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1 Enoch

About this book
Chapter 81

1 He said to me, 'Look closely, Enoch, at these heavenly tablets, read what is written on them, and pay attention to every detail.'⁠ 2 I examined the heavenly tablets, read everything written on them, understood it all, and read the book detailing all the actions of humankind and of all flesh that will exist on the earth for generations to come. 3 Immediately, I praised the great Lord, the King of glory, forever, for creating all the works of the world. I praised the Lord for His patience and blessed Him because of humanity. 4 Afterward, I declared, 'Blessed is the person who dies in righteousness and goodness, who has no record of unrighteousness written about them, and against whom no day of judgment will be held.' 5 The seven holy ones then took me and placed me on the earth before my home's door and said, 'Tell everything to your son Methuselah, and inform all your children that no one is righteous in the sight of the Lord,⁠ for He is their Creator. 6 'You will have one more year to live with your son, during which you must give your final instructions, teach your children, write it down for them, and bear witness to all your children; and in the second year, you will be taken from among them.'⁠ 7 'Let your heart be strong, for the righteous will share truths with the righteous; they will rejoice together, and congratulate one another.' 8 'But the sinners will perish with other sinners, and those who turn away will fall with other apostates.' 9 'And those who practice righteousness will perish because of the actions of humans and will be taken away because of the behavior of the godless.'⁠ 10 After they stopped speaking to me, I returned to my people, blessing the Lord of the world.

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 143:2 and 1 Enoch 81:5

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

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Summary

1 Enoch 81 depicts Enoch given a message of universal human guilt, similar to the language of Psalm 143, and also connected to the narrative of the corruption of humanity described in Genesis 6.

Passages

Psalm 143:2

Hebrew Bible
1 A psalm of David. O Lord, hear my prayer. Pay attention to my plea for help. Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me. 2 Do not sit in judgment on your servant, for no one alive is innocent before you. 3 Certainly my enemies chase me. They smash me into the ground. They force me to live in dark regions, like those who have been dead for ages.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

1 Enoch 81:5

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
4 Afterward, I declared, 'Blessed is the person who dies in righteousness and goodness, who has no record of unrighteousness written about them, and against whom no day of judgment will be held.' 5 The seven holy ones then took me and placed me on the earth before my home's door and said, 'Tell everything to your son Methuselah, and inform all your children that no one is righteous in the sight of the Lord, for He is their Creator. 6 'You will have one more year to live with your son, during which you must give your final instructions, teach your children, write it down for them, and bear witness to all your children; and in the second year, you will be taken from among them.'
300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

References

"... The message that Enoch is commissioned to pass on to his children is summarized in two lines: in the eyes of the creator, no human being is righteous. This pithy statement appears to reflect the viewpoint of Genesis 6: God is sorry that he made/created humanity (verses 6–7) and determines to exterminate “all flesh” (verses 12–13). As phrased here, the sentiment parallels Psalm 143:2, “For no living thing is righteous in your sight”. But this in its use of “no flesh” instead of “no living thing,” and in its word order, the present passage differs from Psalm 143. This is noteworthy because in both respects the present reading is paralleled by Rom 3:30, Paul’s indictment of the whole human race. Whether Paul reflects an apocalyptic tradition related to the present text is uncertain, although other parallels between 81:3 and Romans 3:25–26 and between Romans 4:7–8 and 1 Enoch 81:4 should be noted and studied more carefully ..."
George W. E. Nickelsburg, A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 1-36, 81-108 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001), 341.

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 143:2 and 1 Enoch 81:5

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