Enoch

About Enoch

Genesis calls Enoch Jared's son and Methuselah's father. He walks with God; God takes him without the usual report of death.

The NABRE notes report numerical differences between Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.

Later Jewish interpretations did not all describe his character in the same way. The Jewish Encyclopedia records both accounts of his heavenly exaltation and less favorable readings that questioned the constancy of his piety. Such differences belong to the history of interpretation; they cannot be combined into a single eyewitness biography.

Christian remembrance also extends beyond Genesis. The Catholic Encyclopedia identifies references in Hebrews to his faith and in Jude to a prophecy of judgment. The Orthodox Church in America names him among the righteous forefathers commemorated on the Sunday before the Nativity. This is a collective remembrance, including women as well as men. The church's list includes Sarah, Rebecca and Ruth alongside patriarchs, kings and prophets, placing Enoch within that wider liturgical gathering.

Prayers for Enoch