Texts in Conversation
1 Enoch 84 describes a prayer likely based on a prayer in Jeremiah 32, with 1 Enoch using this language to not only describe God's unmatched creative power, but to also connect to the literary and prayer traditions of the Hebrew Bible.
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Jeremiah 32:17
Hebrew Bible
15 For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’ 16 “After I had given the copies of the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, 17 ‘Oh, Sovereign Lord, you did indeed make heaven and earth by your mighty power and great strength. Nothing is too hard for you! 18 You show unfailing love to thousands. But you also punish children for the sins of their parents. You are the great and powerful God whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
1 Enoch 84:3
Pseudepigrapha
2 'Blessed are You, O Lord, King, Great and mighty in Your greatness, Lord of the entire creation of heaven, King of kings, and God of the entire world. And Your power and kingship and greatness endure forever and ever, And through all generations Your dominion; And all the heavens are Your throne forever, And the whole earth Your footstool forever and ever. 3 For You have created and You rule all things, And nothing is too difficult for You, Wisdom does not depart from the place of Your throne, Nor turns away from Your presence. And You know and see and hear everything, And there is nothing hidden from You, for You see everything. 4 And now the angels of Your heavens are guilty of trespass, And upon the flesh of men rests Your wrath until the great day of judgment.
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Notes and References
"... In line a Enoch appeals to God’s creative activity and continuing reign in the same order as 9:5a, and adds a complementary line on God’s omnipotence. The wording closely parallels Jeremiah 32:17, as well as Genesis 18:14 (compare Luke 1:37). Favoring some connection with the former is that text’s form as a prayer and its juxtaposition of creation and judgment on sin (32:16–19; compare 1 Enoch 84:4) ..."
Nickelsburg, George W. E.
A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 1-36, 81-108
(pp. 352-353) 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.
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