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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 47:14 and 1 Enoch 48:9

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

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Summary

1 Enoch 48 echoes the language of Isaiah 47, describing powerful people unable to save themselves from judgment. Isaiah applies this to Babylon’s advisers who cannot save themselves, and 1 Enoch applies it to all rulers facing judgment.

Passages

Isaiah 47:14

Hebrew Bible
13 You are tired out from listening to so much advice. Let them take their stand—the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at the stars, who make monthly predictions—let them rescue you from the disaster that is about to overtake you! 14 Look, they are like straw that the fire burns up; they cannot rescue themselves from the heat of the flames. There are no coals to warm them, no firelight to enjoy. 15 They will disappoint you, those you have so faithfully dealt with since your youth. Each strays off in his own direction, leaving no one to rescue you.”
740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

1 Enoch 48:9

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
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.
300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

References

"... The next distich (verses 8-9) begins a description of the day of the distress and tribulation that will befall the kings and the mighty (verses 8c-10c). On this stereotyped expression for the time of judgment, which recurs in 48:10; 50:2; and in its present double form, see 1 Enoch 1 ... Their predicament is pithily summarized: 'they will not save themselves' - this in contrast to the righteous, who will be saved (48:7), and others who will repent (50:3). The expression 'save oneself' is a cliche. See 52:7 (also of the kings) and elsewhere (Isaiah 47:14; Ezekiel 14:14, 20; Mark 8:35; 15:30-31. With 48:9a the focus changes to the destruction of the kings and the mighty in the hand, or the presence of their erstwhile victims ..."
George W. E. Nickelsburg, A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 37-82 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012), 175.

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 47:14 and 1 Enoch 48:9

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