Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jude 1:14
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
14. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these ] The words that follow are almost a verbal quotation from the Apocryphal Book of Enoch. As that work had probably been in existence for a century before St Jude wrote, and was easily accessible, it is more natural to suppose that he quoted here, as in previous instances, what he thought edifying, than to adopt either of the two strained hypotheses, (1) that the writer had received what he quotes through a tradition independent of the Book of Enoch, that tradition having left no trace of itself in any of the writings of the Old Testament, or (2) that he was guided by a special inspiration to set the stamp of authenticity upon the one genuine prophecy which the apocryphal writer had imbedded in a mass of fantastic inventions. On the general question raised by this use of apocryphal material, see the Introduction to this Epistle; and for the history and contents of the Book of Enoch, the Excursus at the end of this volume. In the description of Enoch as the “ seventh from Adam” there is probably a mystical symbolism. As being such he became typical of the great Sabbath, the millennium, which, according to Jewish thought, was to close the six thousand years of the world’s work-day history.
Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints ] The words appear in the Book of Enoch, as spoken by an angel who interprets a vision which the Patriarch had received as foretelling the judgment of the last day. The latter words run in the Greek literally, with His holy myriads, probably with a reference to Deu 33:2, the “saints” or “holy ones” here being not the disciples of Christ, but the “innumerable company of angels” (Heb 12:22; Psa 68:17).
EXCURSUS ON THE BOOK OF ENOCH
Jdg 1:14
The history of the book which bears this title is a sufficiently remarkable one. St Jude’s reference to the prophecy of Enoch does not necessarily prove that he was acquainted with the book, but it at least shews the existence of traditions that had gathered round the patriarch’s name. Allusions elsewhere to the fall of the angels (Justin, Apol. ii. 5) or to the work of Enoch in preaching to them (Iren. iv. 6), or to his knowledge of astronomy (Euseb. H. E. vii. 32), in like manner do not indicate more than the widely diffused belief that he represented not only the holiness, but the science of the antediluvian world. The first Church writer who seems really to have known it is Tertullian ( De Hab. Mul., c. 3), who, after giving at length the story how the angels that fell were allured by the beauty of the daughters of men, adds that he knows that the Book ( scriptura) of Enoch is rejected by some as not being admitted into the Jewish “Storehouse” of holy writings. He meets the supposed objection that such a book was not likely to have survived the deluge by the hypothesis that it might have been committed to the custody of Noah, and been handed down after him from one generation to another, or that he might have been specially inspired, if it had perished, to rewrite it, as Esdras was fabled ( 2Es 14:38-48 ) to have re-written the whole Hebrew Canon. He defends his acceptance of it on the grounds (1) that it prophesied of Christ, and (2) that it had been quoted by St Jude. In another passage ( de Idol. c. 15) he names Enoch as predicting certain superstitious practices of the heathen, and so as being the most ancient of all prophets. Augustine, on the other hand, adopting the view that the “sons of God” of Genesis 6 were righteous men who fell into the temptation of lust, rejects the book (which he clearly knew) as apocryphal, and while he admits the prophecy quoted by St Jude as authentic, dismisses all the rest as fabulous ( De Civ. Dei, xv. 23). After this the book seems to have dropped out of sight, and it is not again referred to by any ecclesiastical writer. Fragments of it were found by Scaliger in the Chronographia of Georgius Syncellus, and printed by him in his notes on Eusebius in 1658. In 1773, however, Bruce, the Abyssinian explorer, brought over three copies which he had found in the course of his travels, and one of these, presented to the Bodleian Library, was translated by Archbishop Lawrence and published in 1821. Another and more fully edited translation was published in German by Dillmann in 1853.
The book thus brought to light after an interval of some fourteen hundred years, bears no certain evidence of date, and has been variously assigned by different scholars, by Ewald to b. c. 144 120, by Dillmann to b. c. 110, while other scholars have been led by its reference to the Messiah to ascribe a post-Christian origin to it. As regards its contents, it is a sufficiently strange farrago. The one passage which specially concerns us is found in c. ii., and is thus rendered by Archbishop Lawrence. It comes as part of the first vision of Enoch: God will be manifested and the mountains shall melt in the flame, and then “Behold he comes with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment upon them, and to reprove all the carnal for everything which the wicked and ungodly have done and committed against him.” In c. vii., viii. we have the legend of the loves of the angels and the birth of the giants, and the invention of arts and sciences. Then comes a prophecy of the deluge (c. x.), and visions of the city of God (c. xiv.), and the names of the seven angels (c. xx.). He sees the dwelling-place of the dead, both good and evil (c. xxii.), and the tree of life which had been in Eden (c. xxiv.), and a field beyond the Erythraean Sea in which is the tree of knowledge (c. xxxi.). Vision follows upon vision, until in c. xlvi. we have a reproduction of that in Daniel 7. of the Ancient of Days in the Son of Man, who is identified with the Messiah (c. xlvii.), the Chosen One of God. And so the book goes on, leaving on the reader’s mind an impression like that of a delirious dream, with endless repetitions and scarcely the vestige of a plan or purpose. The reader of the English Apocrypha may find the nearest accessible approach to the class of literature which it represents in the Second Book of Esdras, but that, in its profound and plaintive pessimism, has at least the elements of poetry and unity of purpose. The Book of Enoch stands on a far lower level, and belongs to the class of writings in which the decay of Judaism was but too prolific, on which St Paul seems to pass a final sentence when he speaks of them as “old wives’ fables” (1Ti 4:7).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam – The seventh in the direct line of descent from Adam. The line of descent is Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahaleel, Jared, Enoch; see Gen 5:3, following. On the character of Enoch, see the notes at Heb 11:5.
Prophesied of these – Uttered prophecies applicable to these men, or respecting just such men as these. It is not necessarily meant that he had these men specifically in his eye; but all that is fairly implied is, that his predictions were descriptive of them. There is no mention made in the writings of Moses of the fact that Enoch was a prophet; but nothing is more probable in itself, and there is no absurdity in supposing that a true prophecy, though unrecorded, might be handed down by tradition. See the 2Ti 3:8 note; Jud 1:9 note. The source from which Jude derived this passage respecting the prophecy of Enoch is unknown. Amidst the multitude of traditions, however, handed down by the Jews from a remote antiquity, though many of them were false, and many of a trifling character, it is reasonable to presume that some of them were true and were of importance. No man can prove that the one before us is not of that character; no one can show that an inspired writer might not be led to make the selection of a true prophecy from a mass of traditions; and as the prophecy before us is one that would be every way worthy of a prophet, and worthy to be preserved, its quotation furnishes no argument against the inspiration of Jude. There is no clear evidence that he quoted it from any book extant in his time.
There is, indeed, now an apocryphal writing called the Book of Enoch, containing a prediction strongly resembling this, but there is no certain proof that it existed so early as the time of Jude, nor, if it did, is it absolutely certain that he quoted from it. Both Jude and the author of that book may have quoted a common tradition of their time, for there can be no doubt that the passage referred to was handed down by tradition. The passage as found in the Book of Enoch is in these words: Behold he comes with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon them, and destroy the wicked, and reprove all the carnal, for everything which the sinful and ungodly have done and committed against him, chapter ii. Bib. Repository, vol. xv. p. 86. If the Book of Enoch was written after the time of Jude, it is natural to suppose that the prophecy referred to by him, and handed down by tradition, would be inserted in it. This book was discovered in an AEthiopic version, and was published with a translation by Dr. Laurence of Oxford, in 1821, and republished in 1832. A full account of it and its contents may be seen in an article by Prof. Stuart in the Bib. Repository for January 1840, pp. 86-137.
The Lord cometh – That is, the Lord will come. See the notes at 1Co 16:22. It would seem from this to have been an early doctrine that the Lord would descend to the earth for judgment.
With ten thousand of his saints – Or, of his holy ones. The word saints we now apply commonly to redeemed saints, or to Christians. The original word is, however, applicable to all who are holy, angels as well as men. The common representation in the Scriptures is, that he would come attended by the angels Mat 25:31, and there is doubtless allusion here to such beings. It is a common representation in the Old Testament also that God, when he manifests himself, is accompanied by great numbers of heavenly beings. See Psa 68:17; Deu 33:2.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Jud 1:14-15
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh.
Enoch, the herald of judgment
The first thing to be considered is, where or whence St. Jude obtained this prediction of Enoch–whether from immediate revelation, or from tradition, or from some book then extant in the Church. There is indeed an apocryphal book, The Book of Enoch, which appears to have been often used by the early Fathers, and to have acquired a great celebrity in the first days of Christianity. For centuries this book was supposed to have been lost, and our only knowledge of it was derived from quotations in other writings. An Ethiopic version was at length discovered in Ethiopia, and brought to England by the well-known traveller, Bruce. In this book there are passages which answer very nearly to the prophecy recorded by St. Jude. It has therefore been a common supposition that the apostle derived from this book the prediction which he ascribes to the patriarch. But the likelihood is that the Book of Enoch was written after the Epistle of St. Jude, so that Jude could not have drawn the prophecy from the book; but, rather, the writer of the book inserted in it the prophecy that he might give to his forgery the appearance of truth. We may believe, therefore, that in all probability Jude was informed of the prediction by immediate revelation. But whatever the source whence the apostle derived it, we may be certain that the prophecy was actually delivered by Enoch. The prophecy may indeed have had a primary reference to the Flood; but it is evident, from the application of the prediction by St. Jude, that Enoch pointed at events, of which the Deluge and its accompaniments were but feeble types. We are expressly informed that Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years; so that whatever pre-eminence in piety was denoted by walking with God, it is evident that Enoch possessed it from early days, and retained it to the last. He is thus an instance alike of youthful conversion and uniform consistency. Neither was he content, whilst having his conversation in heaven, to allow the wickedness of others to pass unrebuked. Here it is that his prophetic character comes in, and when you couple his preaching with his own translation, you may perceive that, by and through him, was information given to an antediluvian world on points which many have supposed left in impenetrable obscurity. These points are those of a future life, and a retributive economy, which shall decide mens portions in another state of being. Thus was Enoch to the antediluvian world what Elijah was to those who lived beneath the law–a mighty demonstration of another state of being. Who had a right to question that the soul perished not with the body–nay, that even the body was not to lie for ever in the dust, when a patriarch had departed from the world, yielding not to death, and asking not a sepulchre? Already must Christ have virtually accomplished the prophecy, though it had not yet been delivered–Oh! death, I will be thy plague; oh, grave, I will be thy destruction. Already must He have opened the kingdom of heaven to believers, though He had not yet suffered their penalty, nor paid the price of their admission. It seems as though the whole scheme of redemption had been disclosed to mankind; yea, presented as already accomplished in what befel Enoch. The original curse was on body and soul; but when body and soul went up to glory there was given the most convincing demonstration that the curse would be counteracted, or, rather, that it was already removed. And now, if I would know how the gospel was preached to man, in its fulness, before the Flood, and would assure myself that those who perished in the Deluge, perished not without sufficient notice of redemption, and sufficient motive to the practice of piety, I turn my gaze on the ascending patriarch, and I feel that, as he stood upon the cloud and mounted heavenward, he proclaimed to the whole human family the reward of obedience in the restoration to immortality. And I need nothing further to convince me that, in the earliest days, as well as in later, men were instructed to expect eternal life through conformity to the known will of God. (H. Melvill, B. D.)
The judgment
1. Christs second coming is to judgment. When we frustrate the end of His coming as a Redeemer, we make way for the end of His coming as a Judge.
2. When Christ cometh to judgment, one great part of His work will be to convince sinners, and that openly, publicly.
3. Again observe, when Christ hath convinced, He will condemn, and when He hath condemned, He will execute.
4. From that of all their ungodly deeds, etc., observe that the process of the last day chiefly lieth against the ungodly. Ungodliness doth chiefly provoke; for the chiefest part of the law provideth for our duty to God. The dignity of every command is known by the order of it. Now, in the first place, godliness is required, and then righteousness, or a care of moral duties.
5. Once more observe, these ungodly men are the rather judged because they commit sin with an ungodly mind; for so it is in the text, ungodly deeds ungodly committed. A child of God may fall into wickedness, but he doth not commit it wickedly, with a full consent; men are not condemned for infirmities, but iniquities. A godly man doth not so much act sin as he suffereth by it. He doth not pour out his whole heart this way; there are constant dislikes in the soul, which are a restraint to him.
6. From the next clause, and their hard speeches, observe, not only the deeds of ungodly men, but their speeches are brought into judgment. Words do not perish with the breath with which they are uttered; no, they remain upon record, and we are to give an account of them at the last day (Mat 12:36; Jam 2:12).
7. Once more from thence observe, that of all speeches mens hard speeches shall be produced at the day of judgment. Now, what are these hard speeches? I answer–Either such as have anger in them (Pro 4:24); or such as have pride in them, or contempt of others, as when we lessen their abilities, insult over their miseries (Psa 69:26); or triumph over their failings. Again, such as have bitterness and malice in them, as calumnies and reproaches (Psa 64:3-4).
8. The next note is, that of all hard speeches those are the worst which do most directly reflect upon the honour and glory of Christ; for so it is in the text, hard speeches spoken against Him. Now, hard speeches against Christ are either blasphemies against either of His natures, or murmurings against His providence: Your words have been stout against Me (Mal 3:13). When we tax Providence, as if the Lord were blind, careless, unjust, or injurious in His dealings. So also when we speak against His ways, calling zeal fury, strictness a foolish preciseness, and godliness puritanism. O Christians! these hard speeches will cost dear, here or hereafter. (T. Manton.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 14. Enoch also, the seventh from Adam] He was the seventh patriarch, and is distinguished thus from Enoch, son of Cain, who was but the third from Adam; this appears plainly from the genealogy, 1Ch 1:1: Adams Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered, Henoch or Enoch, c. Of the book of Enoch, from which this prophecy is thought to have been taken, much has been said but as the work is apocryphal, and of no authority, I shall not burden my page with extracts. See the preface.
Perhaps the word , prophesied, means no more than preached, spoke, made declarations, c., concerning these things and persons for doubtless he reproved the ungodliness of his own times. It is certain that a book of Enoch was known in the earliest ages of the primitive Church, and is quoted by Origen and Tertullian; and is mentioned by St. Jerome in the Apostolical Constitutions, by Nicephorus, Athanasius, and probably by St. Augustine. See Suicer’s Thesaurus, vol. i., col. 1131. Such a work is still extant among the Abyssinians.
Ten thousand of his saints] This seems to be taken from Da 7:10.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam; either to distinguish him from Enoch the son of Cain, or to show the antiquity of the prophecy.
Prophesied; he doth not say wrote, and therefore from hence it cannot be proved that there was any such book as Enochs prophecies, received by the Jews as canonical Scripture; but rather some prophecy of his delivered to them by tradition, to which here the apostle refers, as a thing known among them; and so argues against these heretics from their own concession, as Jud 1:9. So here; q. d. These men own the prophecy of Enoch, that the Lord comes to judgment, &c., and they themselves are in the number of those ungodly ones, and they to whom the prophecy is to be applied.
Of these; not that he did directly and expressly prophesy of them in particular; but that his prophecy of the destruction of the world for the same kind of crimes whereof they were guilty, did reach them, and so he foretold what should befall them as well as others.
With ten thousand; innumerable multitudes; a definite for an indefinite.
Of his saints; holy angels, Mat 16:27; Dan 7:10; Zec 14:5; 2Th 1:7; Rev 5:11. Believers likewise may be here included, as attendants upon Christ when he comes to judgment.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Seeon Introduction on the source whence Jude derived this prophecy ofEnoch. The Holy Spirit, by Jude, has sealed the truth of this much ofthe matter contained in the book of Enoch, though probably that book,as well as Jude, derived it from tradition (compare Note,see on Jud1:9).There are reasons given by some for thinking the book of Enoch copiedfrom Jude rather than vice versa. It is striking how, from the first,prophecy hastened towards its consummation. The earliest propheciesof the Redeemer dwell on His second coming in glory, rather than Hisfirst coming in lowliness (compare Gen3:15with Rom16:20).Enoch, in his translation without death, illustrated that truth whichhe all his life preached to the unbelieving world, the certainty ofthe Lords coming, and the resurrection of the dead, as the onlyeffectual antidote to their skepticism and self-wise confidence innatures permanence.
AndEnoch Greek,Moreover, also Enoch, etc.
seventhfrom Adam Sevenis the sacred number. In Enoch, freedom from death and the sacrednumber are combined: for every seventh object is most highly valued.Jude thus shows the antiquity of the prophecies. Compare Note,see on Jud1:4,of old. There were only fivefathers between Enoch and Adam. The seventhfrom Adam prophesied the things which shall close the seventhage ofthe world [Bengel].
ofthese in relation to these. The reference of his prophecies was not tothe antediluvians alone, but to allthe ungodly (Jud1:15).His prophecy applied primarily indeed to the flood, but ultimately tothe final judgment.
cometh literally, came. Prophecy regards the future as certain asif it were past.
saints Holy angels (compare Deu33:2;Dan7:10;Zec14:5;Mat25:31;Heb12:22).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam,…. This was Enoch the son of Jared; his name signifies one “instructed”, or “trained up”; as he doubtless was by his father, in the true religion, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and was one that had much communion with God; he walked with him, and was translated by him, body and soul, to heaven, and did not see death; Ge 5:18; he is said to be “the seventh from Adam”; not the seventh man from him that was born into the world, for there were no doubt thousands born before him; but he was, as the Jews express it f, , “the seventh generation” from him; and they have an observation g, that all sevenths are always beloved by God; the seventh in lands, and the seventh in generations; Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, as it is written, Ge 5:24; and this is said partly to distinguish him from others of the same name, and particularly from Enoch the son of Cain, the third: from Adam in his line, as this was the seventh from Adam in the line of Seth; and partly to observe the antiquity of the following prophecy of his: for it is said, he
prophesied of these; of these false teachers, and such as they; what would be their sad state and condition at the second coming of Christ to judgment: that he had a spirit of prophecy is evident from the name he gave to his son Methuselah, which signifies, “when he dies is the emission”, or the sending out of the waters of the flood, which came to pass the very year he did die. The Arabic writers h call him Edris the prophet; and the Jews say i, that he was in a higher degree than Moses or Elias; they also call k him Metatron, the great scribe, a name which they sometimes give to the angel that went before the children of Israel in the wilderness, and which seems to belong to the Messiah: that Enoch wrote a prophecy, and left it behind him in writing, does not appear from hence, or elsewhere; the Jews, in some of their writings, do cite and make mention of the book of Enoch; and there is a fragment now which bears his name, but is a spurious piece, and has nothing like this prophecy in it; wherefore Jude took this not from a book called the “Apocalypse of Enoch”, but from tradition; this prophecy being handed down from age to age; and was in full credit with the Jews, and therefore the apostle very appropriately produces it; or rather he had it by divine inspiration, and is as follows:
saying, behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints; by the “Lord” is meant the Lord Jesus Christ, who is ordained the Judge of quick and dead, and for which he is richly qualified, being omniscient and omnipotent, and faithful and righteous, and who will certainly come again to judge the world in righteousness; for not of his first coming, which was not to judge and condemn, but to seek and save, but of his second coming at the last day is this to be understood; and this is expressed in the present tense, “cometh”, in the manner of the prophets, who speak of things future as if they already were, as Isaiah does of the incarnation, sufferings, and death of Christ, and to awaken the attention of persons to it, as if it was near at hand, as also to signify the certainty of it: and when he comes, he will be attended “with ten thousand of his saints”: meaning either the souls of glorified saints, even all of them, 1Th 3:13, which will come with Christ, and meet the living ones, and be reunited to their own bodies, which will then be raised; or else the holy angels, as in De 33:2; and so some copies and the Arabic version read; which will be both for the showing forth of his glory and majesty, and for service in gathering his elect together, as well as for terror to the wicked; and a “behold” is prefixed to all this, to denote the certainty of Christ’s coming, and the importance and wonderfulness of it: the ends of his coming follow.
f Juchasin, fol. 5. 2. Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 1. fol. 5. 1. g Vajikra Rabba, sect. 29. fol. 170. 1. h Elmacinus, p. 10. apud Hottinger. Smegma Orient. p. 240. i Shalshelet Hakabala, fol. 1, 2. k Targum Jon. in Gen. v. 24. Tosephot in T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 16. 2. Juchasin, fol. 5. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And to these also ( ). Dative case, for these false teachers as well as for his contemporaries.
Enoch the seventh from Adam ( H). The genealogical order occurs in Ge 5:4-20, with Enoch as seventh. He is so termed in Enoch 60:8; 93:3.
Prophesied (). First aorist active indicative of . If the word is given its ordinary meaning as in 1Pe 1:10, then Jude terms the Book of Enoch an inspired book. The words quoted are “a combination of passages from Enoch” (Bigg), chiefly from Enoch 1:9.
With ten thousand of his holy ones ( ). “With ( of accompaniment, Lu 14:31) his holy ten thousands” ( regular word, feminine gender, for ten thousand, Ac 19:19, there an unlimited number like our myriads, Lu 12:1).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Enoch prophesied. This is the second of the apocryphal passages referred to in notes on ver. 9. It is quoted from the apocryphal book of Enoch, directly, or from a tradition based upon it. The passage in Enoch is as follows : “Behold he comes with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon them, and to destroy the wicked, and to strive (at law) with all the carnal for everything which the sinful and ungodly have done and committed against him.” The Book of Enoch, which was known to the fathers of the second century, was lost for some centuries with the exception of a few fragments, and was found entire in a copy of the Ethiopic Bible, in 1773, by Bruce. It became known to modern students through a translation from this into English by Archbishop Lawrence, in 1821. It was probably written in Hebrew. It consists of revelations purporting to have been given to Enoch and Noah, and its object is to vindicate the ways of divine providence, to set forth the retribution reserved for sinners, angelic or human, and “to repeat in every form the great principle that the world – natural, moral, and spiritual – is under the immediate government of God.” Besides an introduction it embraces five parts :
1. A narrative of the fall of the angels, and of a tour of Enoch in company with an angel through heaven and earth, and of the mysteries seen by him.
2. Parables concerning the kingdom of God, the Messiah, and the Messianic future.
3. Astronomical and physical matter; attempting to reduce the images of the Old Testament to a physical system.
4. Two visions, representing symbolically the history of the world to the Messianic completion.
5. Exhortations of Enoch to Methuselah and his descendants. The book shows no Christian influence, is highly moral in tone, and imitates the Old Testament myths.
With ten thousands of his saints (ejn ajgiaiv muriasin). Lit., in or among holy myriads. Compare Deu 33:2; Zec 14:5.
Ungodly [] – ungodly deeds (ergwn ajsebeiav, lit., works of ungodliness) which they have ungodly committed [] , and of all their hard speeches which ungodly [] sinners, etc. The evident play upon the word ungodly can be rendered but clumsily into English. Rev., translates, All the ungodly, of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. The words ungodly sinners are placed in an unusual position, at the end of the sentence, for emphasis; ungodliness being the key – note of the writer’s thought.
Hard [ ] . Speeches is supplied. Lit., hard things. So Rev. The railing, gainsaying; the profane and vain babblings (2Ti 2:16). Compare Joh 6:60, a hard saying, where the word means not abusive but difficult. In Jas 3:4, rough, used of the winds. In Act 26:14, of Saul of Tarsus; “hard to kick against the pricks.”
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam” -The Enoch who was translated, 7th generation of the Godly human family from Adam, “also” prophesied of God’s decreed judgment against demon-led men who rebelled against God, God’s people, and God’s ways Gen 5:21-24; Heb 11:5.
2) “Prophesied of these” foretold the demonish deeds, powers, behaviour and doom of fallen angels in leading men to oppose the people of God and the work of God.
3) “Saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints”. This prophecy of Enoch envisioned and foretold that time of our Lord’s return to the earth with his saints, to begin consummating judgment, the final roundup of the wandering, fallen stars, when they shall be turned into hell, the Lake of fire and brimstone, Rev 20:7-10.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
14. And Enoch also. I rather think that this prophecy was unwritten, than that it was taken from an apocryphal book; for it may have been delivered down by memory to posterity by the ancients. (197) Were any one to ask, that since similar sentences occur in many parts of Scripture, why did he not quote a testimony written by one of the prophets? the answer is obvious, that he wished to repeat from the oldest antiquity what the Spirit had pronounced respecting them: and this is what the words intimate; for he says expressly that he was the seventh from Adam, in order to commend the antiquity of the prophecy, because it existed in the world before the flood.
But I have said that this prophecy was known to the Jews by being reported; but if any one thinks otherwise, I will not contend with him, nor, indeed, respecting the epistle itself, whether it be that of Jude or of some other. In things doubtful, I only follow what seems probable.
Behold, the Lord cometh, or came. The past tense, after the manner of the prophets, is used for the future. He says, that the Lord would come with ten thousand of his saints; (198) and by saints he means the faithful as well as angels; for both will adorn the tribunal of Christ, when he shall descend to judge the world. He says, ten thousand, as Daniel also mentions myriads of angels, (Dan 7:10😉 in order that, the multitude of the ungodly may not, like a violent sea, overwhelm the children of God; but that they may think of this, that the Lord will sometime collect his own people, a part of whom are dwelling in heaven, unseen by us, and a part are hid under a great mass of chaff.
(197) This is the most common opinion. There is no evidence of such a book being known for some time after this epistle was written; and the book so called was probably a forgery, occasioned by this reference to Enoch’s prophecy. See Macknight ’ s Preface to this Epistle. Until of late, it was supposed to be lost; but in 1821, the late Archbishop Laurence, having found an Ethiopia version of it, published it with a translation. — Ed.
(198) Literally, “with his holy myriads.” — Ed
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
TEACHING ON APOSTASY FROM OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY
Jud. 1:14-16
Text
14.
And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones.
15.
to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16.
These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth Speaketh great swelling words), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage.
Queries
75.
There were only five patriarchs between Adam and Enoch. How could Enoch be called the seventh from Adam?
76.
Who, probably, are the holy ones referred to in verse fourteen?
77.
Is there any other place in the scripture where it is said that the Lord will come to judge the ungodly? Can you find some of them?
78.
What in Jud. 1:16 might tempt a person to show respect of persons?
79.
Why would a person who was living to please himself more likely be a murmurer and complainer than one who lived to please God and others?
80.
Does our murmuring and complaining reveal anything about whom we love first of all? What?
Paraphrases
A. 14.
Enoch, of the seventh generation counting from Adam, prophesied telling how the Lord would come with ten thousand times ten thousand holy ones to sit in judgment at his court.
15.
These will establish the guilt of the ungodly deeds performed by all the ungodly ones, and bring sentence because of all the evil things spoken against the Lord.
16.
This includes these libertines who are so wrapped up in their own fleshly desires they complain continually. In their murmurings they speak arrogantly, giving special favours to those who can and will feed their vain desires.
B.*14.
Enoch, who lived long ago soon after Adam, knew about these men and said this about them: See, the Lord is going to come with millions of His people;
15.
He will bring the people of the world before Him in judgment, to receive just punishment, and to prove the terrible things they have done in rebellion against God, revealing all they have said against Him.
16.
These men are constant gripers, never satisfied, doing whatever evil they feel like; they are, loud-mouthed show-offs, and when they show respect for others, it is only to get something from them in return.
Summary
The patriarch Enoch told how God would bring judgment upon all evil deeds, including these apostates within the church.
Comment
Jud. 1:14-15 are considered to be difficult because there is no recorded prophecy of Enoch saying these things in the scripture. The apocryphal book of Enoch does ascribe similar passages as being prophesied by Enoch. Again, the comments on Jud. 1:9 also applies here. There is no need to insist that Jude copied from Enoch, The fact that Jude does include the reference as fact, so establishes it. By the Holy Spirit Jude knew this to be fact, whether or not he was familiar with a similar statement in the book of Enoch.
The information that Jude here gives establishes one additional fact we would not otherwise have from the scriptures: That Enoch himself made these prophesies. The prophesies are contained elsewhere in the scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments. Daniel says a thousand thousand served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. (Dan. 7:10) Zechariah says Then the Lord your God will come, and all the holy ones with him. (Zec. 14:5) Such references also may be located in the book of Revelation.
The Jewish method of counting included the first and last figure. Thus Jesus was said to have been in the grave three days, counting the day He was buried and the day He arose. By the time a child reached the age of one year and one day (as we would say it), the Jews would call the child age two. Likewise, in counting generations the first and last generations were counted. So it was that Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam, counting both Adam and Enoch.
The prophesy is given to verify the fact of the judgment to come. The language of prophecy is often from the viewpoint of God: as good as accomplished! Such is the case here. The Lord came with ten thousand of his holy ones. Holy ones is correct rather than the saints of the King James. Angels are included among Gods holy ones, and the reference here could well be to angels. The figure ten thousand is a common figure to denote a very great number. Sometimes the expression a thousand thousands or ten thousand times ten thousand is used.
The purpose to do judgment is the same expression used in Joh. 5:27.
The spiritual gift of discerning of spirits gave the Corinthian church the ability to make manifest the secrets of the heart of the unbelieving prophet. He stood reproved by all and judged by all. (1Co. 14:24-25). In that last day when the Lord shall come the second time, the ungodly shall be manifest and his wicked deeds laid bare in their true colors. The ungodly life in which they wallowed is not a mistake, nor a stumbling sin. It is a chosen way of vileness and deceit. Their wickedness is well-pleasing to them; and if it were not for the wages there would be no regret.
Their hard speeches, like Lamech (Gen. 4:15), are uttered in defiance against God. This is comparable to the ungodly men of 1Pe. 4:4, who speak irreverently of God or against believers.
Verse sixteen does not let these present ungodly men escape the judgment predicted. These are the ones who murmur and complain because they think only of pleasing themselves. These are the ones who speak great swelling words against God and against Gods people. These are the ones who show partiality because of personal profit expected. They refuse to submit where it is rightful they should, and they do submit where personal gain may be obtained. Their flattery (admiration of faces, literally) is soon found out, for when there is no personal profit to them the admiration is suddenly gone. Their lives are strewn with great havoc and hatred for they make merchandise of many. (Rom. 16:18 and 2Pe. 2:3). They will even feign repentance for the sake of personal gain.
The sincere Christian who knows such a one hates himself for the knowing. He knows the smile for its insincerity, and when he sees the smile he can only expect to be immediately used. A hatred for the evil and a distrust of the person is the only end of knowing such a one. A sincere saint does not relish this ever-present evil and necessary distrust. So it is that misery dogs those who cross the path of these insincere flatterers who are partial for the sake of advantage.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
14. Prophesied This word stands, in the Greek, with its particle but, the first word of the sentence; the place of emphasis. The emphasis implies that not only were these characters typified by the above-named very ancient examples, but they were prophesied of by a most ancient holy seer. Also, in the English, seems by its position to mean that Enoch, in addition to others, so prophesied; whereas it really means, that prophecy was by him added to the above types. Read, But prophesied, also, in regard to these, the seventh one from Adam, Enoch.
Seventh Including both Adam and Enoch, there were seven persons in line. There is a week, usually of days; also sometimes, a week of things; and here, a week of persons, with holy Enoch, for its holy sabbath. “The number seven was esteemed, in the ancient world, as an important signature pointing to the sacred and mystery. The fact that after sin and death had freely exerted their unhappy power during the first six generations, in the seventh generation mankind appeared in the person of one man in a state of high completeness and blessed freedom from death, has a kind of prophetico-symbolical significance, and intimates that mankind in general, after having fully completed its course and fought its battle under the oppression of sin and death, through six long world-periods, shall appear in the seventh world-period in a state of high completeness, in a more divine life and more blessed freedom from death. The seventh world-period is the kingdom of God on earth. To Adam, the first, was revealed and promised the appearance and advent of the Lord, as a Helper and Saviour; to Enoch, the seventh from Adam, was revealed the last advent of the same Lord, Helper, and Saviour as a Judge and Avenger, and he was the first prophet who spoke and taught this among men.” Wordsworth.
Of these The wickedness of these men placed them within the comprehension of Enoch’s prophecy. They put themselves into the class of characters for all whom the predictions were truly intended. Through long ages the prediction extended so as to reach them; and even to reach all such impenitent transgressors, from Enoch to the present day and to the second coming of Christ.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have wrought in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’
Jude now cites a passage from 1 Enoch which appears to him very apt, while interpreting it to suit his purpose. ‘The seventh from Adam’ is the way that Enoch is described in the book (1 Enoch 60:8). The fact that Enoch is said to ‘prophesy’ need only indicate that he sees that these particular words are to be seen as reliable, for elsewhere we learn that God can bring such true prophecy from strange sources. Compare Joh 11:51 where the High Priest was hardly to be seen as a normal inspired source. It was simply some particular words that were seen as ‘inspired’. Jude was also very familiar with Christian prophets whose words had to be judged for their truth and accuracy (1Co 14:29). They were not treated as having the accuracy of Scripture, but could be cited if they were true and relevant. So there are no grounds for suggesting that he necessarily saw 1 Enoch as Scripture. He just recognised the particular excerpt as ‘inspired’.
The quotation describes the Lord’s coming, along with the heavenly hosts, in order to execute judgment on all, and especially the ungodly. The quotation must have seemed very apt to him because of its emphasis on ungodliness in the light of judgment. And he knew that it accorded with words of Jesus (Mat 16:27; Mat 24:30-31; Mat 25:31). Note that ungodliness is continually stressed by Enoch. ‘To convict all the ungodly of their works of ungodliness, which they have wrought in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoke against Him.’ In Jude’s eyes this aptly fitted these ungodly persons. All that they did, even any good works that they performed, were in the end ungodly, because of their motives and attitudes.
‘To execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly —.’ He has come to pass sentence on the ungodly as the One Who has been appointed as the Judge of all men (Joh 5:22; Joh 5:27; Mat 13:41-43; Mat 25:31-46; Rev 14:14-20; Rev 20:11-15). For ‘all their works of ungodliness’ compare Rev 20:12-13.
And so these ungodly people will finally get their deserts, and will be forced to admit that they had been in the wrong. Note the irony of the fact that The One Whom they had diminished, and the angels against whom they had railed, will be the final arbiters of their judgment.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
God’s coming judgment upon the false teachers:
v. 14. And Enoch also, the seventh. from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with. ten thousands of His saints
v. 15. to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.
v. 16. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great, swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. The apostle here introduces a quotation: But there prophesied also for these the seventh from Adam, Enoch, saying, Behold, the Lord came with myriad saints to execute judgment upon all and to convict all the godless of all their works of godlessness which they godlessly committed, and of all their violent speeches which the godless sinners spoke against Him. Note the repetition of the same word, godlessness, ungodliness, impiousness, since the apostle aims to drive home the heinousness of the transgression. His quotation, ascribed by himself to Enoch, the seventh patriarch in line from Adam, may without hesitation be considered as having been taken from the apocryphal Book of Enoch; for the possibility of the Lord’s having acknowledged a fact recorded in an apocryphal book is not excluded. Still it may also have been transmitted to the apostles in some other manner, very likely by the Lord Himself, in one of His discourses on the end of the world, Mat 24:3-26; Luk 21:5-36. At such a time Jude also was told what Enoch had prophesied concerning the Deluge and the Last Judgment. With myriads of holy ones, angels, Heb 12:22; Mat 25:31, the Lord will return on the last day. All men will then have to appear before His judgment seat to render an account of all that they committed in this life, Rom 14:10-12. Then will the unbelievers and all those that did not really accept Christ and cling to Him in faith be convicted of their lack of belief, as shown in their works of ungodliness and in the proud and hard words which they spoke against the great God. In the case of the unbelievers, not only of those professedly so, but also of the hypocrites, every evil word and every wicked work are charged against them, and they will have to bear the punishment of all their guilt.
That the apostle applies the entire prophecy of Enoch to the false prophets against whom he is issuing his warning is evident from the next words: These are discontented murmurers, walking according to their own desires, and their mouth speaks arrogant things, flatterers to men’s faces for the sake of advantage. These characteristics are found in many false teachers even today. They are always grumbling and murmuring and complaining, discontented with God and the world, always bemoaning their fate. And yet they desire to walk only after their own lusts and desires, the satisfaction of their carnal appetites being the highest aim of their existence. The false teachers also were noted for their boastfulness, for their arrogant praise of themselves, of their own abilities and accomplishments. But when it suited their purpose and they hoped to have some advantage for themselves, no one could have excelled them in the abjectness of their flattery to the faces of men. “All the flatterers of the rich are of this kind; and especially those who profess to be ministers of the Gospel, and who, for the sake of a more advantageous settlement or living will soothe the rich even in their sins’. ” (Clarke.)
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Jud 1:14. And Enochthe seventh from Adam, &c. Enoch is called the seventh from Adam, to distinguish him from another of the same name, who was the son of Cain, Gen 4:17. A remarkable fragment of antediluvian history is here preserved to us. Our translation has it, Enochprophesied of these. In the old English version it is, Enochprophesied before of such. Blackwell takes notice that the words may be translated, He prophesied against them; but the word , with a dative case after it, signifies to prophesy to: so that the Syriac and others have well translated the words, but Enoch prophesied also unto these men. He prophesied immediately unto the men of his own age, who were abandoned to violence and lust; and foretold, that if they did not repent, God would bring on the flood, and overtake them with his righteous judgments, both temporal and eternal. But there was no occasion for confining the benefit of his prophesy to his own age. The , even or also, here, is emphatical; he prophesied ALSO unto these Christians, so called, or said what they might improve to their own advantage, if they pleased. See Rom 15:4. Here we may see in what sense they were said to have been described beforehand, Jud 1:4 as persons who would fall under condemnation; for in the punishment of sinners of former times, they might have read their own doom.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jud 1:14-15 . The threatening contained in the preceding verses is confirmed by a saying of Enoch.
] refers either to : “of these as well as of others;” according to Hofmann, of those who perished in the deluge; or it is designed to render prominent . in reference to what has been before said: “yea, Enoch also has prophesied of them.” Hofmann, in an entirely unwarrantable manner, maintains that there can be no question that puts its emphasis on the word before which it stands.
generally with here construed with the dative, as in Luk 18:31 , in reference to these .
] has hardly here the mystical meaning which Stier gives it: “The seventh from Adam is personally a type of the sanctified of the seventh age of the world, of the seventh millennium, of the great earth Sabbath.” Also in the Book of Enoch, he is several times expressly designated as “the seventh from Adam” (60:8, 93:3); not in order to characterize him as the oldest prophet (Calvin, de Wette, and others), but to mark his importance by the coincidence of the sacred number seven (Wiesinger, Schott). The saying of Enoch here quoted is found, partly verbally, at the beginning of the Book of Enoch (Jud 1:9 ): “And behold He comes with myriads of saints to execute judgment on them, and He will destroy the ungodly and judge all flesh concerning all things which the sinners and ungodly have committed and done against Him.” [41] These words are taken from a speech in which an angel interprets a vision which Enoch has seen, and in which he announces to him the future judgment of God.
[41] The passage thus stands in de Sacy’s version: et venit cum myriadibus sanctorum, ut faciat judicium super eos et perdat impios et litigat cum omnibus carnalibus pro omnibus quae fecerunt et operati sunt contra eum peccatores et impii.
The question, from what source Jude has drawn these words, is very differently answered by expositors. It is most natural to conceive that he has taken them from the Book of Enoch; but then this presupposes that this book, although only according to its groundwork, is of pre-Christian Jewish, and not of Jewish Christian origin, which is also the prevailing opinion of recent critics. Hofmann, who denies the pre-Christian composition of the book, says: “Jude has derived it, in a similar manner as the incident between Michael and Satan, from a circle of myths, which has attached itself to Scripture, amplifying its words.” Yet, on the other hand, it is to be observed that it is difficult to conceive that oral tradition should preserve such an entire prophetic saying. F. Philippi thinks that Enoch in Gen 5:22 is characterized as a prophet of God, and as such prophesied of the impending deluge; and that Jude, by reason of a deeper understanding of Gen 5 , could add the exposition already become traditionary, and speak of a prophecy of Enoch, the reality of which was confirmed to him by the testimony of the Holy Ghost ; or that this prophecy of Enoch was imparted to the disciples by Christ Himself, when the already extant tradition concerning Enoch might have afforded them occasion to ask the Lord about Enoch, perhaps when he was engaged in delivering His eschatological discourses. But both opinions of Philippi evidently rest on suppositions which are by no means probable. As an example of the method by which the older expositors sought to rescue the authenticity of the prophecy, let the exposition of Hornejus suffice: haec quae Judas citat, ab Enocho ita divinitus prophetata esse, dubium non est; sive prophetiam illam ipse alicubi scripsit et scriptura ilia vel per Noam ejus pronepotem in arca, vel in columna aliqua tempore diluvii conservata fuit sive memoria ejus traditione ad posteros propagata, quam postea apocrypho et fabulosa illi libro autor ejus inseruerit, ut totum Enochus scripsisse videretur.
] comp. Zec 14:5 ; Deu 33:2 ; Heb 12:22 ; ( ) Rev 5:11 .
Jud 1:15 . ] see Gen 18:25 ; Joh 5:27 .
] The pronoun , according to the Rec. , would refer to the people of Israel.
] the same verb in Zep 3:11 ; 2Pe 2:6 ; here used as transitive; comp. Winer, p. 209 [E. T. 279]. The frequent repetition of the same idea is to be observed: , , , and finally again ; a strong intensification of ungodliness.
] , literally, dry, hard, rough; here in an ethical sense, ungodly , not equivalent to surly (Hofmann); in a somewhat different sense, but likewise of sayings, the word is used in Joh 6:60 .
] is by Hofmann in an unnecessary manner attached not only to , but also to , in spite of Zep 3:11 , where it is directly connected with , which is not here the case. The sentence emphatically closes with , which is not, with Hofmann, to be attracted to what follows.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
I include the whole of this awful portrait, though made up of different characters, under one view, because they all form but one and the same picture; and all come under one and the same condemnation. We shall do well, under God the Spirit’s teaching, to look both at their persons, and their features, and mark them one by one.
First. They are said to have been certain men, which had crept in unawares. By which we learn that the Apostle is not speaking of men of the world among the infidels, who totally disown Christ; but certain men, which had crept into the professing Church; and therefore acknowledged him. Paul had foretold of such apostates, (Act 20:29-30 ) and Peter had drawn somewhat more fully their characters. (2Pe 2:13 ) But Jude had lived to see some of them, in his day, as actually come into the professing Church; and, consequently, he foresaw swarms would follow. And I admire the expression, “they had crept in unawares.” For, as the faithful in the congregations, in those times, no more than in ours, had the faculty of discerning spirits, or of reading hearts, such false professors had got in, and been found among them: but then they crept in. Serpent-like, they had wormed themselves in, by wriggling: and, as Satan transformed himself into an angel of light, the more successfully to deceive; so those his ministers, for a while, appeared in form, as the ministers of righteousness, in a pretended love for Christ before the people. (2Co 11:14-15 )
What a mercy is it in all ages of the Church, that the child of God, in whose heart a saving work of grace, by regeneration is wrought, hath this grand consolation for himself, amidst all the coverings of men, the Lord knoweth them that are his! (2Ti 2:19 ) And it is an additional mercy, when, in proof of this, the child of God desires to be tried, and examined, and brought to the test, for the knowledge of himself, and his real character. And, fearing he may be tempted, from self-love, to judge too favorably of himself on this great point of decision, from the judgment of man, he flies to the scrutiny of God. ‘Try me, O God, and seek the ground of my heart; prove me, and examine my thoughts; look if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!’. (Psa 139:23-24 ) Here is a standard no hypocrite will have recourse to! This is a fire, and which no tinsel of unregenerated men can bear.
Secondly. Those certain men, which, the Apostle saith, had crept in unawares, appear to have been somewhat more than mere professors of the Gospel, among the people. It should seem, from the mention of certain characters, to whom they are compared, that they were the Korahs and Balaams of their day; famous in the congregations, men of renown! See Num 16 and Num 22 . They blazed like comets for a while, and like wandering stars, as Jude calls them, they soon went out, “to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” Hence, those strong expressions, as descriptive of their real character. “Clouds without water, carried about of winds.” No grace of God in their heart. No work of regeneration upon their soul. A noisy profession only of a name to live, while virtually dead before God. Yea, twice dead; dead in the original state of nature, in the Adam-fall transgression in which they were born, and under the sentence of the second death, from having no part in the first resurrection. Observe the expression! Certain men: and of old ordained to this condemnation! (Rev 20:6 )
Thirdly. The Apostle hath drawn the outlines of their profession and practice. “Ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” I pray the reader to observe with me that here are no charges of immorality. Had their lives been notorious, for any breaches of the moral law, surely it would have been said. Moreover, as they had crept in unawares into the Church, had their conduct been notoriously corrupt, in any flagrant acts of licentiousness, they would soon have been discovered and turned out. But they are called ungodly men; by which term, it should seem that their conduct was directly leveled against the truths of God. And indeed, the Apostle adds: “Turning the grace of God into lasciviousness.” By which, I apprehend, they presumed to charge the free grace of God, which bringeth salvation, with leading to lasciviousness; as if that grace countenanced evil; and that glorious plan, of God’s own contriving, in pardoning freely, fully, and completely, the sinner, on the sole account of Jesus’s blood and righteousness, was (as modern enemies to the free-grace salvation of Jesus have charged the same), opening the flood-gates of sin. This seems to have been their ungodliness, and for which they are condemned, as ungodly men. And, it yet appears the more probable, because it is added, that their turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, was also accompanied with denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. How could they be said to deny the only Lord God, but in denying his free grace? They could not be supposed to deny his Being. They could not, while they made a profession in the Church of Christ, either deny the Being of God, or the Being of Christ. But they indeed virtually denied both, if like certain modern professors of Christianity, they denied the only Lord God, as existing in a threefold character of Person; and denied our Lord Jesus Christ in his Godhead, and in the efficacy of his blood and righteousness.
Reader! look at this Scripture in every way and direction in which it can be placed, and look for grace from the Almighty Author of inspiration, to have a right understanding of it. And then ask your own heart, what was Jude directed by the Holy Ghost to give all diligence to write to the Church of the common salvation, unless to have guarded the minds of the faithful against the creeping in of such certain men as are here described? What faith but the faith of God’s elect, in God the Father’s everlasting love, and God the Son’s complete, and finished salvation, could the Apostle mean, when he exhorted the Church, “earnestly to contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints?”
Fourthly. The judgments which are here threatened to such characters, bear an exact correspondence to the conduct, as I have described, under the former observation. When the Lord cometh, with ten thousand of his saints; he is said to come, to convince all that are ungodly among them. (Mark here are the same characters as before called ungodly men, Jud 1:4 ). And he is said to convince them, not only of their ungodly deed, but of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Who is this Lord, that is here said to come, but the Lord Jesus Christ? “For, the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.” And the reason is immediately subjoined. “That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father”. (Joh 5:22-23 ) And all the parts of Scripture which describe the day of judgment, speak of Christ the Son of God, as the Judge in that day. (Mat 25:31-32 ; Act 10:42 ; 2Th 1:7-10 ) And who is to convince these men of their ungodly deeds, and ungodly speeches, but He, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, and who, as the Holy Ghost by Paul saith, shall judge the quick and the dead, at his appearing and his kingdom? (2Ti 4:1 ) And who is this Him, which they are here said to have spoken all their hard speeches against, but the Lord Jesus Christ?
Reader! ponder well the subject. Look at it again and again. Beg for light from above, to shine upon this solemn Scripture, and to shine in your heart. Then look at the world, yea, the professing world, as it now is. Hear the hard speeches spoken daily against Christ, and by certain men, crept in unawares into the professing Church, and by a misnomer, calling themselves Christians. They deny his Godhead, deny the efficacy of his atonement, deny the merit of his blood and righteousness, and would fain reduce him to the level of a mere man, like themselves! Can your imagination conceive anything more suitable, between the sin and the punishment here foretold to all such characters, than when Jesus shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him, and by the overwhelming brightness of his Person, shall convince and confound, into everlasting paleness and horror, those awful men? Reader! do dwell upon the Apostle’s words, concerning this tremendous judgment! “To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all, of their hard speeches, ” which ungodly sinners have spoken against him: yea, against Him! Mark that!
Fifthly. There is one point more, which gives a satisfying account to the Church of God, respecting those men, in explaining the cause, wherefore, though they have crept in unawares into the Church, by profession, they are wholly void of the smallest possession, in respect to vital godliness; namely, they are sensual, having not the Spirit. Here is the discrimination of character which, in all ages, ever hath, and to the end of the world, ever must, and will mark the feature, “between the righteous and the wicked; between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not”. (Mal 3:18 ) Hence, all we read in this Epistle, yea, and all we read in the other parts of God’s holy Word, concerning men who are sensual, having not the Spirit; that is, who remain in the old Adam-nature of sensual corruptions, unawakened, unregenerated, and never quickened into a new and spiritual life by the Holy Ghost, is in exact correspondence to what might be expected. They “speak evil of those things which they know not; but what they know naturally as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. They have gone into the way of Cain; they have ran greedily after the error of Balaam, for reward; and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity. Their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration, because of advantage.” These are different descriptions, like so many shades in the painting; but all belong to one and the same character, of sensual men, who have not the Spirit: that is, all that are unregenerate. Not that all men while unregenerate, are like Cain, the first Deist the world ever had. For God’s children, while in nature, are so. Neither that all unregenerate men hire themselves out, as Balaam did, to curse God’s people, while conscious in his heart, that Israel was God’s people. Neither do all, that with unhallowed hands dare to enter the Priesthood, as Korah and his company, uncalled of God, perish, as they did, in the moment of their presumption. Neither do all unregenerate men, who mingle in the feasts of God’s people at his house, or at his table, though spots of defilement at those places bad enough; yet, neither injure the Lord’s people, nor benefit themselves. Neither do all unawakened professors bolster up the Pharisees they meet with in their places of worship, though too often compliments to men’s persons, whom they have in admiration are paid, it is to be feared at the expense of God’s saving truths. These different shades, are differently seen in different men; but they all belong to one family, and have, in this respect, the same family feature; namely, as Jude saith, they are all sensual, having not the Spirit!
Reader! pause once more, and ponder these things well. And observe, from the Lord’s teaching, as plain and luminous, as though written with a sun bean; that regeneration, or the new-birth, is the only criterion, and standard of character, before God. All the flaming professions in the world, all the seeming zeal, in compassing sea and land to make one proselyte; all the high pretensions, of more love than God himself, to convert all the earth, and to save whom God hath not saved; al the alms-giving, and alms-gathering, for the innumerable societies, to manifest their possessing the milk of human nature; yea, even the martyrdom of the body, where there is no regeneration of the soul; all these and every other, leave the professor just where nature found him, in the old Adam-nature of sin, unrenewed by the Holy Ghost, unwashed in the blood of Christ, unsanctified, and unchosen by the Father; and plainly demonstrate, from Scripture testimony, that they have no lot or part in the matter. So that, as I have more than once before observed, in this Poor Man’s Commentary, those five words of the Lord Jesus Christ, throw to the ground all pretensions void of spiritual life, and dash the hopes of all hypocrites: “Ye must be born again”. (Joh 3:7 )
Lastly, to add no more. What Jude begins with, in this awful account, the Church makes her first and last conclusion, in tracing the whole to its source; namely, the certain men the Apostle saith, which crept in unawares, under those several specious forms of character, were before of old ordained to this condemnation. This testimony to God’s sovereignty, so hateful to the sensual, who have not the Spirit, and so precious to the faithful, who know, by distinguishing grace, their adoption in Christ Jesus; places the whole truths of God upon their proper basis; and explains the subject, in all its different bearings, and in all the variety of circumstances, in which, through all ages, the grace of God hath appeared.
Reader! pause once more. If the Lord hath mercifully brought you into an acquaintance with the plague of your own heart, and if (as cannot then but be the sweet and precious testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus), your views of God’s sovereignty and your acquaintance with Christ, arising out of it, be in your own soul’s experience, look with astonishment at the distinguishing mercy, in partaking in the faith once delivered to the saints. Every child of God, in the present awful day, of a Christ despising generation, is a wonder to himself, as well as to many. He is a living witness for God; and oh! How ought he to esteem it his highest honor, to bear his loudest testimony to his holy Name; that though the day is not unlike the day of Elijah, yet God hath still reserved to himself thousands, that have not, and will not bow the knee to the image of Baal. “Even so now, ” (saith the Holy Ghost by the Apostle) “at this present time also, there is a remnant according to the election of grace”. (Rom 11:4-5 )
I do not think it necessary to dwell long on these several verses in this Epistle, which might be gratifying, in a way of curiosity, but are not immediately necessary to be known, in a way of salvation. Jude reminds the people, concerning the visible Church in Egypt. Though numbers of Israel after the flesh, which accompanied the people of God on their deliverance from Pharaoh, and thereby had all the advantages of a temporal salvation; yet, having no part nor lot in the matter, in the spiritual salvation by Christ, went no further, for their carcases fell in the wilderness. (Rom 9:6-7 ; Heb 3:16-19 ) And the angels, which kept not their first estate, not being elect angels, but left to the mutability of their own will, fell, and in that fall, were everlastingly condemned.
The Reader, in the view of this subject, if taught of God, will find subject for endless praise. For such is the unavoidable consequence of all created nature, whether in angels or men, that, if not preserved in Christ Jesus, must have been subject to fall. No one creature, either angel or man, being in their own nature secured from falling, unless kept by a power superior to their own. That power can only be the God-man Christ. Not as God only. For then there could be no standing in with God. And as man only, there would have been no omnipotency to have upheld. But as both, God and man in one Person, there is suitability to the glorious deed. And, therefore, both angel and man, in the election of grace, the former by dominion, and the latter by union, are elect and preserved. Oh! What cause there is, for unceasing thanksgiving and praise, for the remnant, according to the election of grace! And truly, we may say with the Prophet; “except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah”. (Isa 1:9 )
I have given my views, in my Poor Man’s Concordance, concerning the Archangel, and therefore shall not enlarge on the subject in this place. There can be but one Archangel, from the very name. Those who talk of Archangels, or Arks, seem to have forgotten the sense of words. And as we meet with the name Archangel but twice in the whole book of God, and both when speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, there can be but little question that it is him which is referred to, and that by way of office. He is called Prince, or Chief, in the prophecy of Daniel. (Dan 10:13 ; Dan 10:21 ) I would not presume to be wise above what is written, but, concerning the contention here spoken of, as no part of Scripture hath noticed it, I can say nothing of it with certainty. The chiefest feature in it to remark is, the Lord’s meekness. See Zec 3:1-2 .
Of Enoch’s prophecy, the Holy Ghost hath given no record. Perhaps it was not written, but oral. But the account here stated, is, perhaps, in correspondence with all the parts of Scripture which relate to Christ’s coming. By the seventh from Adam, is not meant the seventh person, for, doubtless, numbers both of sons and daughters were born to Adam, and his children, before Enoch was born. See Gen 5:4 and c. But, by the seventh from Adam, is meant the seventh generation, in the line of the Church, and which were Adam, Sheth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered, Enoch. (1Ch 1:1-2 )
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
14, 15 .] Prophecy of Enoch respecting them : see below. Yea, and ( are better taken together, applying to the whole sentence, than separated, joining with , “of these as well as of others,” for no other prophecies of Enoch are alluded to) of these ( is usually joined with : here and in ref. only ( ) with a dat. It is the dat. of reference, answering to , Mar 12:12 : see Winer, edn. 6, 31. 4) prophesied Enoch seventh from Adam (“ut vaticinii antiquitatem commendet,” Calv. Possibly also the fact of seven being the sacred number may have been in view, as Bengel: “mysterii non expers, in quo immunitas a morte et numerus sanctus concurrunt.” Cf. Wetstein’s note, in which several similar designations are quoted: e. g. Philo, Vit. Mos. i. 2, vol. ii. p. 81, alleges Moses to have been the seventh generation from Abraham. R. Berbai, on Num 25:12 , says, “Erat autem Phineas septima progenies a Jacobo patre nostro,” &c.), saying, Behold, the Lord (“Jam Henochi tempore nomen Jehovah notum erat,” Bengel) came (the historic tense of prophecy) among (in, as surrounded by) His holy myriads (of angels: cf. Deu 33:2 : Zec 14:5 , Heb 12:23 ), to execute judgment (reff.) upon all, and to convict all the impious concerning all their works of impiety which they impiously did, and concerning all the hard things which impious sinners spoke against Him . I have discussed in the prolegomena the question as to the source of this citation, and its relation to the present apocryphal book of Enoch. I will only here set down the passage as it at present stands in De Sacy’s version: “Et venit cum myriadibus sanctorum, ut faciat judicium super eos et perdat impios et litiget cum omnibus carnahbus pro omnibus qu fecerunt et operati sunt contra eum peccatores et impii.”
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Jud 1:14-16 . The Prophecy of Enoch . The ancient prophecy, to which reference has been already made, was intended for these men as well as for the prophet’s own contemporaries, where he says “The Lord appeared, encompassed by myriads of his holy ones, to execute justice upon all and to convict all the ungodly concerning all their ungodly works, and concerning all the hard things spoken against Him by ungodly sinners”. (Like them) these men are murmurers, complaining of their lot, slaves to their own carnal lusts, while they utter presumptuous words against God, and seek to ingratiate themselves with men for the sake of gain.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Jud 1:14 . . “It was for these also (as well as for his own contemporaries) that the prophecy of Enoch was intended, far as he is removed from our time, being actually the sixth (by Hebrew calculation, seventh) descendant from Adam.” For Enoch compare the allusions in Sir 44:16 ; Sir 49:14 , Heb 11:5 , Charles, Introduction to Book of Enoch . The prophecy is contained in En. i. 9 (Greek in Charles, App. C. p. 327), (? ) , . The phrase is also found in En. lx. 8, “My grandfather was taken up, the seventh from Adam,” ib. xciii. 3, “And Enoch began to recount from the books and spake: I was born the seventh in the first week, while judgment and righteousness still tarried; and after me there will arise in the second week great wickedness,” where Charles refers to Jubilees , 7. The genealogical order, as given in Gen 5:4-20 , is (1) Adam, (2) Seth, (3) Enos, (4) Cainan, (5) Mahalaleel, (6) Jared, (7) Enoch. It is probably the sacredness of the number 7 which led the Jewish writers to lay stress upon it in Enoch’s case.
. Charles’ translation from the Aethiopic is “And lo! He comes with ten thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment upon them, and He will destroy the ungodly and will convict all flesh of all that the sinners and ungodly have wrought and ungodly committed against Him”. For cf. Heb 12:22 , Psa 68:17 , Deu 33:2 . For the use of denoting accompanying circumstances see Blass, Gr. N. T. tr. p. 118, and Luk 14:31 , . The aorist here is the preterite of prophetic vision, as when Micaiah says, “I saw all Israel scattered,” cf. Rev 10:7 ; Rev 14:8 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jud 1:14-16
14And it was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” 16These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.
Jud 1:14 “Enoch” Enoch was the person in the genealogical list of Genesis 5 who walked with YHWH. Everyone lived and died, but Enoch was transported to be with God. He became an example of hope and fellowship/intimacy with God. Sometime before the first century a Jewish apocalyptic book entitled I Enoch (part of the pseudepigrapha) was written and became a very influential book among Jews and Christians. The Hebrew original has been lost. All modern readers have is a much later (A.D. 600) copy from Ethiopia which has been edited by Christians. When one reads this long Ethiopian copy it becomes obvious why it was so popular: it speculates on many events that occurred in the OT (such as the flood) as well as future events (heaven, hell).
Jude, like most first century Jewish people, was familiar with the pseudographic apocalyptic writing. His using it as an illustration does not mean he thought it was inspired. But his use of “prophesied” does tend to give the book a credibility. This very issue is the reason that Jude had such a hard time being included in the canon of the NT.
Paul quotes Jewish Midrash, unnamed Jewish inter-biblical sources and Greek poets, but this does not imply a belief that they were inspired. Jude could have used “prophesied” in a non-technical sense.
The phrase “the seventh” was used of Enoch’s lineage from Adam in I Enoch 60:8; 93:3. Jude was familiar with this inter-biblical book.
“prophesied” Jude may have accepted I Enoch as true.
Jud 1:14-15 These verses are a quote from I Enoch 1:9 (or Ethiopian Enoch), of which only fragments were found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is a play on the term “godless” (asebeia). It was used in I Enoch to refer to the punishment of the angels in Genesis 6 (cf. Jud 1:15-16). The direct quote from The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha vol. 1, edited by James H. Charlesworth of I Enoch 1:9 is
“Behold, he will arrive with ten million of the holy ones in order to execute judgment upon all. He will destroy the wicked ones and censure all flesh on account of everything that they have done, that which the sinners and the wicked ones committed against him” (pp. 13-14 ).
There is a fluidity in Jude between the OT examples and the NT “these” false teachers. This context seems to apply to the contemporary heretics using I Enoch’s terminology “the seventh from Adam” (cf. I Enoch 60:8; 93:3). Because I Enoch viewed Genesis 6 as involving angels and human women does not mean that it is true. The Bible is ambiguous and unspecific at many points, but the central truth of the context is clear. Our problem as modern readers is that we want very specific and detailed information about subjects and issues which revelation chooses not to clarify. These subjects are interesting, but not necessary for salvation and godly living.
“with many thousands of His holy ones” This refers to the countless angelic servants that surround YHWH (cf. Deu 33:2; Dan 7:10). In this quote from I Enoch “Lord” must refer to YHWH. In the NT Jesus is often predicted as returning on the clouds of heaven with many angels (cf. Mat 16:27; Mat 25:31; Mar 8:38; Luk 9:26; 2Th 1:7).
“have spoken against Him” One wonders if this phrase from I Enoch, which relates to blasphemy against YHWH, relates somehow to Jud 1:8, “reject authority.” Some English translations (NASB, NKJV, New Berkley Version) capitalize this pronoun, implying a reference to God. It is possible that “grumblers” in Jud 1:16 relates to the Israelite’s words toward YHWH and His chosen leadership (Moses and Aaron) during the wilderness wandering period.
Jud 1:15 “ungodly” The word is repeated four times in Jud 1:15. See note at Jud 1:4.
Jud 1:16 “grumblers” This term is used of Israel in the Septuagint to describe the wilderness wandering period (Exo 15:24; Exo 17:3; Num 14:29). This is possibly an allusion to I Enoch 5:5.
Jude characterizes “these” false teachers, as he did in Jud 1:12-13.
1. grumblers
2. finding fault
3. following their own lusts (cf. 2Pe 2:2; 2Pe 2:14; 2Pe 2:18; 2Pe 3:3)
4. speaking arrogantly (cf. 2Pe 2:10; 2Pe 2:18)
5. using flattery to seek personal gain (sexual, monetary, or power, cf. 2Pe 2:3).
These characteristics are not unique to OT or NT times, but are the result of the fall (cf. Genesis 3) with its focus on independence and personal freedom/rights/power. When these characteristics appear in the leadership of churches the continuing influence of the Adamic nature and the demonic evil becomes clear.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
And, &c. Read, “And to these also Enoch”.
Behold. App-133.:2.
cometh. Literally came.
with = among. App-104.
saints = holy ones, i.e. angels. Compare Deu 33:2, Revised Version Mat 25:31. Mar 8:38.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
14, 15.] Prophecy of Enoch respecting them:-see below. Yea, and ( are better taken together, applying to the whole sentence, than separated, joining with , of these as well as of others, for no other prophecies of Enoch are alluded to) of these ( is usually joined with : here and in ref. only () with a dat. It is the dat. of reference, answering to , Mar 12:12 : see Winer, edn. 6, 31. 4) prophesied Enoch seventh from Adam (ut vaticinii antiquitatem commendet, Calv. Possibly also the fact of seven being the sacred number may have been in view, as Bengel: mysterii non expers, in quo immunitas a morte et numerus sanctus concurrunt. Cf. Wetsteins note, in which several similar designations are quoted: e. g. Philo, Vit. Mos. i. 2, vol. ii. p. 81, alleges Moses to have been the seventh generation from Abraham. R. Berbai, on Num 25:12, says, Erat autem Phineas septima progenies a Jacobo patre nostro, &c.), saying, Behold, the Lord (Jam Henochi tempore nomen Jehovah notum erat, Bengel) came (the historic tense of prophecy) among (in, as surrounded by) His holy myriads (of angels: cf. Deu 33:2 : Zec 14:5, Heb 12:23), to execute judgment (reff.) upon all, and to convict all the impious concerning all their works of impiety which they impiously did, and concerning all the hard things which impious sinners spoke against Him. I have discussed in the prolegomena the question as to the source of this citation, and its relation to the present apocryphal book of Enoch. I will only here set down the passage as it at present stands in De Sacys version: Et venit cum myriadibus sanctorum, ut faciat judicium super eos et perdat impios et litiget cum omnibus carnahbus pro omnibus qu fecerunt et operati sunt contra eum peccatores et impii.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Jud 1:14. ) acted as prophet.- , even to these) not only respecting these, and not to the antediluvians only; for he says, all: Jud 1:5.-, the seventh) The antiquity of the prophecy is shown, Jud 1:4; for it appears to have been the earliest respecting the coming of the Judge. There were only five fathers between Enoch and Adam: 1Ch 1:1; and the translation of Enoch took place earlier than A.M. 1000: and this very title is peculiar to Enoch, and of frequent use among the Hebrews. The seventh from Adam, is an expression not without mystery; for in him who is thus described, freedom from death and a sacred number are combined: for every seventh object is most highly valued. The Fragment of Enoch, indeed, relates a tenfold septenary: inasmuch as those ungodly men, who were overwhelmed with the deluge, , shall be bound to dark valleys of the earth for seventy generations, even until the day of their judgment. See Heidan. de Orig. Err., p. 174.- , from Adam) The first coming of Christ was foretold to Adam; the second to Enoch. The seventh from Adam prophesied the things which shall close the seventh age of the world.-, Enoch) Who shall determine, whether St Jude took this also from some ancient book, or from tradition, or from immediate revelation? If from a book, it is however judged to be different from that against which Bangius disputes, in his Treatises on the Origin of Letters, especially p. 94. Comp. Suicers Thesaurus, P. i. col. 1131.-, the Lord) The name of Jehovah was already known in the time of Enoch.- , amidst holy myriads) of angels: Mat 25:31. A mysterious ellipsis[7] was suitable to those early times.
[7] A mysterious ellipsis: i.e. an ellipsis intentionally hiding the details, not revealing that which we now know, that it shall be with holy myriads of angels.-T.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Jud 1:14-16
THE PROPHECY OF ENOCH
(Jud 1:14-16)
14 And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying,–The patriarch Enoch was one of the most illustrious of the Old Testament saints, a man about which little is said in the sacred writings, but that of the most complimentary nature. Of him Moses wrote: “And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:and all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty and five years:and Enoch walked with God: and he was not for God took him.” The implication here is that Enoch began to walk with God on the occasion of the birth of his son, Methuselah, an indication of the fact that he recognized especially his responsibility to Jehovah after that a son was given him. In recounting the exploits of the faithful, the Hebrew writer wrote: “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him: for he bath had witness borne to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God.” (Gen 5:21-24 Heb 11:5.)
Though Moses does not mention the fact that Enoch was a prophet, his faithfulness and fidelity, his devotion to truth, and his sense of responsibility to Jehovah to which the lawgiver testifies suggest that he was such a character as would be used by the Lord for such purposes. He was the “seventh from Adam,” being sev-enth in the line of descent from the first man, the details of which appear in Gen 5:3-32. The line, as there given, runs: Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah.
To such men as these false teachers against whom Jude was writing, Enoch uttered the prophecy embraced in Jud 1:14-15. It was not Jude’s intention to convey the idea, that Enoch wrote spe-cially or primarily to these; the meaning is that the prophecy which that patriarch delivered was such as might properly be applied to such characters as these about whom Jude was writing.
From what source did Jude obtain the prophecy of Enoch to which he refers? It is sufficient for our purpose merely to answer, from inspiration, whether directly or from traditional sources, is of little consequence. Authenticated by the approval of the Holy Spirit under whose inspiration Jude wrote, it matters little what the method was by which it was brought to his attention. It is alleged by many scholars that this prophecy which Jude cites was taken from an apocryphal book entitled “Book of Enoch,” copies of which are in existence to this day, and containing the following prophecy: “Behold he comes with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon them, and to destroy the wicked, and to strive (at law) with all the carnal for everything which the sinful and ungodly have done and committed against him.” This “book of Enoch” was discovered shortly before the Revolutionary War–about 1773–in a copy of the Ethiopic Bible, and translated into English in 1821. The book cannot be certainly traced back of the third century, and there is no reliable evidence when it was writ-ten. An examination of it reveals that it was written by a Jew ; that its author subscribed to the idea of a judgment such as that taught in the New Testament; and that it was influenced by New Testament conceptions. Numerous matters in it suggest a post-apostolic origin. There are sharp variations between the statement allegedly cited by Jude and the actual statement as it appears in Jude. There is more reason for supposing that the book of Jude is older than this so-called “Book of Enoch,” and that the author quoted from Jude rather than Jude from. him! In the same fashion that Peter knew that Noah was a preacher, that Lot was vexed in Sodom, and that Paul knew the names of the Egyptian magicians ; Jude learned of Enoch’s prophecy–by inspiration.
Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, –The prophecy of Enoch was one of about judgment, a judgment in which the Lord would come with “ten thousands” (literally, his holy myriads, marginal reading) of his holy ones. The reference here is to the angels who are to accompany the Lord on his mis-sion of judgment, and who are mentioned in connection with that event in Matthew 25 : “But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory . . .” (Verse 31.) Compare Deu 33:2-3; Zec 14:5.
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.–In the judgment to come Enoch prophesied that the ungodly would be convicted of their evil works and of the hard things which they had spoken. In the Greek text, the words “ungodly sinners,” appear at the end of the text and give emphasis to that which the writer sought to convey. The Lord is coming to execute judgment upon all, to convict the un-godly of their evil works, to expose them for the harsh and ugly things which they have spoken against him–these ungodly sin-ners!
From this prophecy of Enoch we learn that the doctrine of a judgment day, with its corresponding rewards and punishments, was known near the beginning of the race. The disposition to feel that those ancient worthies groped blindly in the mists of supersti-tion and ignorance and were without a knowledge of the true God and his way with man, is thus shown to be wrong. The patriarchs were doubtless possessed of a much more profound grasp of truth than is customary to assign them in our day. That the world was later engulfed in ignorance and superstition and lost the knowl-edge of Jehovah does not argue that they were never in possession of such. The blindness which later characterized them was due to apostasy and to a repudiation of the truth which they once pos-sessed.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaketh great swelling words), show-ing respect of persons for the sake of advantage.–To Enoch’s prophecy and description of the ungodly, Jude supplied additional details of the characteristics of these men of the disposition of which that patriarch wrote. They were murmurers (goggustai) individuals who rebelled at their lot in life, and argued that providence was unkind. Being complainers, they were evermore ex-pressing dissatisfaction with all that which was about them, and perhaps, with even God himself. In “walking after their own lusts,” they had given themselves over to a life of dissoluteness, licentiousness, and lasciviousness. They had deliberately chosen the lower life for the higher; they live only for fleshly gratification. In their efforts to deceive, they resorted to “great swelling words,” words bombastic and empty, the design of which was to delude those who were influenced by sound and not sense. See the notes on 2Pe 2:18-19. Moreover, they “showed respect of persons” and this “for the sake of advantage,” the rich, the influential, the prominent, they courted; and this, for their own welfare.
It is not unusual to find those similarly influenced today. Many complain at their lot, murmur against providence, and maintain that God is not good because they fall heir to the ills and difficul-ties of humanity. Others, through specious reasoning and by means of empty phrases, seek to justify their conduct though it is opposed to the simplest and plainest teaching of the New Testa-ment. Such, God will eventually judge, a judgment impending at least as long ago as Enoch, seventh from Adam.
Commentary on Jud 1:14-16 by E.M. Zerr
Jud 1:14. The Bible does not record this prophecy of Enoch, but Jude was an inspired man and knew what he was talking about. Seventh from Adam means he was in that numerical place in the genealogy of Christ. The ten thousand saints include those mentioned in Mat 27:52-53. For complete comments on this subject see those at Rom 8:29-30 in the first volume of the New Testament Commentary.
Jud 1:15. This verse describes some of the work Jesus will do when he comes at the last day. Convince means to convict and punish these ungodly persons. All their ungodly deeds and hard speeches are considered as being against Him.
Jud 1:16. Murmurers and complainers are usually those who wish to walk after their own lusts. They speak great swelling words for their effect upon those whom they think they can deceive. Having men’s persons (de-sirable appearances) in admiration. That is, they become “respecter of persons” for their own personal advantage. The whole passage describes people extremely selfish.
Commentary on Jud 1:14-16 by N.T. Caton
Jud 1:14.-Enoch also, the seventh from Adam.
We have here the announcement of Enoch as a prophet, not to be found elsewhere in the Bible. To make it plain, the party so named as a prophet is the Enoch seventh in line of descent from the first man, Adam. Why this particularity is observed will be seen by a simple inspection of the history of the race, as given in Genesis. “And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch” (Gen 4:17). Now it is evident that this is not the Enoch to whom Jude refers, because he is only the third in descent from Adam. In the fifth chapter of Genesis we have the genealogy traced, from which we read and gather the following information: Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch. Of this last, we have this further historic declaration: “And Enoch lived sixty and five years and begat Methuselah: and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters; and all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Gen 5:21-24). The recital is short, but contains much. God seems to have used Enoch as he did Noah in the proclamation of his word, his promises, and his threatenings; and among the rest of his utterances, an inspired writer, the apostle Jude, tells us of a prophecy which he uttered.
Behold, the Lord cometh.
Here is one of the statements Enoch, inspired of God, told the people of his day. He warned them of a general judgment, when the Lord would come. He assured them that the Lord would come, accompanied by ten thousands of his saints; or, as the Syriac has it, “with myriads of his saints.”
Jud 1:15.-To execute judgment upon all.
The object of the coming of the Lord is here given. To execute judgment is to pass sentence. This was to be upon all. I take it, the “all” here means the “all” upon whom a judgment of condemnation shall be rendered. While it is true all, in its full sense, will appear before God and be judged, all will not receive the same sentence, for all will not be condemned; only the guilty will suffer punishment. See the succeeding clauses.
To convince all that are ungodly.
That is, convict. This, of course, follows a righteous investigation. No guilty will escape; no innocent will suffer. The ungodly will be convicted of all their ungodly deeds. The ungodly will be convicted of all their false, profane, impious and blasphemous speeches made by them as ungodly sinners against Christ; sentence follows this conviction. The sentence is the righteous judgment of God and includes the punishment. It brings before our vision once more the Savior’s declaration concerning the sheep and the goats at the last day. All these things Enoch, the seventh from Adam, brought to the attention of the people in his day. So affirms the apostle Jude.
Jud 1:16.-These are murmurers, complainers.
To make the idea intended to be communicated in this verse stand out more prominently, I have given the Syriac translation. “These are they who murmur and complain of everything, while they walk according to their lusts, and their mouth speaketh shocking things, and they flatter people for the sake of gain.” Now, it is plain that after Jude dismisses the prophecy of Enoch, he returns to the consideration of the false teachers, against whom he was warning the brethren, and this verse contains a further portraiture of the character of such. They were murmurers and complainers. They murmur at God, and they complain that their lot is not different. They walk in their own filthy and besotted way while so complainng, and at the same time are uttering pompous and self-laudatory speeches, claiming super-excellence of knowledge, and all the time are hypocritically praising and flattering people, with the hope of extorting from them worldly gain.
Commentary on Jud 1:14-16 by Donald Fream
The patriarch Enoch told how God would bring judgment upon all evil deeds, including these apostates within the church.
Jud 1:14-15 are considered to be difficult because there is no recorded prophecy of Enoch saying these things in the scripture. The apocryphal book of Enoch does ascribe similar passages as being prophesied by Enoch. Again, the comments on Jud 1:9 also applies here. There is no need to insist that Jude copied from Enoch, The fact that Jude does include the reference as fact, so establishes it. By the Holy Spirit Jude knew this to be fact, whether or not he was familiar with a similar statement in the book of Enoch.
The information that Jude here gives establishes one additional fact we would not otherwise have from the scriptures: That Enoch himself made these prophesies. The prophesies are contained elsewhere in the scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments. Daniel says a thousand thousand served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. (Dan 7:10) Zechariah says Then the Lord your God will come, and all the holy ones with him. (Zec 14:5) Such references also may be located in the book of Revelation.
The Jewish method of counting included the first and last figure. Thus Jesus was said to have been in the grave three days, counting the day He was buried and the day He arose. By the time a child reached the age of one year and one day (as we would say it), the Jews would call the child age two. Likewise, in counting generations the first and last generations were counted. So it was that Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam, counting both Adam and Enoch.
The prophesy is given to verify the fact of the judgment to come. The language of prophecy is often from the viewpoint of God: as good as accomplished! Such is the case here. The Lord came with ten thousand of his holy ones. Holy ones is correct rather than the saints of the King James. Angels are included among Gods holy ones, and the reference here could well be to angels. The figure ten thousand is a common figure to denote a very great number. Sometimes the expression a thousand thousands or ten thousand times ten thousand is used.
The purpose to do judgment is the same expression used in Joh 5:27.
The spiritual gift of discerning of spirits gave the Corinthian church the ability to make manifest the secrets of the heart of the unbelieving prophet. He stood reproved by all and judged by all. (1Co 14:24-25). In that last day when the Lord shall come the second time, the ungodly shall be manifest and his wicked deeds laid bare in their true colors. The ungodly life in which they wallowed is not a mistake, nor a stumbling sin. It is a chosen way of vileness and deceit. Their wickedness is well-pleasing to them; and if it were not for the wages there would be no regret.
Their hard speeches, like Lamech (Gen 4:15), are uttered in defiance against God. This is comparable to the ungodly men of 1Pe 4:4, who speak irreverently of God or against believers.
Verse sixteen does not let these present ungodly men escape the judgment predicted. These are the ones who murmur and complain because they think only of pleasing themselves. These are the ones who speak great swelling words against God and against Gods people. These are the ones who show partiality because of personal profit expected. They refuse to submit where it is rightful they should, and they do submit where personal gain may be obtained. Their flattery (admiration of faces, literally) is soon found out, for when there is no personal profit to them the admiration is suddenly gone. Their lives are strewn with great havoc and hatred for they make merchandise of many. (Rom 16:18 and 2Pe 2:3). They will even feign repentance for the sake of personal gain.
The sincere Christian who knows such a one hates himself for the knowing. He knows the smile for its insincerity, and when he sees the smile he can only expect to be immediately used. A hatred for the evil and a distrust of the person is the only end of knowing such a one. A sincere saint does not relish this ever-present evil and necessary distrust. So it is that misery dogs those who cross the path of these insincere flatterers who are partial for the sake of advantage.
Commentary on Jud 1:14-16 by Burton Coffman
Jud 1:14 –And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones,
And to these … “These” are the false teachers, the evil men about whom God has already given a number of prophetic messages, in such events as his punishing the Israelites, destroying the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and in the punishments like those which befell Cain, Balaam and Korah; and, in addition to all that, “also” Enoch made a prophecy.
Enoch, the seventh from Adam … Well, here at last we have “Enoch.” This is the first and only reference to him in this letter, and this verse is the only thing in Jude that may fairly be connected with him. Jude’s use of Enoch’s prophecy stamps that prophecy as the gospel truth, but it does absolutely nothing for the apocryphal “Book of Enoch,” rightfully rejected as having no canonical value, and being quite ridiculous, fanciful, and false. As the footnote in the Catholic Bible says, “The Book of Enoch is apocryphal. St. Jude does not here approve the entire book, but only this prophecy.”[40] The false book of Enoch was widely known in apostolic times, and it was quite natural that Jude would have referred to the famous prophecy allegedly made by Enoch. It could be that Jude, by singling out this prophecy as true, meant that the Biblical character Enoch indeed uttered it, which for all anyone knows may be the truth; but that meaning is not at all mandatory. It was likely merely the manner of identifying the prophecy, which Jude attributed to its alleged source, instead of reference to a book of so many errors. Another New Testament parallel of exactly this procedure by Paul himself is that of his quoting the prophet Epimenides the pagan writer, calling him “one of your own prophets,” and recalling his line that, “Cretans are always liars” (Tit 1:12). Should it be inferred, then, that Paul “borrowed” the book of Titus from the pagan prophet? It is exactly that kind of logic that ascribes two thirds of Jude to the apocryphal book of Enoch. Paul also quoted heathen poets and an inscription from a heathen monument in his famed address in the city of Athens (Acts 17), approving of neither by so doing.
Before leaving the question of Enoch’s having been a true prophet of God (we are not referring to the book of Enoch), it might be well to recall that Enoch “walked with God” in a very intimate fashion, that he was translated, not even tasting of death, and that he named his son Methuselah, bearing the prophetic meaning of “he dieth, and the flood cometh.”[41] Therefore, we may surely believe Jude’s account of God’s using Enoch to utter a prophecy of the destruction of evil men. Indeed, the name of his son is exactly such a prophecy. Beyond all these considerations, there is also the possibility that Jude’s information concerning Enoch’s prophecy did not depend in any manner upon the book of Enoch; either some other prior source, or his own divine inspiration, or both, may have been behind this quotation.
Behold the Lord came with ten thousand of his holy ones … This clause, along with all of Jude 1:1:15, is the prophecy of Enoch. Caton summarized it thus:
“Here is what Enoch, inspired of God, told the people of his day. He warned them of a general judgment, when the Lord would come. He assured them that the Lord would come, accompanied by ten thousands of his saints; or, as the Syriac has it, `with myriads of his saints.'”[42]
Behold the Lord came … The past tense in such passages is actually the prophetic tense, a frequently observed phenomenon in the Bible. God’s prophecies are so certain of fulfillment that the prophet speaks of them in the past tense. The first word of this prophecy (Behold the Lord came) is Maran atha (not Marana tha), a reference in the past tense (used prophetically for the future).[43] As Macknight observed, the first word of this prophecy was widely known and used by the apostles and the early church, Paul doing so in 1Co 16:22. This is very significant with regard to apostolic use of this expression, indicating that “Maran atha” probably has the meaning of “The Lord has come” in his incarnation, instead of being an invocation looking to the Second Advent. See further notes on this in my Commentary on 1Corinthians, pp. 284,285.
[40] New Catholic Bible, op. cit., New Testament, p. 323.
[41] James MacKnight, op. cit., p. 206.
[42] N. T. Caton, op. cit., p. 209.
[43] James MacKnight, op. cit., p. 208.
Jud 1:15 –to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
This prophecy came quite early in human history; and there is no sacred writer, no apostle, no prophet, and not even the Lord himself, who exercised his ministry, except in the shadow of this promise of a day of judgment when God will settle his accounts with the wicked men who have despised him. The fact of this prophecy colors every page of the Bible; and he is a vain and willful sinner indeed who dares to order his life as if this were not the truth.
Execute judgment … This phrase occurs “only here and in Joh 5:27”;[44] but significantly, in John it occurs upon the lips of Jesus Christ himself.
Of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him … There is no possibly summary of these that could be given. They are as extensive and voluminous as all the libraries of earth combined. Train loads of books pour out of great publishing houses every month, being directed in a large part, against God, against the Bible, against Christianity, against all truth and righteousness. This characteristic engagement of wicked men in speaking against God manifested itself in a particularly venomous and unreasonable degree during the personal ministry of God in the flesh, Jesus our Lord; and, in this series, we have compiled a list of some 23 vicious lies and slanders that were launched against Christ by evil men. See my Commentary on Luke, pp. 193,194.
ENDNOTE:
[44] Alfred Plummer, op. cit., p. 513.
Jud 1:16 –These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaketh great swelling words), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage.
Bennett’s comment on this verse is:
“When it was safe to do so, they blustered and bullied, and played the superior person, but they cringed to rich men, and flattered them for the sake of dinners and presents.”[45]
Another analysis of this verse was given by Wallace which pointed out the numerous charges against the evil men enumerated in this single verse: (1) they are grumblers; (2) they are complainers; (3) they are malcontents; (4) their sole guide is their lusts; (5) they are noisy boasters; and (6) all that they do is directed to procuring some personal benefit for themselves. How many on earth today are described by this same analysis?
ENDNOTE:
[45] W. H. Bennett, The General Epistles (New Century Bible) (Edinburgh: T. C. and E. C. Jack, 1901), p. 340.
Commentary on Jud 1:14-16 by Gary Hampton
Apostasy in Old Testament Prophecy (Jud 1:14-16)
Enoch was listed as one of the great men of faith (Heb 11:5). Genesis says “God took him” (Gen 5:21-24). It would appear he was translated to heaven much like Elijah (2Ki 2:1-12). Enoch did not have to experience death as other men do, but was taken up from the earth not to be found any longer. God testified that Enoch pleased Him. It is not surprising that this seventh person in man’s genealogy was a prophet. By inspiration, Jude recorded one of his prophecies. It concerned the coming of the Lord with his angels (Jud 1:14; Mat 25:31; 2Th 1:7).
The prophecy also spoke of the promised judgment (Heb 9:27). The point being, the Lord will punish the ungodly for their sins, which were of an ungodly character. Woods suggests Jude adds detail to Enoch’s prophecy. He described the ungodly people as those who rebelled against their lot in life and thought God was unfair. Their lives were lived only to fill their fleshly desires. They used words puffed up with sound but lacking meaning. They used favoritism so they might gain a few of this world’s advantages (Jud 1:15-16).
Commentary on Jud 1:14-16 by David Hersey
Jud 1:14 –Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
Enoch was the son of Jared and the father of Methuselah (Gen 5:21; Luk 3:37). His father was one hundred and sixty-two years old when he was born. After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch “walked with God three hundred years” (Gen 5:22-24), when he was translated without experiencing death. His life on earth was for three hundred and sixty-five years. He was the “seventh from Adam” as distinguished from Enoch, the son of Cain who was the third from Adam. He is spoken of in the record of biblical heroes in Heb 11:5. Mention is made of Enoch’s prophesying only in this verse of scripture in Jude.
“These men” are the false teachers about whom Jude is writing. In addition to the examples of the Israelites, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and in the punishments which befell Cain, Balaam and Korah, Jude now draws on a prophecy of judgment on their heads.
This is the only reference to him in this letter. Jude’s mention of Enoch’s prophecy authenticates it as inspired truth. However, it does not authenticate the book of Enoch itself. This book was widely known in apostolic times and a reading of it reveals that it is at best ridiculous and often bizarre. It is rightfully rejected as an authentic work of this ancient old testament figure. When considering the possibility of the book of Enoch as an authentic, inspired wholly complete work of scripture, one needs to keep in mind that if Enoch had indeed written the book, it would have been centuries before the great flood. The earliest book in scripture was written by Moses many centuries removed from the flood. Moses wrote wholly by inspiration of the events which occurred before the flood. Moses never met Abraham but he wrote extensively of his life and the lives of all the Biblical figures by inspiration.
Enoch lived on earth from about 3468 BC to about 3102 BC. This was roughly six and half centuries before the flood which occurred about 2434 BC given a hundred year margin either way. Anything written by Enoch would have had to either survive the flood to be unearthed some time afterwards, or would have had to have been in Noah’s possession on the Ark and then passed down from generation to generation until it could be buried to be found at a later date. In all, any such manuscript would have had to survive, unchanged for roughly forty four centuries.
No doubt Jude identified the prophecy of Enoch and forever sealed the fact that Enoch did indeed utter this prophecy. The fact that this prophecy is recorded in a book with Enoch’s name on it does not mean that Jude authenticated the entire work. It took much more than that to qualify a book for inclusion in the Bible as an inspired text. While such a thing was taken into account, it was certainly not the only test a document had to pass in order to be counted as scripture.
Paul quoted a pagan prophet in Tit 1:12-13, “One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” “This testimony is true…” Biblical scholars hold that this prophet’s name was a man named Epimenides. Paul quoted something out of the word of this pagan writer that was indeed true, but it does not follow that everything Epimenides or whoever may have written what Paul quoted was infallible, inspired scripture. Paul also quoted heathen poets and an inscription from a pagan monument to the unknown god in the city of Athens (Acts 17), approving of neither by so doing.
We know from inspiration that Enoch “walked with God” (Gen 5:22), in a very special way, that he was translated (Heb 11:5), being one of only two people in history to pass from earth in this manner, the other being that great prophet, Elijah, who rode to heaven in a chariot of fire (2Ki 2:9-11). Therefore, we may surely believe Jude’s account of God’s using Enoch to utter a prophecy of the destruction of evil men. It is quite possible and entirely likely that Jude’s knowledge of Enoch’s prophecy came to him in the same fashion that Moses knowledge of all the historical facts he wrote about was delivered to him, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Jud 1:15 — to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
Enoch lived in the post flood era when the moral fiber of humanity was degrading to what would soon be cause for the God’s utter destruction of the earth by water. We know that Enoch was a righteous man amid a world of corruption and we know that God thought enough of him that He translated Him instead of allowing him to die a natural death. There can be no doubt that Enoch was an extraordinary man of God. And as such, he would be an outspoken proponent of good and a staunch and powerful opponent of evil. There can be no doubt that Enoch spoke of God’s coming judgment on the ungodly. Enoch was an eyewitness to plenty of this and no doubt condemned it, preaching to those of the earth at that time of God’s impending wrath for their evil ways. Jude’s use of Enoch’s prophecy does not mean that Enoch was prophesying specifically about the apostates which were the subject of Jude’s letter. Rather, it means that Enoch’s prophecy of God’s coming judgment on ungodly and evil men in his time applied equally to the apostates in Jude’s consideration. The condemnation of the ungodly, prophesied by Enoch applied to not only the ungodly activities of the apostates written about in Jude but upon all who would do the same.
The application of Enoch’s prophecy by Jude to the ungodly of his time has an application for us today. We serve the same God that destroyed the earth by water in fulfillment of Enoch’s prophecy. We serve the same God that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their fleshly perversions. We serve the same God that rejected Cain’s sacrifice and withstood Balaam and destroyed Korah. The same God that executed judgment on all these ungodly people will do the same against those living today. We can expect God, who has never been tolerant of this sort of activity to be just as severe and harsh on the ungodly today as he was in past ages. The warning words of Paul concerning those who would apostatize are especially relevant here in Rom 11:20-23, “…Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. “
God’s judgment prophesied by Enoch and here referred to by Jude is going to be executed on all, meaning everybody. 2Co 5:9-10, “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad”.
Those who will be convicted are:
1) All who are ungodly
2) Those who commit ungodly deeds
3) Those who commit deeds in an ungodly way
4) The harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against God.
God is going to execute judgment on the ungodly, what they do, how they do it and how they speak. This completely covers the actions of the apostates in Jude’s view. They were guilty of all these things and Jude invoked the condemnation prophesied by a man of God living roughly thirty four centuries prior to that. The intent of Jude by invoking such an ancient prophecy is to demonstrate God’s unchanging behavior concerning this. In effect, Jude was telling them that God has been doing this for a very long time and He’s certainly not going to change now. Jude first called to mind the actions of Sodom and Gomorrah, the rebellious Israelites, then Cain, Balaam, Korah and the consequences for ungodliness were consistently the same for all of them. Now he goes all the way back to a prophecy that at that time was made thirty four hundred years prior. Could a better case for the consistency of God’s judgment on the ungodly be made? Those who would similarly pervert the truth today need to consider the warnings given here by Jude and be warned. Let us all take a hard look at the myriad array of denominations so prevalent in the world today. Let us consider all the religious division with its diverse teachings on God’s truth and reflect seriously on the warnings given by Jude. And then, let us take those steps necessary to assure ourselves that we are of the faith lest we fall into the same condemnation. The words of Paul in 2Ti 2:15 are especially relevant here, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.
Jud 1:16 –These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.
In addition to the characteristics of ungodliness that Enoch pronounced, Jude is supplying more descriptions of their behavior, both to help identify them and then to associate them with those who would receive the judgment of God, prophesied by Enoch.
Jud 1:16 –“These are grumblers, complainers”
These apostates were unhappy with their station in life and argued that they deserved better. God’s providence wasn’t good enough for them so they complained about it. Paul addressed this in Php 4:11-12, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content”. God never promised Christians their lives would be easy and trouble free. Keep in mind that Jude’s immediate readership was living in a time of extreme persecution towards Christianity. It’s easy to be content when one is living a life of ease, but add a little persecution to the mix and many people start thinking God is mad at them or isn’t doing His job. The grumblers and complainers think that God should take care of them better than He does.
Jud 1:16 –“walking according to their own lusts”
They had given themselves over to fleshly immorality. Their desires were the basis for their actions.
Jud 1:16 –“and they mouth great swelling words”
These great swelling words and licentious behavior was directly mentioned in 2Pe 2:18-19, “For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.”
This behavior is again arising out of Antinomianism which held the view that Christians are exempt from the demands of the moral law by reason of their reliance upon divine grace alone for salvation.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Reciprocal: Gen 5:18 – Enoch Gen 6:3 – My Num 24:17 – I shall see him Deu 33:2 – ten thousands 1Ch 1:3 – Henoch Job 19:25 – he shall Psa 50:5 – my saints Psa 89:5 – in the congregation Psa 94:4 – shall Isa 26:21 – Lord Dan 4:13 – an holy Dan 7:10 – thousand thousands Dan 8:13 – one saint Dan 12:13 – stand Zec 14:5 – the Lord Mal 3:5 – I will come Mat 12:36 – every Mat 13:39 – reapers Mat 16:27 – with Mat 25:6 – Behold Mat 25:31 – the Son Mat 26:53 – and he Mar 8:38 – when Luk 9:26 – when Luk 12:3 – whatsoever Joh 1:51 – and the Act 17:31 – he hath appointed Rom 14:10 – for 1Co 4:5 – until 1Co 6:2 – the saints 1Co 11:26 – till 1Co 16:22 – Anathema 2Co 5:10 – we 1Th 3:13 – with 1Th 4:14 – God 2Th 1:7 – when Heb 1:14 – ministering Heb 6:2 – eternal Heb 11:5 – Enoch Heb 12:22 – an innumerable 1Pe 4:5 – shall 2Pe 1:16 – coming 2Pe 2:5 – a preacher 2Pe 2:9 – and Rev 1:7 – and every Rev 19:14 – the armies
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jud 1:14. The Bible does not record this prophecy of Enoch, but Jude was an inspired man and knew what he was talking about. Seventh from Adam means he was in that numerical place in the genealogy of Christ. The ten thousand saints include those mentioned in Mat 27:52-53. For complete comments on this subject see those at Rom 8:29-30 in the first volume of the New Testament Commentary.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jud 1:14. Nor is this warning the warning of Jude only. And to these also (literally, with respect to these also) prophesied Enoch the seventh from Adam, i.e the seventh including Adam; a description added probably to mark his importance by the coincidence of the sacred number seven. To Adam was given the promise of the advent of our Lord as Helper and Saviour; to Enoch, the first promise of the advent of the same Lord as Judge. Jewish writers are ever noting the recurrence of this number. Moses was the seventh from Abraham, Phinehas from Jacob, etc.
The Lord cometh (Greek, came or as come; describing, as not unfrequently, an occurrence in the midst of which the prophet sees himself standing) with (surrounded by) ten thousands of his holy ones (literally His holy myriads, the innumerable company of Heb 12:22; saints restricts the meaning to saved men).
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
The apostle having described the sin of the seducers in the former verses, declares the certainty of their destruction in the verses now before us; assuring us that Enoch of old, by the spirit of prophecy, did foretell the sins of such persons, and their condemnation also at the general judgment upon the ungodly in general, and on such as speak contumeliously of him and his in particular.
Here note, 1. That the doctrine of the day of judgment is very ancient, foretold by the prophets from the beginning. Man was made an accountable creature, capable of rendering an account of his actions and the sentence of death, denounced in paradise against him for his sin, did necessarily imply it; the drowning of the world, and burning of Sodom, were both types and forerunners of it: though there are Atheists upon earth that do not believe a future judgment to come, there are none in hell: feeling and experience must teach some men that which the Spirit, scripture, reason, and conscience, could never learn them. Enoch prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh.
Note, 2. How Enoch here prefixeth a note of incitement to his prophecy, Behold, the Lord cometh to judgment! implying, that great is our natural backwardness to believe and mind the coming of Christ to judgment; and intimating, that we should always realize the day of our Lord to ourselves, and represent it to our thoughts as certain, and near at hand.
Note, 3. How royally attended Christ will come to judgment: Behold, he cometh with ten thousand of his saints. Christ will be attended only with holy ones at the last day; such as meet him now in purity, shall meet him then in peace. How cheerfully then may saints think of the last judgment, and observe the number of his attendants! Not a few saints, but ten thousand of them. Rev 5:11 They are called a number which no man can number. This is a comfort against the paucity and small number of those that are now upright with God; in heaven we shall have company enough: God’s family when it comes together, will be very numerous, or rather innumerable, Heb 12:23.
Observe, 4. The work of Christ at the day of judgment, namely, to convince and judge. Conscience shall then have an exact view of all that sinners did and said: sin will find them out, and testify against them at Christ’s tribunal; and whom conscience has convinced, Christ will condemn, and whom he has condemned, he will execute.
Observe, 5. The persons whom Christ will convince and judge, the ungodly. The process of the last day lies chiefly, though not only, against the ungodly; these shall not stand in the judgment, because ungodliness doth chiefly provoke; not but that unrighteousness will then be condemned also, Rom 1:18, and sinners sent to hell for neglecting the duties of the second table no less than the first.
Observe, 6. That not only the deeds of ungodly men, but their words, especially their hard speeches against God and his children, shall be brought into judgment. A wicked tongue is a rugged tongue; it speaks words sharper than swords: pray we for wisdom to make as good an use of the reproaching tongue of an enemy, as of the reproving tongue of a friend; that the sword of the tongue may let out the corruption that is in our hearts, and do us good against the will, and contrary to the intention, of our enemy.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Apostasy in Old Testament Prophecy
The prophecy also spoke of the promised judgment ( Heb 9:27 ). The point being, the Lord will punish the ungodly for their sins, which were of an ungodly character. Woods suggests Jude adds detail to Enoch’s prophecy. He described the ungodly people as those who rebelled against their lot in life and thought God was unfair. Their lives were lived only to fill their fleshly desires. They used words puffed up with sound but lacking meaning. They used favoritism so they might gain a few of this world’s advantages ( Jud 1:15-16 ).
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books
Jdg 1:14-15. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam Thus described to distinguish him from Enoch the son of Cain, (Gen 4:17,) who was only the third from Adam; so early was the prophecy delivered, referred to Jdg 1:4 : prophesied of these As well as of the antediluvian sinners. The first coming of Christ was revealed to Adam, his second and glorious coming to Enoch, who foretold the things which will conclude the last age of the world. St. Jude might know this either from some ancient book or tradition, or from immediate revelation. In whatever way he knew it, a precious fragment of antediluvian history is thus preserved to us by the special providence of God, who taught the Apostle Jude to distinguish between what was genuine and what was spurious in ancient story. Though Moses has said nothing concerning Enochs prophesying, yet by telling us that he was a person of such piety, as to be translated to heaven in the body without dying, he hath warranted us to believe Judes account of him; namely, that God employed him, as he did Noah, in reforming the wicked of the age in which he lived, and that he inspired him to deliver the prophecy of which Jude speaks. Saying, Behold, (as if it were already done!) The Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints Or holy ones, namely, angels, with legions of whom his descent for the purpose here mentioned will be attended; to execute judgment Or to pass sentence, as may be rendered; upon all According to their respective works. Herein Enoch looked beyond the flood: and to convince Or convict rather, as more properly signifies, by witnesses that cannot be confronted; all that are ungodly among them Among those judged, and upon whom sentence is passed. Of all their ungodly deeds Their wicked actions; which they have ungodly Impiously; committed Being destitute of the fear as well as love of God, and in defiance of his justice and wrath: and of all their hard Their impious, atheistical, scoffing speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Namely, against Christ, as if he were an impostor, who was justly punished with an ignominious death; and against his people, representing them, although the excellent of the earth, of whom the world was not worthy, (Heb 11:38,) as the vilest of men.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
14. Satan is the great deceiver. He calls preachers and manipulates them from first to last, clothed as an angel of light, passing himself for God. I know the counterfeit preachers, like the members, are honest, but deceived by Satan and led captive at his will. When we make the slightest compromise, we are on a downward trend, and in danger of landing in hell. So magnitudinous is this great problem of the counterfeit preachers that Enoch before the flood saw them in his prophetic visions.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord {o} cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
(o) The present time, for the time to come.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
3. The consequences of the error vv. 14-16
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Jude quoted loosely from a prophecy that Enoch gave, which stands recorded in the apocryphal Book of 1 Enoch. This is the only place in Scripture where we read that Enoch was a prophet. He is the only individual who lived before the Flood that God identified as a prophet. Though God had not inspired that book, He led Jude to quote Enoch’s prophecy. [Note: Cf. Fanning, p. 465; Bauckham, p. 96.] The Holy Spirit sometimes led Paul to quote pagan philosophers (cf. Act 17:28). This was a prophecy of God’s judgment that will take place at the second coming of Christ (cf. Mat 24:30; 2Th 1:7-10). As such it is the earliest recorded prophecy of the second coming of Christ. The unbelievers among the false teachers would be the objects of God’s judgment then if they were living then.
Jude’s reference to Enoch as the seventh (generation) from Adam seems to support the idea that Genesis 5 records all the generations (i.e., it is a closed genealogy). However, critics of this view contend that Jude simply meant that Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam in the biblical genealogy. They assume there were additional intervening generations that Moses did not mention in Genesis. Nevertheless a careful reading of that genealogy shows that Moses left no room for omitted generations, though other biblical genealogies do contain gaps. A different explanation follows.
"However, a solution to the problem may rest in the fact that this alleged prophecy is a citation not from a single passage in Enoch, but from several, and it is probable that Jude also quoted the line ’the seventh generation from Adam’ from Enoch 60:8. Thus Jude did not intend to refer to the Enoch of Genesis 5, but referred entirely, even in the introductory line, to words found in the apocryphal Enoch. While the prophecy has no canonical status, its predictions are paralleled and supported by numerous Biblical passages, such as, Mat 25:31-46." [Note: David H. Wallace, "Jude," in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 1489.]
"Ungodly deeds may be performed by persons who have a form of godliness. Every action that proceeds from an unholy, unrepentant heart is an ungodly deed." [Note: Wolff, p. 113.]
"Satan in Eden and Judas in Gethsemane clothed ungodly deeds in soft words." [Note: Williams, 7:18.]