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In Isaiah, God promises to carry and sustain his people. In 3 Enoch, God uses that promise to defend Enoch against the angels, making his care for humanity the answer to their objection to a human in heaven.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Isaiah 46:4
Hebrew Bible
2 Together they bend low and kneel down; they are unable to rescue the images; they themselves head off into captivity. 3 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob, all you who are left from the family of Israel, you who have been carried from birth, you who have been supported from the time you left the womb. 4 Even when you are old, I will take care of you, even when you have gray hair, I will carry you. I made you and I will support you; I will carry you and rescue you. 5 To whom can you compare and liken me? Tell me whom you think I resemble, so we can be compared!
3 Enoch 4:6
Hebrew Book of Enoch
Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, lifted me up in their lifetime before their eyes to be a witness against them to the future world. And the Holy One, blessed be He, assigned me for a prince and a ruler among the ministering angels. In that hour three of the ministering angels, 'UZZA, 'AZZA and 'AZZAEL came forth and brought charges against me in the high heavens, saying before the Holy One, blessed be He: "Said not the Ancient Ones (First Ones) rightly before You: 'Do not create man!'" The Holy One, blessed be He, answered and said to them: "I have made and I will bear, yes, I will carry and will deliver". (Is. xlvi. 4.)
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Notes and References
“... The rabbinic versions of this motif appear to have two fundamental
aims: [1] to elevate Israel above the angels and [2] to stress God’s mercy
in preserving humankind. Likewise,
3 Enoch 4 (§§ 5-6) and 6 (§9) appeal
to this motif to elevate Enoch above the angels. Moreover, in both units,
the angelic accusations against Enoch prompt God to defend His choice
and hence to explicate His relationship with humankind. In 3 Enoch 4
(§§ 5-6), God gives two answers, corresponding to angels’ two questions.
First, He justifies His decision to abide by wicked humankind, stressing
His merciful nature by quoting Isa 46:4 (4:7). Then, He chastises the
angels for doubting his decision to elevate Enoch, thus occasioning their
submission to him (4:8-10). Similarly, in
3 Enoch 6 (§9), the angels’
questions lead God to explain His rationale for removing both Enoch
and the Shekinah from the earth (6:3). ...”
Annette Yoshiko Reed
From Asael and Semihazah to Uzzah, Azzah, and Azael: 3 Enoch 5 (§§7–8) and Jewish Reception-History of 1 Enoch
(p. 126) Mohr Siebeck, 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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