Deuteronomy 32:43

Hebrew Bible

42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword will devour flesh—the blood of the slaughtered and captured, the chief of the enemy’s leaders.’” 43 Cry out, O nations, with his people, for he will avenge his servants’ blood; he will take vengeance against his enemies, and make atonement for his land and people. 44 Then Moses went with Joshua son of Nun and recited all the words of this song to the people.

1 Enoch 7:6

Pseudepigrapha

2 The women became pregnant and gave birth to enormous giants, whose height was three thousand ells. 3 These giants consumed everything humans produced. And when humans could no longer support them, 4 the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. 5 They began to sin against birds, beasts, reptiles, and fish, eating each other’s flesh and drinking the blood. 6 Then the earth brought charges against these lawbreakers.

 Notes and References

"... 1 Enoch 7:6 ... The earth on which blood is shed relays the cry for such vengeance. Here the voice 'brings accusation against' the giants. The idiom is doubtless translates (compare 1 Enoch 22:5) an Aramaic technical term for bringing suit in court. For this usage with reference to an earthly court, compare 1 Enoch 103:4. For the theological usage compare 1QapGen 20:14 also 11QtgJob 8:2. As the ensuing narrative will show, the function of the cry here is to catalyze divine judgment. For this pattern, compare Deuteronomy 32:43 and its interpretations in Testament of Moses 9:7 and 2 Maccabees 8:3-4. For the same motif, compare Revelation 6:9-10. This complex of elements - the cry, its mediation by angels, and its function as catalyst - are additions to the biblical account ..."

Nickelsburg, George W. E. A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 1-36, 81-108 (p. 187) Fortress Press, 2001

 User Comments

Do you have questions or comments about these texts? Please submit them here.