Texts in Conversation
Matthew 25 and 2 Enoch 9 present final judgment based on how you cared for the vulnerable, fed the hungry, and clothed the naked. Both share a common Jewish tradition based on the Hebrew Bible and ancient Near Eastern traditions.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
2 Enoch 9:1
Secrets of Enoch
Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
1 'This place, Enoch, is prepared for the righteous, who endure all kinds of wrongs from those who torment them, who turn their eyes away from wickedness, and judge justly, and give bread to the hungry, and cover the naked with clothing, and raise up the fallen, and help injured orphans, and who walk without fault before the face of the Lord, and serve him alone, and for them this place is prepared for eternal inheritance.'
Date: 1–100 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
Matthew 25:34
New Testament
32 All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
Date: 70–90 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... A decision concerning the origin of the addition bears directly on the background to the admonition in verse 28 to clothe the naked poor person. Kearns, Smend, and Segal see an allusion to Isaiah 58:7, while Peters sees an allusion to Matthew 25:36-38. Of course, the Isaianic background is possible on either theory of the origins of the addition, but a reference to Matt 25:36.38 is probably possible only on the theory of a Syriac origin. Given that Proverbs 19:17 and Matthew 25:31-46 were frequently combined by early Christian writers, this would not be a surprising juxtaposition. However, both Isaiah 58:7 and Matthew 25:36-38 use language similar to that of the LXX and the Peshitta, so it is impossible to decide the matter conclusively. In addition, the combination of feeding the hungry and clothing the naked in Sirach 29:28 reflects a stock combination in descriptions of piety (e.g. Ezekiel 18:7.16; Job 22:6-7; 31:17-32; Tobit 1:16-17; 2 Enoch 9:1; 42:8; 63:1; Avot de Rabbi Natan 7; etc.). Therefore, while Isaiah 58 and Matthew 25 are possible associations, there also may be no specific allusion at work in verse 28 ..."
Bradley C. Gregory, Like an Everlasting Signet Ring: Generosity in the Book of Sirach, DCLS 2 (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, 2010), 215–216.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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