Exodus 22:22
Hebrew Bible
21 “You must not wrong a resident foreigner nor oppress him, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. 22 “You must not afflict any widow or orphan. 23 If you afflict them in any way and they cry to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my anger will burn and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children will be fatherless.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
2 Enoch 50:7
Secrets of Enoch
Pseudepigrapha
3 Therefore, my children, spend your days in patience and meekness, so that you may inherit eternal life. 4 Endure every wound, injury, evil word, and attack for the sake of the Lord. 5 If wrongs befall you, do not return them to friend or foe, for the Lord will avenge you on the day of great judgment, and there should be no revenge among people. 6 Whoever spends gold or silver for the sake of a sibling will receive abundant treasure in the world to come. 7 Do not harm widows, orphans, or strangers, or God's wrath come upon you.
Date: 30 B.C.E - 70 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
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2 Enoch 50 echoes the command in Exodus 22 to protect widows and orphans, warning that harming them will bring divine retribution. This is a preservation of an enduring ancient Near Eastern ideal that rulers and societies are judged by how they treat the vulnerable. By preserving this motif, 2 Enoch continues a moral tradition it knows from early biblical literature, linking justice with social responsibility.
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