whether the text envisions literal warfare or uses hyperbolic language to describe the moral chaos of the end times. Most scholars read it as apocalyptic symbolism, but the emotional impact of the imagery is intentionally visceral.

Connections

Revelation 14:20 — blood as high as a horse's bridle. Matthew 10:21 — 'brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child.' Micah 7:6 — 'a man's enemies are the men of his own household.' Ezekiel 38-39 — the great eschatological battle. Joel 3:13 — 'the winepress is full, the vats overflow.'

1 Enoch 100:1

Ge'ez: ba-we'etu mawā'el — 'and in those days'

In those days, in one place, fathers and sons together will be struck down, and brothers will fall upon one another in death until the streams flow with their blood.

REF And in those days in one place the fathers together with their sons shall be smitten and brothers one with another shall fall in death till the streams flow with their blood.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The dissolution of family bonds in violence — father against son, brother against brother — is the ultimate sign of social collapse. Compare Isaiah 19:2 — 'I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, each against another.'
1 Enoch 100:2

Ge'ez: wa-be'si — 'for a man'

For no one will hold back from killing their sons and grandsons, and the sinner will not spare even an honored brother. From dawn to sunset they will slaughter one another.

REF For a man shall not withhold his hand from slaying his sons and his sons' sons, and the sinner shall not withhold his hand from his honoured brother: from dawn till sunset they shall slay one another.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The relentless duration — 'from dawn till sunset' — emphasizes that the violence is total and exhausting. The breakdown of the most sacred bonds (parent-child, brother-brother) signals the complete corruption of the social order.
1 Enoch 100:3

Ge'ez: wa-faras — 'and the horse'

The horse will wade breast-deep in the blood of sinners, and the chariot will be submerged to its full height.

REF And the horse shall walk up to the breast in the blood of sinners, and the chariot shall be submerged to its height.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This is the likely source for Revelation 14:20 — 'blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.' The image conveys judgment so thorough that even the instruments of war are overwhelmed by its result.
1 Enoch 100:4

Ge'ez: ba-we'etu mawā'el — 'in those days'

In those days the angels will descend into the hidden places and gather together all who introduced sin. The Most High will arise on that day of judgment to execute great judgment among the sinners.

REF In those days the angels shall descend into the secret places and gather together into one place all those who brought down sin, and the Most High will arise on that day of judgement to execute great judgement amongst sinners.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The angels gathering 'those who brought down sin' connects back to the Watchers narrative (chapters 6-16). The final judgment encompasses both the angelic and human sources of corruption. Compare Matthew 13:41-42 — 'The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin.'
1 Enoch 100:5

Ge'ez: wa-yeśayyem — 'and He shall set'

He will station a guard of holy angels over all the righteous and holy ones. They will be guarded like the apple of an eye until he has made an end of all wickedness and sin. Even though the righteous sleep a long sleep, they have nothing to fear.

REF And He shall set a guard of holy angels over all the righteous and holy ones, and they shall be kept as the apple of an eye until He has made an end of all wickedness and all sin, and though the righteous sleep a long sleep, they have nought to fear.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The 'apple of the eye' protection echoes Deuteronomy 32:10 and Psalm 17:8. The 'long sleep' of the righteous is death — but even in death they are protected by angelic guard. The passage offers comfort to a persecuted community whose members die before seeing vindication.
1 Enoch 100:6

Ge'ez: wa-ṣādeqān — 'and the wise'

Then the children of the earth will see the wise in safety, and will understand all the words of this book. They will recognize that their riches cannot save them in the overthrow of their sins.

REF And then the children of the earth shall see the wise in security, and shall understand all the words of this book, and recognize that their riches shall not be able to save them in the overthrow of their sins.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The vindication moment: the 'children of the earth' — previously the oppressors — will see the wise safe and will finally understand the written prophecy. Compare Wisdom of Solomon 5:1-5 — the astonishment of the wicked at the righteous' salvation.
1 Enoch 100:7

Ge'ez: way lakemu — 'woe to you sinners'

Woe to you, sinners, on the day of fierce anguish — you who afflict the righteous and burn them with fire. You will be repaid according to your works.

REF Woe to you, sinners, on the day of strong anguish, ye who afflict the righteous and burn them with fire: ye shall be requited according to your works.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Burning the righteous with fire may refer to actual martyrdom — a practice documented in the Maccabean period (2 Maccabees 7). The principle of repayment 'according to works' is foundational to biblical justice (Proverbs 24:12, Revelation 20:12).
1 Enoch 100:8

Ge'ez: way lakemu — 'woe to you'

Woe to you, stubborn of heart, who lie awake to plan wickedness — fear will come upon you, and there will be no one to help you.

REF Woe to you, ye obstinate of heart, who watch in order to devise wickedness: therefore shall fear come upon you and there shall be none to help you.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Those who 'lie awake to plan wickedness' echo Micah 2:1 — 'Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds!' The reversal: planners of evil will themselves be overtaken by fear.
1 Enoch 100:9

Ge'ez: way lakemu — 'woe to you'

Woe to you, sinners, because of the words of your mouth and the deeds of your hands which your godlessness has produced — in blazing flames fiercer than fire you will burn.

REF Woe to you, ye sinners, on account of the words of your mouth, and on account of the deeds of your hands which your godlessness has wrought, in blazing flames fiercer than fire shall ye burn.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Both words and deeds are judged — the mouth that spoke lies and the hands that carried out injustice. Compare Matthew 12:36-37 — 'people will give account for every careless word they speak.'
1 Enoch 100:10

Ge'ez: wa-ye'zē ta'ammeru — 'and now know ye'

Now know that he will inquire about your deeds from the angels in heaven, and from the sun, moon, and stars concerning your sins, because on the earth you executed judgment against the righteous.

REF And now, know ye that from the angels He will inquire as to your deeds in heaven, from the sun and from the moon and from the stars in reference to your sins because upon the earth ye execute judgement on the righteous.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The celestial bodies as witnesses against the wicked is a remarkable concept — the entire created order testifies against injustice. Compare Deuteronomy 30:19 — 'I call heaven and earth to witness against you today.' The sun, moon, and stars that observed the oppression will speak at the trial.
1 Enoch 100:11

Ge'ez: wa-yesēyyem — 'and he shall call'

He will summon every power of the heavens along with all the holy ones above — the power of God, the Cherubim, Seraphim, and Ophannim, all the angels of power and the angels of dominions, the Elect One, and the other powers on earth and over the water.

REF And He shall call to every power of the heavens with all the holy ones above, and to the power of God, the Cherubim, Seraphim, and Ophannim, and all the angels of power, and all the angels of principalities, and the Elect One, and the other powers on earth and over the water.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The catalog of angelic orders — Cherubim, Seraphim, Ophannim — draws from Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1. The 'Ophannim' (wheel-angels) come from Ezekiel 1:15-21. This hierarchy later develops into the elaborate angelology of Pseudo-Dionysius and Colossians 1:16.
1 Enoch 100:12

Ge'ez: wa-yebelu — 'on that day'

On that day they will all speak with one voice, blessing, glorifying, and praising the spirit of faith, the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of patience, the spirit of mercy, the spirit of judgment and peace, and the spirit of goodwill.

REF On that day shall they all speak with one voice, blessing, glorifying, and extolling the spirit of faith, the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of patience, the spirit of mercy, the spirit of judgement and of peace, and the spirit of good-will.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The sevenfold spirit — faith, wisdom, patience, mercy, judgment, peace, goodwill — recalls the sevenfold Spirit of the Lord in Isaiah 11:2 and the seven spirits before God's throne in Revelation 1:4 and 4:5.
1 Enoch 100:13

Ge'ez: wa-kwellomu yebelu — 'and they shall all say'

They will all say with one voice: 'Blessed is he, and may the name of the Lord of Spirits be blessed forever and ever.'

REF And they shall all say with one voice: 'Blessed is He, and may the name of the Lord of Spirits be blessed for ever and ever.'

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The universal doxology — all creation united in blessing the Lord of Spirits — anticipates the great worship scenes of Revelation 5:13 — 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.'
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