Texts in Conversation
In 1 Enoch, an angel who accompanies Enoch invites questions and interprets the meaning of what is encountered. This follows a pattern found in Tobit, where an angel similarly provides guidance and interpretation while on a journey.
Share:
Tobit 6:6
Deuterocanon
5 Then the angel said to him, "Cut open the fish and take out its gall, heart, and liver. Keep them with you, but throw away the intestines. For its gall, heart, and liver are useful as medicine." 6 So after cutting open the fish the young man gathered together the gall, heart, and liver; then he roasted and ate some of the fish, and kept some to be salted. The two continued on their way together until they were near Media. 7 Then the young man questioned the angel and said to him, "Brother Azariah, what medicinal value is there in the fish's heart and liver, and in the gall?" 8 He replied, "As for the fish's heart and liver, you must burn them to make a smoke in the presence of a man or woman afflicted by a demon or evil spirit, and every affliction will flee away and never remain with that person any longer.
1 Enoch 21:4
Pseudepigrapha
3 And there I saw seven stars of heaven bound together in it, like great mountains and burning with fire. 4 Then I said: 'For what sin are they bound, and on what account have they been cast in here?' 5 Then said Uriel, one of the holy angels who was with me and was chief over them, and said: 'Enoch, why do you ask, and why are you eager for the truth? 6 These are of the number of the stars of heaven, which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and are bound here until ten thousand years, the time entailed by their sins, are consummated.'
Search:
Notes and References
"... In this section of the Book of the Watchers, the combination of vision, question, and answer by the interpreting angel is the sole vehicle of revelation, as is already hinted at in the book’s superscription (1:2). Moreover, here, as in Ezekiel 40–44, the angel accompanies the seer on his vision journey. The device will continue to structure parts of the Book of Parables (40:8; 52:3; 53:4; 54:4; 56:2; 60:9; 11, 24; 61:2; 64:2). The idea may also be presumed in the Book of Tobit, where Raphael guides Tobias across Mesopotamia and explains the magical properties of the fish’s viscera to the inquiring young man (6:6–8) ..."
Nickelsburg, George W. E.
A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 1-36, 81-108
(p. 295) Fortress Press, 2001
* 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.