Enoch's Interaction with the Fallen Watchers

Chapter 12

1 Before these things, Enoch was hidden, and no one among the children of men knew where he was hidden, where he lived, or what had happened to him.⁠ 2 His dealings were with the Watchers, and he spent his days among the holy ones. 3 And I, Enoch, was praising the Lord of majesty and the King of the ages, and look! the Watchers called me⁠ - Enoch the scribe - and said to me:⁠ 4 'Enoch, you scribe of righteousness, go, tell the Watchers of heaven who have left the high heaven, the holy eternal place, and have defiled themselves with women, and have acted as the children of earth do, and have taken wives for themselves:⁠ 5 You have caused great destruction on the earth: and you shall have no peace or forgiveness of sin; and as much as they delight in their children, 6 They will witness the murder of their beloved ones, and they will mourn over the destruction of their children, and they will plead forever, but you will not find mercy or peace.'

Texts in conversation

Compare 1 Enoch 12:3 and Luke 1:10

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · New Testament

Summary

Luke follows a pattern found in 1 Enoch 12 where angels appear to faithful people during prayer. In both, the messenger arrives at that moment to announce something important, and the gospel demonstrates its connection to Jewish apocalyptic traditions.

Passages

1 Enoch 12:3

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

1 Before these things, Enoch was hidden, and no one among the children of men knew where he was hidden, where he lived, or what had happened to him. 2 His dealings were with the Watchers, and he spent his days among the holy ones. 3 And I, Enoch, was praising the Lord of majesty and the King of the ages, and look! the Watchers called me - Enoch the scribe - and said to me: 4 'Enoch, you scribe of righteousness, go, tell the Watchers of heaven who have left the high heaven, the holy eternal place, and have defiled themselves with women, and have acted as the children of earth do, and have taken wives for themselves:

300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

Luke 1:10

New Testament

8 Now while Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the Holy Place of the Lord and burn incense. 10 Now the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 An angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense, appeared to him. 12 And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, was seized with fear. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you will name him John.

75–85 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Luke

References

"... 1 Enoch 12:3 ... God’s messenger approaches Enoch while he is blessing God. Epiphanies (and commissioning) often take place on holy ground and/or in cultic situations. Compare Genesis 28:10-22; Exodus 3-4; Isaiah 6; Luke 1:5-23 ..."

George W. E. Nickelsburg, A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 1-36, 81-108 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001), 234.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Enoch's Interaction with the Fallen Watchers

1 Enoch108 chapters

Compare 1 Enoch 12:3 and Luke 1:10

Summary

Passages

1 Enoch 12:3

Luke 1:10

References

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