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1 Enoch

About this book
Chapter 48

1 In that place, I saw the fountain of righteousness which was inexhaustible; around it were many fountains of wisdom. All the thirsty drank from them, were filled with wisdom, and their dwellings were with the righteous, holy, and elect.⁠ 2 At that time, the Son of Man was named in the presence of the Lord of Spirits, and his name was acknowledged before the Head of Days. 3 Yes, before the sun and the signs were created, before the stars of heaven were made, his name was known before the Lord of Spirits. 4 He will be a staff for the righteous to lean on and not fall, and he will be the light of the Gentiles, and the hope for those who are troubled of heart.⁠ 5 All who dwell on earth shall bow and worship before him, and will praise, bless, and sing to celebrate the Lord of Spirits.⁠ 6 For this reason, he has been chosen and hidden before Him, before the creation of the world⁠ and forever.⁠ 7 The wisdom of the Lord of Spirits has revealed him to the holy and righteous; for he has preserved all of the righteous because they have hated and despised this world of unrighteousness,⁠ and have hated all its works and ways in the name of the Lord of Spirits:⁠ for in his name they are saved, and it has been according to his good pleasure in regard to their life.⁠ 8 In these days, the kings of the earth who own the land will look downcast because of the works of their hands; for on the day of their trouble and affliction, they will not be able to save themselves.⁠ 9 And I will hand them over to the hands of my elect: as straw in the fire, they shall burn before the face of the holy; as lead in the water, they shall sink before the face of the righteous,⁠ and no trace of them shall be found anymore.⁠ 10 On the day of their affliction, there shall be peace on the earth. They shall fall before them and not rise again; and there shall be no one to help them up, for they have denied the Lord of Spirits and His Anointed.⁠ Blessed be the name of the Lord of Spirits.

Texts in conversation

Compare Isaiah 49:6 and 1 Enoch 48:4

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

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Summary

1 Enoch 48 echoes Isaiah 49, presenting a chosen figure connected to both Israel and the nations. Isaiah’s servant restores Israel and becomes a light to the nations, and 1 Enoch applies this to the Son of Man redeeming the righteous including Gentiles.

Passages

Isaiah 49:6

Hebrew Bible
5 So now the Lord says, the one who formed me from birth to be his servant— he did this to restore Jacob to himself, so that Israel might be gathered to him; and I will be honored in the Lord’s sight, for my God is my source of strength— 6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant, to reestablish the tribes of Jacob, and restore the remnant of Israel? I will make you a light to the nations, so you can bring my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.” 7 This is what the Lord, the Protector of Israel, their Holy One, says to the one who is despised and rejected by nations, a servant of rulers: “Kings will see and rise in respect, princes will bow down, because of the faithful Lord, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.”
740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

1 Enoch 48:4

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
2 At that time, the Son of Man was named in the presence of the Lord of Spirits, and his name was acknowledged before the Head of Days. 3 Yes, before the sun and the signs were created, before the stars of heaven were made, his name was known before the Lord of Spirits. 4 He will be a staff for the righteous to lean on and not fall, and he will be the light of the Gentiles, and the hope for those who are troubled of heart. 5 All who dwell on earth shall bow and worship before him, and will praise, bless, and sing to celebrate the Lord of Spirits. 6 For this reason, he has been chosen and hidden before Him, before the creation of the world and forever.
300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

References

"... 1 Enoch 48:4-7 ... Along with verse 2, this section employs the language of Isaiah 49 ... (1 Enoch 48:4 with Isaiah 49:6; 1 Enoch 48:5 with Isaiah 49:7; 1 Enoch 48:6 with Isaiah 49:7; 1 Enoch 48:7 with Isaiah 49:8) ... In general, moreover, both texts move from the call to the figure's salvific mission on behalf of the oppressed. According to 1 Enoch 48:4, the Son of Man has a double function - to minister to the righteous of Israel and to the nations. This sequence parallels Isaiah 49 ..."
George W. E. Nickelsburg, A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 37-82 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012), 171.

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

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Isaiah 49:6 and 1 Enoch 48:4

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