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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 Psalm 18:49 and 1 Enoch 48:5

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

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Summary

1 Enoch 48 echoes Psalm 18 by using its language of giving thanks among the nations and applying it to all humanity. Where the psalm shows an individual promising to honor God, 1 Enoch transforms this into a vision of collective worship.

Passages

Psalm 18:49

Hebrew Bible
47 The one true God completely vindicates me; he makes nations submit to me. 48 He delivers me from my enemies. You snatch me away from those who attack me; you rescue me from violent men. 49 So I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord. I will sing praises to you. 50 He gives his king magnificent victories; he is faithful to his chosen ruler, to David and his descendants forever.”
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

1 Enoch 48:5

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
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

"... Liturgical imagery and language run through verse 5, and the verbs parallel other uses in the Parables. The verbs 'glorify' and 'bless' will recur in 62:6, where the kings and the mighty pay homage to the Son of Man and the Lord of Spirits respectively. However, while they should probably be included in this purview of this verse, its focus seems to be primarily the universal praise of the Lord of Spirits that will be a constitutive element in the eschatological denouement. The wording of verse 5b may reflect Psalm 18:49. The same Semitic verb appears in the Masoretic text, the Targum of Psalm 18:49, and its equivalent in the LXX of Psalm 17:50. However, different from the psalm, which promises to praise YHWH among the nations, here the text anticipates that all humanity will join in the universal praise of God that is appropriate to the eschaton ..."
George W. E. Nickelsburg, A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 37-82 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012), 172.

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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Psalm 18:49 and 1 Enoch 48:5

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