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Testament of Dan

Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs

About this book
Chapter 6

1 Now fear the Lord, my children, and beware of Satan and his spirits.⁠ 2 Draw near to God and to the angel who intercedes for you, for he is a mediator between God and humanity,⁠ and for the peace of Israel he will stand against the kingdom of the enemy. 3 This is why the enemy is eager to destroy all who call on the Lord. 4 For he knows that on the day Israel repents, the kingdom of the enemy will be brought to an end. 5 For the angel of peace himself will strengthen Israel,⁠ so that it does not fall into the depths of evil. 6 In the time of Israel's lawlessness, the Lord will not depart from them, but will transform them into a nation that does his will, for none of the angels will be equal to him. 7 His name will be in every place in Israel and among the Gentiles. 8 So keep yourselves, my children, from every evil deed. Cast away anger and all lying, and love truth and patience. 9 And the things you have heard from your father, pass on to your children as well, so that the Savior of the Gentiles may receive you, for he is true and patient, gentle and humble, and teaches the law of God by his works. 10 So turn away from all unrighteousness and hold fast to the righteousness of God, and your descendants will be saved forever. 11 And bury me near my fathers.

Texts in conversation

Compare 1 Enoch 40:8 and Testament of Dan 6:5

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · Pseudepigrapha, Testaments

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Summary

1 Enoch 40 describes four angels who intercede and restrain hostile powers. The Testament of Dan also describes angels with similar roles, reflecting Jewish traditions that developed and expanded angelic hierarchies.

Passages

1 Enoch 40:8

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
6 The third voice I heard praying and interceding for those who dwell on the earth and making requests in the name of the Lord of Spirits. 7 The fourth voice I heard fending off the Satans, forbidding them to come before the Lord of Spirits to accuse those who dwell on the earth. 8 After that I asked the angel of peace who went with me, who showed me everything that is hidden: 'Who are these four presences I have seen, whose words I have heard and written down?'
300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

Testament of Dan 6:5

Pseudepigrapha, Testaments · Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs
3 This is why the enemy is eager to destroy all who call on the Lord. 4 For he knows that on the day Israel repents, the kingdom of the enemy will be brought to an end. 5 For the angel of peace himself will strengthen Israel, so that it does not fall into the depths of evil. 6 In the time of Israel's lawlessness, the Lord will not depart from them, but will transform them into a nation that does his will, for none of the angels will be equal to him. 7 His name will be in every place in Israel and among the Gentiles.
100 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Testament of Dan

References

"... Michael has a specific connection to trees and medicine. Thus he teaches agriculture in Vita 22:2; reveals the fruits of the tree to be eaten in the future by the righteous in 1 Enoch 25, and is one of the four who plant the trees in paradise in 3 Baruch 4:7; he helps Eve (together with other angels) to give birth to Cain ... Perhaps the archangel in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is originally connected with Michael who is portrayed as blowing the trumpet to call to judgment (Apocalypse of Moses 22:1). The 'angel of peace' Compare Testament of Dan 6:1-5; Testament of Asher 6:5; Testament of Benjamin 6:1) identifies the four faces with the four archangels (l Enoch 40:8), i.e., he himself is not to be confused with Michael. The 'interceding angel' (1 Enoch 89:76; 90:14; Testament of Levi 5:6) could well be Michael, but he is not called so, although there are some resemblances: e.g. in Testament of Asher 6:5, entering into, eternal life, or the dualism with 'Belial' in Testament of Benjamin 6:1 ..."
Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking, and and Pieter W. van der Horst, eds., Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, 2nd extensively rev. ed. (Leiden: Brill, 1999), 572.

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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1 Enoch 40:8 and Testament of Dan 6:5

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