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In Isaiah, God promises to act for his own sake. In 3 Enoch, he gives that promise when no human can secure deliverance, explaining why Israel's rescue can proceed even when its people cannot earn it.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Isaiah 48:11
Hebrew Bible
11 For my sake alone I will act, for how can I allow my name to be defiled? I will not share my glory with anyone else! 12 Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I summoned. I am the one; I am present at the very beginning and at the very end. 13 Yes, my hand founded the earth; my right hand spread out the sky. I summon them; they stand together. 14 All of you, gather together and listen! Who among them announced these things? The Lord’s ally will carry out his desire against Babylon; he will exert his power against the Babylonians.
3 Enoch 48A:8
Hebrew Book of Enoch
Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
Said the Holy One, blessed be He, in that hour: "How long shall I wait for the children of men to work salvation according to their righteousness for my arm? For my own sake and for the sake of my merit and righteousness will I deliver my arm and by it redeem my children from among the nations of the world. As it is written (Is. xlviii. 11): "For my own sake will I do it. For how should my name be profaned". In that moment will the Holy One, blessed be He, reveal His Great Arm and show it to the nations of the world: for its length is as the length of the world and its breadth is as the width of the world. And the appearance of its splendour is like the splendour of the sunshine in its might, in the summer solstice.
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Notes and References
“... circumstances). God thus decides to act ‘for His own sake’, citing the verse:
‘For My sake, My own sake, do I act, lest [My name] be dishonoured; I will
not give glory to another’ (Isa. 48: 11).25
In contrast to the earlier apocalyptic literature, in 3 Enoch the righteous
souls take advantage of their proximity to God in order to intercede on behalf
of the destroyed Jerusalem. Nonetheless even the righteous souls cannot
significantly influence God’s actions on behalf of Israel; in the end God must
act by himself. ...”
Mandel, Paul
The Sacrifice of the Souls of the Righteous upon the Heavenly Altar: Transformations of Apocalyptic Traditions in Medieval Ashkenaz
(p. 59) Liverpool University Press, 2018
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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