Go to Related Reading
About this book

1 Enoch

About this book
Chapter 9

1 Then Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel looked down from heaven⁠ and saw much blood being shed on the earth, and all the lawlessness being committed on the earth.⁠ 2 They said to one another: 'The earth, left without inhabitants, cries out, and the voice of their crying reaches the gates of heaven.'⁠ 3 'And now to you, the holy ones of heaven, the souls of men plead, saying, "Present our case before the Most High."'⁠ 4 They said to the Lord of the ages:⁠ 'Lord of lords, God of gods, King of kings,⁠ and God of the ages,⁠ the throne of Your glory stands through all generations,⁠ and Your name is holy and glorious and blessed through all ages!⁠ 5 You have created all things, and over all things You have power. All things are open and visible in Your sight, and You see everything, and nothing can hide from You.⁠ 6 You see what Azâzêl has done, who has taught all unrighteousness on the earth and revealed the eternal secrets that were kept in heaven,⁠ which men were eager to learn.⁠ 7 And Semjâzâ, to whom You gave the authority to rule over his companions. 8 They have gone to the daughters of men on the earth, have lain with the women, have defiled themselves, and revealed to them all kinds of sins. 9 The women have borne giants, and as a result the whole earth has been filled with blood and unrighteousness. 10 And now the souls of those who have died are crying out and pleading at the gates of heaven, and their laments have risen up; they cannot stop because of the lawless acts committed on the earth.⁠ 11 You know all things before they happen, and You see these things and allow them, and You do not tell us what we should do about them.'⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare 1 Enoch 9:11 and Susanna 1:42

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · Deuterocanon

Share:

Summary

1 Enoch 9 and Susanna describe prayers spoken when God is silent during injustice. In 1 Enoch, the prayer laments violence on the earth and in Susanna, the falsely accused woman cries out. Neither asks to be rescued; both use prayer to protest to God.

Passages

1 Enoch 9:11

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
9 The women have borne giants, and as a result the whole earth has been filled with blood and unrighteousness. 10 And now the souls of those who have died are crying out and pleading at the gates of heaven, and their laments have risen up; they cannot stop because of the lawless acts committed on the earth. 11 You know all things before they happen, and You see these things and allow them, and You do not tell us what we should do about them.'
300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

Susanna 1:42

Deuterocanon
40 But having taken this woman, we asked who the young man was, 41 but she would not tell us. We testify these things.” Then the assembly believed them, as those who were elders of the people and judges; so they condemned her to death. 42 Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said, “O everlasting God, you know the secrets, and know all things before they happen. 43 You know that they have testified falsely against me. Behold, I must die, even though I never did such things as these men have maliciously invented against me.” 44 The Lord heard her voice.
200–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Susanna

References

"... the prayer is not really a petition that God act as one’s predications of him would lead one to expect; it is, in effect, an indictment that God has failed so to act and has not answered the cry that a beleaguered humanity has raised to him. It is perhaps not by accident that a similar claim is made in Job 24 or in psalms of individual lament (compare Psalm 22:2). The only prayer of those listed above that parallels the form of 1 Enoch 9:4-11 (i.e., with no petition) is Susanna 42-43, which follows Susanna’s initial cry (verse 35) and subsequent condemnation (verses 36–41). Here too there is no petition, only her complaint that God is not acting in keeping with his knowledge of her situation ..."
George W. E. Nickelsburg, A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 1-36, 81-108 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001), 206.

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

Your feedback

1 Enoch 9:11 and Susanna 1:42

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library