1 Enoch / Chapter 96

1 Enoch 96

8 verses • Ge'ez (Ethiopic)

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

The chapter alternates between encouragement for the righteous and woe oracles against the sinners. The righteous are told to hope, for their names are written before the glory of the Great One. The wicked are condemned for trusting in riches, denying the name of the Lord, worshipping idols, and leading others astray.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

Verse 1 contains the striking assurance that the names of the righteous are 'written before the glory of the Great One' — an early reference to the heavenly book of life that becomes central in Revelation 3:5 and 20:15. The chapter also contains one of the earliest condemnations of writing false religious texts (verse 6), suggesting an intra-Jewish literary battle over authoritative writings.

Translation Friction

Verse 6's condemnation of those who 'write lying words and words of ungodliness' may target specific religious literature the author considered heretical. The precise targets remain uncertain — perhaps Hellenistic philosophical works, or rival apocalyptic texts claiming authority the author rejected.

Connections

Exodus 32:32-33 — Moses and the book of life. Psalm 69:28 — 'let them be blotted out of the book of the living.' Philippians 4:3 — 'whose names are in the book of life.' Revelation 20:15 — the book of life at final judgment. Matthew 23:13 — 'Woe to you, scribes... you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces.'

1 Enoch 96:1

Ge'ez: tesmā ṣādeqān — 'be hopeful, ye righteous'

Take hope, you righteous — for suddenly the sinners will perish before you, and you will have authority over them as you desire.

REF Be hopeful, ye righteous; for suddenly shall the sinners perish before you, and ye shall have lordship over them according to your desires.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The promise of 'lordship' over former oppressors extends the reversal theme. Compare Daniel 7:22 — 'judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.'

1 Enoch 96:2

Ge'ez: wa-'iye-tefrahū — 'and fear not'

In the day of the sinners' tribulation, your children will mount up and soar like eagles. Higher than the vultures will be your nest. You will ascend and enter the crevices of the earth and the clefts of the rock forever, like rock badgers, before the unrighteous. The sirens will sigh and weep because of you.

REF And in the day of the tribulation of the sinners, your children shall mount and rise as eagles, and higher than the vultures will be your nest, and ye shall ascend and enter the crevices of the earth, and the clefts of the rock for ever as coneys before the unrighteous. And the sirens shall sigh because of you — and weep.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The eagle imagery echoes Isaiah 40:31 — 'they shall mount up with wings like eagles.' The hiding in rock clefts recalls Exodus 33:22 (God hides Moses in the cleft of the rock) and Revelation 6:15-16 (the wicked hiding in rocks from judgment — but here it is the righteous who are protected).

1 Enoch 96:3

Ge'ez: wa-'iye-tefrahū — 'wherefore fear not'

Therefore do not fear, you who have suffered. Healing will be your portion, a bright light will shine upon you, and you will hear the voice of rest from heaven.

REF Wherefore fear not, ye that have suffered; for healing shall be your portion, and a bright light shall enlighten you, and the voice of rest ye shall hear from heaven.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

Three gifts for the afflicted: healing, light, and heavenly rest. 'The voice of rest from heaven' is a remarkable image — peace spoken directly from God. Compare Matthew 11:28 — 'Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'

1 Enoch 96:4

Ge'ez: way lakemu — 'woe unto you'

Woe to you, sinners — for your riches make you appear righteous, but your hearts convict you of being sinners. This will serve as testimony against you, a record of your evil deeds.

REF Woe unto you, ye sinners, for your riches make you appear like the righteous, but your hearts convict you of being sinners, and this fact shall be a testimony against you for a memorial of your evil deeds.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The distinction between outward appearance and inner reality parallels Jesus's condemnation of the Pharisees as 'whitewashed tombs' (Matthew 23:27). Wealth creates a false veneer of righteousness — a theme also central to James 2:1-7.

1 Enoch 96:5

Ge'ez: way lakemu — 'woe to you'

Woe to you who devour the finest wheat, drink wine from large bowls, and trample the lowly with your power.

REF Woe to you who devour the finest of the wheat, and drink wine in large bowls, and tread under foot the lowly with your might.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The combination of luxurious consumption and social oppression directly parallels Amos 6:4-6 — those who 'drink wine in bowls' but 'are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph.' The trampling of the lowly echoes Amos 2:7 and Isaiah 3:15.

1 Enoch 96:6

Ge'ez: way lakemu — 'woe to you'

Woe to you who drink water from every fountain — for suddenly you will be consumed and wither away, because you have forsaken the fountain of life.

REF Woe to you who drink water from every fountain, for suddenly shall ye be consumed and wither away, because ye have forsaken the fountain of life.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

Drinking 'from every fountain' implies spiritual promiscuity — sampling from every source rather than remaining faithful to the one true source. 'The fountain of life' echoes Jeremiah 2:13 — 'they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters.' Compare John 4:14 — 'the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'

1 Enoch 96:7

Ge'ez: way lakemu — 'woe to you'

Woe to you who practice unrighteousness, deceit, and blasphemy — it will serve as evidence against you for evil.

REF Woe to you who work unrighteousness and deceit and blasphemy: it shall be a memorial against you for evil.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The 'memorial against you' implies a permanent heavenly record. The concept of deeds recorded for judgment appears in Daniel 7:10, Malachi 3:16, and Revelation 20:12.

1 Enoch 96:8

Ge'ez: way lakemu 'ella 'antemu — 'woe to you, ye mighty'

Woe to you, mighty ones, who use your power to oppress the righteous — for the day of your destruction is coming. In those days, many good days will come to the righteous, on the day of your judgment.

REF Woe to you, ye mighty, who with might oppress the righteous; for the day of your destruction shall come. In those days many and good days shall come to the righteous — in the day of your judgement.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

The final woe of the chapter directly links the oppressors' judgment day with the righteous' day of blessing — the same event viewed from two perspectives. Compare Malachi 4:1-2, where the coming day burns the arrogant but brings healing for those who fear God's name.

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