1 Enoch / Chapter 51

1 Enoch 51

5 verses • Ge'ez (Ethiopic)

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Sheol and the grave give back all they have received. The Chosen One sits on the throne of glory, and the earth, the abyss, and the underworld return their dead. The righteous are transformed and clothed in garments of glory.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

This is one of the clearest resurrection texts in Second Temple Judaism outside Daniel 12. Sheol literally 'gives back' the dead — physical resurrection, not merely spiritual survival. The 'garments of glory' and 'garments of life' anticipate Paul's clothing metaphor in 2 Corinthians 5:1-4 and the white robes of Revelation 7:9. The Chosen One presiding over resurrection from his throne of glory directly parallels the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20:11-12.

Translation Friction

Whether the resurrection is universal (all the dead) or selective (only the righteous) is debated. The text seems to describe the righteous receiving garments of glory, which may imply that only they are raised — or it may describe a universal resurrection followed by selective glorification.

Connections

Daniel 12:2 — 'many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.' Isaiah 26:19 — 'your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.' John 5:28-29 — 'all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out.' Revelation 20:13 — 'the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them.'

1 Enoch 51:1

Ge'ez: wa-ba-ye'eti mawā'el — 'and in those days'

In those days the earth will give back what has been entrusted to it, Sheol will return what it has received, and the place of destruction will give back what it owes.

REF And in those days shall the earth also give back that which has been entrusted to it, and Sheol also shall give back that which it has received, and hell shall give back that which it owes.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

Three repositories of the dead — the earth (those buried), Sheol (the underworld), and the place of destruction (a deeper region for the wicked) — all surrender their contents. The verb 'give back' implies that the dead were held in trust, not permanently owned. Death is a temporary custodian, not a final destination.
The direct parallel to Revelation 20:13 ('Death and Hades gave up the dead') is striking and suggests a shared tradition of resurrection as cosmic repossession.

1 Enoch 51:2

Ge'ez: wa-yeḫarrey xeruya — 'he shall choose the righteous'

In those days the Chosen One will arise and select the righteous and holy from among them, for the day of their salvation has drawn near.

REF For in those days the Elect One shall arise, and he shall choose the righteous and holy from among them: for the day has drawn nigh that they should be saved.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The Chosen One 'arises' — whether from a throne or in a resurrection sense is ambiguous. He then selects the righteous from among the resurrected dead, acting as the judge who separates the saved from the lost. This is the Parables' version of the sheep-and-goats separation in Matthew 25:31-46.

1 Enoch 51:3

Ge'ez: wa-ba-ye'eti mawā'el — 'and in those days'

In those days the Chosen One will sit on my throne, and from his mouth will pour all the secrets of wisdom and counsel, for the Lord of Spirits has given them to him and glorified him.

REF And the Elect One shall in those days sit on My throne, and his mouth shall pour forth all the secrets of wisdom and counsel: for the Lord of Spirits hath given them to him and hath glorified him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

God says 'my throne' — the Chosen One sits on God's own throne, the most exalted position possible. This goes beyond delegated authority to shared sovereignty, a concept that would become central to Christian Christology ('seated at the right hand of God').
The Chosen One's mouth 'pours forth' wisdom — he is not only judge but teacher, the revealer of divine secrets. This combines the royal (throne), prophetic (wisdom), and priestly (mediation) functions in a single figure.

1 Enoch 51:4

Ge'ez: wa-ba-ye'eti mawā'el ādbār — 'and in those days the mountains'

In those days the mountains will leap like rams, and the hills will skip like lambs full of milk, and the faces of all the angels in heaven will be lit up with joy.

REF And in those days shall the mountains leap like rams, and the hills also shall skip like lambs satisfied with milk, and the faces of all the angels in heaven shall be lighted up with joy.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The mountains leaping and hills skipping is drawn from Psalm 114:4, 6 ('the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs'), where it celebrates the Exodus. Here the image is reapplied to the eschatological deliverance — the new exodus is the resurrection itself.
The angels' joy at the righteous' vindication echoes Luke 15:10 ('there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents').

1 Enoch 51:5

Ge'ez: wa-medr te'ekkal — 'and the earth shall rejoice'

The earth will rejoice, and the righteous will dwell on it, and the chosen will walk upon it.

REF And the earth shall rejoice, and the righteous shall dwell upon it, and the elect shall walk thereon.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The vision is of a renewed earth, not an escape from earth to heaven. The righteous 'dwell upon' and 'walk on' the earth — this is a terrestrial eschatology consistent with the prophetic vision of a restored creation (Isaiah 65:17-25; Romans 8:19-21).

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