After he becomes like the angels, Enoch is instructed by Vrevoil, the swiftest of the archangels who records all the Lord’s deeds. After being instructed for 30 days and 30 nights, Enoch records this instruction in 366 books (22:10-23:6; Recension A has 360 books). After writing the books, Enoch is invited to sit next to the Lord with Gabriel.
God proceeds to explain “mysteries” of creation and the fall to Enoch:
- Chapter 24 – God created visible from invisible.
- Chapter 26 – An invisible thing (Adiol) descends and God commands it to disintegrate. A great light comes from this creature; the great light becomes the “great age” of creation. God established his throne in this creation.
- Chapter 27-28 – God creates water and land from the light and darkness. Seven circles are established for seven stars. This is the first day of the creation week.
- Chapter 29 – On Monday (the second day) God fashions rock from the fiery substance of heaven. On this day Satanail falls, he was hurled out of heaven and is now flying around in the air above the bottomless pit.
- Chapter 30 – On Tuesday (the third day) God commands the earth to create trees and grasses; God laid out paradise as a garden. Enoch On Wednesday (the fourth day) God establishes the stars, sun and moon in the various circles of the heavens. On Thursday he commands the seas to bring forth fish and birds. On Friday God creates Man out of seven components with seven properties. Man was assigned to the earth as a second angel, to reign as a king. He was named Adam and given free will to either love God or hate him (30:15).
- Chapter 31 – Adam is given a single task but the devil entered paradise and corrupted Eve. This devil did not speak to Adam, therefore it is on account of Eve the Lord curses mankind. This is obviously at odds with Romans 5:12-21 where Adam is blamed for death and sin, Eve is not mentioned.
- Chapter 32 – Adam is removed from the garden after his transgression (after only five and a half hours!)
- Chapter 33 – Enoch is told there will be 7000 years of human existence, with an eighth thousand with not days, months, or years (probably an eternal state.) Presumably there will be one thousand for each of the days of creation. The idea of seven creational days = 7000 years of human history crosses over into Christianity via the Epistle of Barnabas but is not found in the Bible.
- Chapter 34 – The judgment of the flood on the sinner who accepted a different yoke than the Lord’s yoke. The sins listed here are fornication and sodomy.
- Chapter 35 – God promises to allow one righteous man from Enoch’s line to survive the flood for the purpose of passing along the words of Enoch.
- Chapter 36 – Enoch is commanded to live for thirty days on the earth for the purpose of passing on the wisdom he has learned during his heavenly journeys.
- Chapter 36 – Enoch is returned to earth by one of the senior angels.
While this section claims to survey human history from creation to the flood, the point is to exhort the reader to moral living in the light of imminent judgment. Creation is the basis for morality, sin is not the normal state, nor is sin the fault of Adam (Eve is to blame; Satan is to blame; but not Adam). While God will surely judge the sinner, he offers salvation for the one committed to following his commands. These commands make up the bulk of the rest of the book. There are some obvious differences from the biblical text with respect to salvation history in 2 Enoch, primarily in Adam’s culpability for the fall. Even in Genesis Adam is held ultimately responsible; Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:24 make clear it was through Adam sin entered the world. To shift the blame to the woman exalts Adam.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
— Genesis 2:16–17
In Genesis 3, a serpent tempts the woman:
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
— Genesis 3:4–5
Desiring the knowledge, Eve eats the fruit, then goads Adam in to doing the same. So, it would appear from the text that God told Adam, and he either did or did not tell Eve. Nevertheless, he certainly didn’t tell her not to eat, nor did he refrain from eating himself – despite the fact God specifically told him not to do so.
So, the idea that (in the context) Adam was innocent in the matter, is erroneous.
Thanks for the comment; I have two brief responses. Richard. First, please realize that the original post is summarizing 2 Enoch’s view, not the view of the Hebrew Bible. I certainly do not endorse the theology of 2 Enoch!
Second, You say that Eve “goads Adam into doing the same.” That is not what Genesis 3 says. Genesis 3:6 – she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” No goading, Adam was there the whole time and never objected to what the serpent said. Paul is clear, “sin came into the world through one man…” (Romans 5:12).