The Use of 1 Enoch in Jude

An Unexpected Authoritative Citation

The New Testament frequently draws upon the Hebrew Bible, employing varied but consistent citation formulas to signal to the reader an authoritative reference.¹ These formulas typically include phrases such as “it is written,” “Scripture says,” or attribution to specific prophets followed by direct quotation. Such patterns establish a methodical approach to incorporating sacred texts, reinforcing their status and authority within the emerging Christian tradition. These citation practices reveal how early Christian writers understood and engaged with their inherited texts, using established patterns to connect new teachings with recognized scriptural foundations.

What makes the epistle of Jude particularly noteworthy is its unique citation of material outside the traditionally recognized texts of the Hebrew Bible. In verse 14, Jude introduces a quotation from the pseudepigraphal text commonly referred to as 1 Enoch, using a formula nearly identical to those used elsewhere for authoritative texts. The introduction “Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, even prophesied of them, saying...” mirrors citation patterns found in the gospels, such as when Jesus quotes Isaiah in Matthew. This form of citation highly suggests Jude gave a version of the Enochic text a level of authority comparable to texts within the Hebrew Bible.

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This is the blessing Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death. He said: “The Lord came from Sinai and revealed himself to Israel from Seir. He appeared in splendor from Mount Paran, and came forth with ten thousand holy ones. With his right hand he gave a fiery law to them. Surely he loves the people; all your holy ones are in your power. And they sit at your feet, each receiving your words. Moses delivered to us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob. (Deuteronomy 33:1-4)

But with the righteous, He will establish peace. He will protect the chosen, and mercy will be upon them. They will all belong to God, prosper, and be blessed. He will aid them, and light will shine for them, and He will make peace with them. Behold! He comes with tens of thousands of His holy ones to pass judgment upon all, to annihilate all the wicked, to convict every soul of all the godless deeds they have committed, and of all the harsh words that godless sinners have spoken against Him. (1 Enoch 1:8-9)²

Now Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, even prophesied of them, saying, “Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict every person of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds that they have committed, and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 14-15)³

The quoted passage from 1 Enoch is itself an interesting adaptation of imagery from Deuteronomy 33:2, where the divine presence manifests along with “myriads of holy ones” at Sinai. While the imagery from Deuteronomy is associated with the giving of the Torah, 1 Enoch reimagines it from past revelation towards a future apocalyptic context of judgment.⁴ The “holy ones” accompanying the divine figure transition from witnesses to the beginning of the Sinai covenant to active participants in eschatological judgment, reflecting evolving theological understandings in the centuries between these texts.

Jude’s own adaptation of this passage from 1 Enoch contains subtle but crucial modifications that reflect early Christian interpretive practices. Most notably, Jude appears to identify Jesus with the divine figure in the Enochic text. Where 1 Enoch uses an indefinite “he” referring back to God, Jude substitutes “the Lord” (Greek kurios), a term frequently applied to Jesus in early Christian writings.⁵ This alteration represents a potential Christological reading, where prophecies, even pseudepigraphic ones, previously understood as referring to God are now applied to Jesus as divine judge. Jude’s treatment of 1 Enoch thus reveals not only an apparent acceptance of this Enochic literature as authoritative but also an attempt to “find” Jesus within it.⁶

But you say, ‘If someone tells his father or mother, “Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God,” he does not need to honor his father.’ You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition. Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Matthew 15:5-9)⁷

The similarity between Jude’s citation method and other New Testament citation patterns become evident when comparing Jude 14-15 with Matthew 15:7-9. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus confronts religious leaders by declaring, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said...” before quoting from Isaiah. This introductory formula identifies the prophet by name, claims prophetic relevance to present circumstances, and signals the authoritative nature of the text being cited. Jude employs an almost identical structure when he writes, “Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, even prophesied of them, saying...” Both passages exhibit the same essential elements: naming the prophetic figure, establishing their credibility, asserting the relevance of their words to the current situation, and employing a speech marker (“saying” or “when he said”) to introduce the quotation.

This construction reveals that Jude is consciously employing established citation conventions reserved for authoritative texts, suggesting he viewed 1 Enoch as belonging to the same category of prophetic literature.⁸ Both passages share a common interpretive approach that connects its referent with a later fulfillment. In Matthew, Jesus applies Isaiah’s words about empty worship to the religious leaders of his own time, suggesting that the prophet spoke directly to their situation centuries earlier. Similarly, Jude presents Enoch’s language about divine judgment as directly applicable to the false teachers threatening his community. This distinct approach treats the cited texts not merely as historical documents but as inspired literature with continuing relevance in the later author’s own time.

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Jude’s authoritative use of this Enochic text poses significant questions about the changing boundaries of texts in early Christian tradition. While the New Testament preserves Jude’s treatment of Enochic literature as authoritative, by the end of the 4th century the majority of Christian tradition had rejected the continuing use of it. This presents a conundrum in that Jude, an accepted text, in turn authoritatively cites a source that was initially accepted but then centuries later rejected, creating a possibly intractable tug-of-war between text and tradition. This historical trajectory reveals the complex and sometimes contradictory processes by which textual authority was negotiated in the first several centuries of Christian tradition. Rather than representing a simple linear development, the relationship appears cyclical and mutually constitutive.

This tension illuminates the provisional, even ephemeral, nature of early textual boundaries and challenges simple models of canonical development. The case of Jude and 1 Enoch demonstrates that tradition itself often contains the seeds of its own critique, preserving evidence of alternative perspectives and earlier, more expansive understandings of textual authority. This plurality within Christian history serves as a reminder that tradition is not, and likely never has been, monolithic but contains diverse voices and perspectives, preserving tensions that continue to invite reflection on the nature of inspiration and authority.

1. Jassen, Alex P. Mediating the Divine: Prophecy and Revelation in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Second Temple Judaism Brill, 2007

2. https://intertextual.bible/text/deuteronomy-33.2-1-enoch-1.9

3. https://intertextual.bible/text/1-enoch-1.9-jude-1.14

4. Carson, D. A. “Jude” in Beale, G. K., and D. A. Carson (eds.) Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (p. 2429) Baker Academic, 2007

5. Charlesworth, James H. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha & the New Testament (p. 73) Trinity Press International, 1998

6. Vinson, Richard B. 1 & 2 Peter, Jude (pp. 175-176) Smyth & Helwys, 2010

7. https://intertextual.bible/text/matthew-15.7-jude-1.14

8. Vanbeek, Lawrence H. The Letter of Jude's Use of 1 Enoch: The Book of the Watchers as Scripture (pp. 86-88) University of South Africa, 1997