exegetical · Gen 5:21–24 · ✓ Approved

Enoch walked with God, and God took him (Genesis 5:21–24)

Says Where the formula has “and he lived” after the fathering, 5:22 and 5:24 have וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ חֲנוֹךְ אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים, “and Enoch walked about with God.” In place of “and he died,” 5:24 has וְאֵינֶנּוּ כִּי־לָקַח אֹתוֹ אֱלֹהִים, “and he was not, for God took him.” The BSB has “and then he was no more, because God had taken him away.” Swete has εὐηρέστησεν τῷ θεῷ, he pleased God, and οὐχ ηὑρίσκετο, διότι μετέθηκεν αὐτὸν ὁ θεός, he was not found, because God removed him. “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death,” and “He could not be found, because God had taken him away” (Heb 11:5, BSB). Jude names him “the seventh from Adam” (Jude 14, BSB), as he is in this list, and quotes words that also stand in 1 Enoch; that use is stated here as reception, not as settling the standing of that book. See the Hebrew, Greek and historical notes.

Uncertain Whether “walked with God” speaks chiefly of fellowship or of conduct, as “walk before me” in 17:1, is open; the two are not exclusive. How and where Enoch was taken, beyond what 5:24 and Hebrews 11:5 say, is also open. No lean is taken here.

Claims

SaysEnoch walked with God; he was not, for God took him. Hebrews 11:5 says he was taken up so that he did not see death. Jude names him the seventh from Adam and quotes words that also stand in 1 Enoch, stated as reception, not authority.
UncertainWhether walked with God speaks of fellowship or conduct, and how and where Enoch was taken beyond 5:24 and Hebrews 11:5, are open. No lean is taken here.

Citations

BSB public domain Gen 5:1–32
OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 5:1–32 (WLC/OSHB), cantillation removed
LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 5:1–31 and 6:1a, vol. 1, pp. 7–9 (oldtestamentingr01swetuoft, viewer leaves n38–n40); read on the page images
BSB public domain Heb 11:5; Jude 14–15; Luke 3:36–38; Rom 5:14; Matt 19:4; Mark 10:6
SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Heb 11:5; Jude 14–15; Luke 3:36–38; Rom 5:14; Matt 19:4; Mark 10:6; SBLGNT apparatus at Heb 11:5 and Jude 15
Etheridge public domain Etheridge, vol. 1 (1862), Targum of Palestine (Pseudo-Jonathan) on Gen 5:24, p. 175 (n187); read on the page image; quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Josephus (Whiston) public domain Ant. 1.3.1 = 1.72, p. 14 (n23); 1.3.4 = 1.83–85, p. 16 (n25); 1.3.9 = 1.104–108, pp. 19–20 (n28–n29) (Whiston, 1817, vol. 1); read on the page images; paraphrased
APOT public domain vol. 2 (1913): 1 Enoch 1:9, p. 189 (n208); Jub 4:17, 23, 30, pp. 18–19 (n37–n38); read on the page images; paraphrased
APOT 1 public domain vol. 1 (1913): Sir 44:16, p. 482 (n499); Sir 49:14, p. 506 (n523); read on the page images; paraphrased
Augustine, City of God (NPNF1 vol. 2) public domain Civ. 15.10–15.13, pp. 291–295 (n314–n318) (trans. Dods, NPNF¹ 2; CCEL npnf102.iv.XV.10–13); read on the page images; paraphrased

Sources Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0 BSB public domain OSHB CC BY 4.0 LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 RP2018 Unlicense Etheridge public domain Josephus (Whiston) public domain APOT public domain APOT 1 public domain Augustine, City of God (NPNF1 vol. 2) public domain

Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits

2026-11-10

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