The Book of Enoch 93
Book V The Epistle of Enoch Chapters 91–108 · 2nd - 1st century BCE
Enoch's testament to his children: woes against the wicked and rich, comfort for the righteous, the Apocalypse of Weeks, and a closing appendix on the miraculous birth of Noah.
Dating & manuscripts. The Apocalypse of Weeks is one of the earliest datable parts. Chapters 106-107 (the Birth of Noah) are a later appendix drawn from a separate Noah tradition.
In the manuscripts the Apocalypse of Weeks runs 93:1-10 then 91:11-17; Charles rearranged the verses to restore that order, which is why some editions number these chapters differently.
1 Enoch is an anthology of five distinct works, composed over roughly three centuries.
The First Seven Weeks of the Apocalypse
Enoch was born the seventh in the first week while judgement and righteousness still endured.
1nd after that Enoch both gave and began to recount from the books.
2 And Enoch said: ' Concerning the children of righteousness and concerning the elect of the world, And concerning the plant of uprightness, I will speak these things, Yea, I Enoch will declare (them) unto you, my sons: According to that which appeared to me in the heavenly vision, And which I have known through the word of the holy angels, And have learnt from the heavenly tablets.'
3 And Enoch began to recount from the books and said: ' I was born the seventh in the first week, While judgement and righteousness still endured.
4 And after me there shall arise in the second week great wickedness, And deceit shall have sprung up; And in it there shall be the first end. And in it a man shall be saved; And after it is ended unrighteousness shall grow up, And a law shall be made for the sinners.
5 And after that in the third week at its close A man shall be elected as the plant of righteous judgement, And his posterity shall become the plant of righteousness for evermore.
6 And after that in the fourth week, at its close, Visions of the holy and righteous shall be seen, And a law for all generations and an enclosure shall be made for them.
7 And after that in the fifth week, at its close, The house of glory and dominion shall be built for ever.
8 And after that in the sixth week all who live in it shall be blinded, And the hearts of all of them shall godlessly forsake wisdom. And in it a man shall ascend; And at its close the house of dominion shall be burnt with fire, And the whole race of the chosen root shall be dispersed.
9 And after that in the seventh week shall an apostate generation arise, And many shall be its deeds, And all its deeds shall be apostate.
10 And at its close shall be elected The elect righteous of the eternal plant of righteousness, To receive sevenfold instruction concerning all His creation.
11 For who is there of all the children of men that is able to hear the voice of the Holy One without being troubled ? And who can think His thoughts ? and who is there that can behold all the works of heaven ?
12 And how should there be one who could behold the heaven, and who is there that could understand the things of heaven and see a soul or a spirit and could tell thereof, or ascend and see all their ends and think them or do like them ?
13 And who is there of all men that could know what is the breadth and the length of the earth, and to whom has been shown the measure of all of them ?
14 Or is there any one who could discern the length of the heaven and how great is its height, and upon what it is founded, and how great is the number of the stars, and where all the luminaries rest ?
Did You Know?
Enoch was born the seventh in the first week while judgement and righteousness still endured.
In the second week great wickedness and deceit spring up, a first end occurs, a man shall be saved, and a law shall be made for the sinners.
In the third week at its close a man shall be elected as the plant of righteous judgement whose posterity becomes the plant of righteousness forever.
In the sixth week all shall be blinded and godlessly forsake wisdom, a man ascends, the house of dominion burns with fire, and the chosen root is dispersed.
At the close of the seventh week the elect righteous of the eternal plant of righteousness shall be elected to receive sevenfold instruction concerning all His creation.
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Commentary
In brief
Enoch recounts from the books a history divided into weeks, starting with his birth amid righteousness, then great wickedness with a man saved, election of a righteous plant, a house of glory built then burnt and the chosen dispersed, an apostate generation, and elect receiving instruction, then asks who can understand heaven and earth.