The Watchers — two hundred angels on Mount Hermon — see the beautiful daughters of men and conspire under their leader Shemihazah to descend and take them as wives. They bind themselves with a mutual oath.
This is the foundational narrative for the entire Watchers tradition. The oath on Mount Hermon is an inversion of covenant — these beings use the covenant form (binding oath) for rebellion. The Aramaic name Hermon is connected to the root h-r-m (ban/devotion), and the text plays on this: the mountain of the oath becomes the mountain of the curse.
Genesis 6:1-4 is the canonical parallel, but 1 Enoch vastly expands the brief biblical reference. The named angels and their organized conspiracy go far beyond the Genesis text.
Genesis 6:1-4 (sons of God and daughters of men); 2 Peter 2:4 (angels who sinned); Jude 6 (angels who left their proper dwelling); Daniel 4:13 (Watchers as a class of beings).
Ge'ez text; cf. 4QEna, 4QEnb Aramaic fragments
And it happened, when the children of humanity had multiplied, that in those days beautiful and attractive daughters were born to them.
REF And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters.
Joseph Smith Translation (Footnotes)doctrinal
Foundational doctrines listed revised — 'leaving' the principles of Christ reframed as 'not leaving' or 'not forsaking'
One of the most important JST footnotes in Hebrews. The KJV 'leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, and going on unto perfection' implies the foundational doctrines (repentance, baptism, etc.) are to be left behind as one matures. The JST revises 'leaving' so these principles are not abandoned but retained and built upon, consistent with Restoration insistence on ongoing ordinance observance.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And the Watchers, the sons of heaven, saw them and desired them, and said to one another: 'Come, let us choose wives for ourselves from among the daughters of humanity and father children with them.'
REF And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: 'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.'
Aramaic irin — heavenly beings whose assigned role was to watch over creation. Their descent is a dereliction of duty.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And Shemihazah, who was their leader, said to them: 'I fear that you will not actually go through with this act, and I alone will have to bear the penalty of a great sin.'
REF And Semjâzâ, who was their leader, said unto them: 'I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.'
The leader of the rebellious Watchers. His name likely means 'My Name Has Seen' in Aramaic. He leads the conspiracy but fears being left to bear the consequences alone.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And they all answered him and said: 'Let us all swear an oath and bind ourselves by mutual curses not to abandon this plan but to carry it out.'
REF And they all answered him and said: 'Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.'
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
Then they all swore together and bound themselves by mutual curses.
REF Then sware they all together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And they were two hundred in all, and they descended in the days of Jared onto the summit of Mount Hermon. They called it Mount Hermon because on it they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual curses.
REF And they were in all two hundred; who descended in the days of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it.
The highest peak in the Anti-Lebanon range. The text connects its name to herem (oath/curse/ban), making it the site of the Watchers' sworn conspiracy.
Joseph Smith Translation (Footnotes)theological
God's regret over making man reframed: divine grief removed or qualified
The KJV states that God 'repented' that he had made man, implying divine regret or error. The JST revision qualifies or redirects this statement so that the grief or regret is not attributed to God in the same anthropomorphic sense, protecting the idea of divine foreknowledge and immutability.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
And these are the names of their leaders: Shemihazah — their chief — Arakiba, Rameel, Kokabiel, Tamiel, Ramiel, Daniel, Ezekeel, Baraqijal, Asael, Armaros, Batarel, Ananel, Zaqiel, Shamsapeel, Satarel, Turel, Yomjael, and Sariel.
REF And these are the names of their leaders: Sêmîazâz, their leader, Arâkîba, Râmêêl, Kôkabîêl, Tâmîêl, Râmîêl, Dânêl, Êzêqêêl, Barâqîjâl, Asâêl, Armârôs, Batârêl, Anânêl, Zaqîêl, Samsâpêêl, Satarêl, Tûrêl, Jômjâêl, Sariêl.
Ge'ez text; cf. Aramaic fragments
These were their chiefs of tens.
REF These are their chiefs of tens.