Texts in Conversation
Sirach 17 and 1 Enoch 61 refer to God assigning patron divine rulers over the nations, a theme that reflects the idea of heavenly beings governing earthly realms, derived from traditions in the Hebrew Bible such as Deuteronomy 32.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
1 Enoch 61:10
Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
9 And when he lifts up his face to judge their secret ways according to the word of the Lord of Spirits, and their path according to the way of the righteous judgment of the Lord of Spirits, then they all shall speak and bless with one voice, and glorify, exalt, and sanctify the name of the Lord of Spirits. 10 And He will summon all the armies of the heavens, and all the holy ones above, and the army of God, the Cherubic, Seraphim, and Ophanim, and all the angels of power, and all the angels of principalities, and the Chosen One, and the other powers on the earth and over the water.
Date: 300 BCE – 100 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
Sirach 17:17
Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
Deuterocanon
14 He said to them, “Beware of all unrighteousness.” So he gave them commandment, each man concerning his neighbor. 15 Their ways are ever before him. They will not be hidden from his eyes. 17 For every nation he appointed a ruler, but Israel is the Lord’s portion. 19 All their works are as clear as the sun before him. His eyes are continually upon their ways. 20 Their iniquities are not hidden from him. All their sins are before the Lord.
Date: 195–180 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Search:
Notes and References
"... Principalities and Powers ... a class of heavenly beings possessing unspecified power. The word pair occurs in early Jewish literature only in 1 Enoch 61:10. Perhaps they are the angels whom YHWH has put in charge of the nations (Sirach 17:17), 1 Enoch 89:59-90:19 depicts these angelic patrons as evil forces. Paul claims that Christ will triumph over the malevolent ruling spiritual powers (1 Cor. 15:24). The passage may allude to the son of man's receipt of authority and kingship over the nations in Daniel 7:14 ..."
Joel B. Green, Jeannine K. Brown, and Nicholas Perrin, eds., Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2018), 502.
* 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.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.
User Comments
,