Genesis 5:24 reads: Enoch walked faithfully with God; then He was no more, because God took him away.
Is this stating that Enoch was the only righteous man apart from Noah at this time?
What significance did he have prior to being taken away by God?
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Any insight on the Text would be helpful. God bless.– SethofAdamaDec 1, 2014 at 20:22
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Hello! There isn't much we know about Enoch from the Bible itself. There are legends and traditions about him (at least somewhat based on the biblical record). Would those satisfy your question?– Frank LukeDec 1, 2014 at 21:35
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I'm thinking it just states what it says. No more, no less.– John PetersDec 2, 2014 at 0:50
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1@SethofAdama The Book of Enoch is apocryphal, yet is quoted by both 2 Pet. and Jude; these would certainly give you insight into the life of Enoch. Many date their source from the 2nd century BC, causing one to doubt their credibility; but again, if the Epistle writers saw their authenticity, there is some leg to stand on.– TauDec 2, 2014 at 1:45
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1@SethofAdama; I think an even better question is, - where was he taken to? was he taken from where he was and set down on the earth elsewhere, or was he taken to what we know as Heaven?, or where exactly was he taken to?– HelloDec 3, 2014 at 2:09
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1 Answer
It is clear from the text of Genesis 5 that Enoch was certainly viewed as being different from the other patriarchs. The major differences we can see within the text itself are that Enoch a) died early, and b) died in a manner different than the other patriarchs.
The patriarchs listed in Chapter 5 all lived between 777 and 969 years, except for Enoch, who lived 365 years. In addition, the other patriarchs were described as having died, using the Hebrew verb לָמוּת. However, the text decribes Enoch's death by stating that G-d took Enoch, using the Hebrew verb לָקַח, meaning to take. Verses 5:22 and 5:24 describe Enoch as walking with G-d. Here, the verb used to describe the act of walking is הִתְהַלֵּךְ. This is the hithpael reflexive from of halach, the latter which is used to describe simply physical walking. The verb הִתְהַלֵּךְ rarely appears in Tanach, and it is clear that the type of walking Enoch was doing was not everyday walking. Instead, it is assumed that Enoch walked with G-d in the sense of following in G-d's ways. Hopefully this also illustrates the importance and power of reading the Bible in the original text.
There is something of a consensus among both Jewish and Christian sources that Enoch was a righteous man. The view in Rabbincal literature is that G-d took Enoch's life to prevent him from being corrupted by the world. Hence his shortened life was actually a blessing rather than a punishment. In Christian theology, Enoch is also generally revered. In the Armenian Apostolic Church Enouch has a saints day, and the Mormon Church views him as having founded a righteous city called Zion.
