3 Enoch 5
3 Enoch 5
Section: Metatron Revealed (Enoch Transformed)
Translated by Hugo Odeberg (1928)
CHAPTER V
The idolatry of the generation of Enosh causes God to remove the Shekina from earth. The idolatry inspired by ‘Azza, ‘Uzza and ‘Azziel
\ R. Ishmael said: Metatron, the Prince of the Presence, said to me: (1) ‘From the day* when the Holy One, blessed be He, expelled
14 C ins. ‘and thy mother’ 15-15 BCL: ‘in years’ Ch. v. 1-1 BCL, YR. i. 59 a: ‘on the day’
of the Curtain of MAQOM: onch. xlv.1,x.1). heshall be a prince and a ruler over you in the high heavens for I delight in this one more than in all of you. This probably is meant to refer not only to ‘Azza, ‘Uzza and ‘Azzael, but to the ministering angels with them or else their suite of angels. Notice how CE in vs. 6 represents ‘Azza and ‘Azzael not as individual angels but as an order of angels, just as in the old tradition of x En. vi seqq. Asael was only one of the leaders of a multitude of angels. Metatron a ruler over ‘Azza and ‘Azzael: cf. quotation Yalqut Re’ubeni, i. 55 a, referred to above, a ruler over the princes and angels in general: cf. ch. x. 3, 4.
(9) Happy art thou and happy is thy father. This beatitude echoes the conception of “the Zakut of a Pious Posterity’’ (Schechter’s expression, Aspects, pp. 195 seqq.). The merits of the sons retroact upon and determine the fate of the fathers.
(10) because I am small and a youth among them. This is the answer to the opening question of the present chapter. Cf. note tb. The angels are existent from the days of Creation. Cf. above.
Ch.v. This chapter treats of the removal of Shekina from earth on account of the idolatry of Enosh and his generation. It contains no definite reference to the subject proper of the present section: Enoch(-Metatron) and his translation to heaven. Furthermore, it represents a different tradition from that of ch. iv as to the nature of the angels ‘Azza, ‘Uzza and ‘Azzael. The connection with the context is, however, established by ch. vi. I, 3, which associate the translation of Enoch to-heaven-with the removal of SEE from earth. The chapter may therefore in its present position be consi as an introduction to ch. vi, offering a pre- paratory explanation of the reason and circumstances of the removal of Shekina, there alluded to. As regards the relationship between ch. iv on one hand and chh. v and vi on the other, it might be safe to assume that they represent respectively two different lines of tradition as to the translation of Enoch: one (ch. iv) connecting it with the sins of the generation of the flood of which he was to bear testimony to coming generations, the other (chh. v, vi) holding the view that Enoch—as the
14 THE HEBREW BOOK OF ENOCH [CH. V
the first Adam from the Garden of Eden (and onwards), Shekina was dwelling upon a Kerub under the Tree of Life.
(2) And the ministering angels “were gathering together? and going down from heaven in parties, from the Ragid’ in ‘companies and from the heavens in camps? “to do His will in^ the whole world.
(3) And the first man and ‘his generation® were sitting outside the gate of the Garden to behold the radiant appearance of the Shekina.
2-2 B: ‘were entering’ CL: ‘were assembling’ DE: ‘were leaping’ 3-3 BCL: ‘and in companies and camps from Ragia‘’ E om. 4-4. DE: ‘to roam, to fly over’ 5-5 EL: ‘and Eve’
only righteous man of his generation—was taken up on the occasion of Shekina’s return to the heavens. The object of Enoch’s translation, acc. to the latter view, was apparently not his function of witness, but is expressed by the last words of ch. vi: ‘I have taken him as a tribute from my world’ or ‘as my only reward for all my labour with the first generations of the world’.
(1) From the day…Shekina was dwelling etc. This represents the fre- quently attested idea that the original abode of the Shekina was among the ’ terres- trials, ha-tTachtonim’ (Cant. R. vi, Num. R. xii. 5; cf. Abelson, Jmmanence of God in Rabbinical Literature, pp. 117-139). The specific view of the present passage is, that Shekina remained on earth after the first Adam’s fall until the rise of idolatry in the generation of Enosh. Acc. to Cant. R. vi (see Abelson, op. cit. p. 136) Shekina was removed from earth already with Adam’s sin: to the first heaven, and then in six subsequent stages corresponding to the six following epochs of men’s degrada- tion from heaven to heaven (the epochs are acc. to that passage: the sins of Cain, of the generation of Enoch, of the generation of the Flood, of the Dispersion, of the Sodomites and of the Egyptians in the days of Abraham). Acc. to Num. R. xii. 5 (in a dictum attributed to R. Simeon ben Yochai) the Shekina was dwelling on earth in the beginning, was removed with the sin of Adam, and returned with the erection of the Tabernacle. Jb. (acc. to Rab) the Shekina is also said never to have taken up its abode on earth until the erection of the Tabernacle. Cf. on vs. 13. The Shekina here stands for the manifestation of God, to all intents and purposes identical with the manifestation on ‘the Throne of Glory’: when on earth Shekina is no longer in heaven, see vs. 11.
upon a Kerub. Cf. chh. xxii. 12, 16, xxiv. 1, 17. upon a Kerub under the Tree of Life. Cf. Apoc. Mosis, xxii. 3, 4: “When God appeared in Paradise mounted on the chariot of His Cherubim with the angels proceeding before him…And the Throne of God was fixed where the Tree of Life was”. Here the Kerub takes the place of the Throne of Glory which is left in the highest of the heavens, acc. to vs. 11.
(2) And the ministering angels were. .. going downfrom heaven incompanies etc. Cf. Apoc. Mosis, xvii. 1, xxii. 3 seq. Alph. R. ‘Agqiba, letter ‘Aleph: ‘when the first Adam beheld the Sabbath, he opened his mouth in praise of the Holy One: then the ministering angels went down from heaven in companies…”; 1b.: (in the world to come) “the angels will come down in companies from heaven to the Garden of Eden”. And zb. BH. iii. 60: “ (when God had created Eve and brought her to Adam) all the heavenly household went down…to the Garden of Eden”. Cf. Yer. Chag. 77 a, 4 Ez. vi. 3.
(3) the first man andhis generation were sitting outsidethe gate of the Garden to behold the radiant appearance of the Shekina. Although expelled from the Garden of Eden Adam and his generation still partake of the splendour of Shekina. Cf. TB. Ber. 17 a: “(in the world to come) the righteous will be sitting with crowns
CH. V] | ENOCH-METATRON PIECE I5
v (4) For the sblendour of the Shekina traversed the world from one end to the otiier “(with a splendour) 305,000 times (that) of the globe of the sun®. And everyone who ‘made use of’ the splendour of the Shekina, on him no flies and no gnats did rest, neither was he ill nor suffered he any pain. No demons got power over him, neither
were they able to injure him.
(5) When the Holy One, blessed be He, went out and went in: 8from the Garden to Eden, from Eden to the Garden, from the Garden to Ragia‘ and from Ragia‘ to the Garden of Eden? then all and everyone beheld the splendour? of His Shekina and they
6-6 DE: ‘in one moment, 365,000 and to the globe of the sun’ A reads ‘65,000’ instead of ‘365,000’ (BCDEL). 7-7 DE: ‘beheld’ 8-8 BCDEL: ‘from Eden to the Garden, from the Garden to Ragia‘ and from Ragia‘ to the Garden of Eden’ 9so BGDL. A: ‘splendour of the image’
on their heads and enjoy the splendour of the Shekina’’. ‘The idea of the radiance of Shekina is closely related to that of the heavenly light, of which the light created on the first day was an emanation and which is reserved for the righteous in the world to come. Cf. next vs.
(4) The splendour of the Shekina traversed the world from one end to the other…And everyone who made use of the splendour of the Shekina… No demons got power over him. For a discussion of the conception of the ‘splendour (ziw) of the Shekina’ see Abelson, op. cit. pp. 85-89. [The splendour of the Shekina is here apparently conceived of as a light-substance protecting from illnesses, from the power of demons and from everything evil and unclean] For the idea of the splendour of Shekina as protecting from demons cf. Num. R. xii. 3. It is also conceived of as a sustaining substance, a spiritual food, both for the angels and the saints. TB. Ber. 17 a (see Abelson, op. cit. p. 87; Kohler, Jewish Theology, p. 198). Yalqut on Ps. viii (TB. Shabbat, 88 a): ‘when God spread the splendour of Shekina over Moses the angels could not burn him”. Yalqut on Ps. xlv: “‘the righteous will feed on the splendour of Shekina and.. they will receive no injury”. ‘The splendour of Shekina’ is further used as an attribute of honour and glorification for the highest angels; cf. ch. xxii. 7, 13. Cf. 4. Ez. vil. 42, 122, Rev. xxi. 23 (notes in Box, Ezra-Apocalypse, pp. 85, 127, 161).
[The conception of the splendour of the Shekina is sometimes seen under the aspect of the ‘first light of Creation’ or as ‘the uncreated light of the Divine Presence’ of which the first light is an emanation: this light is referred to in similar terms as those used of“ the splendour of the Shekina”] Cf. in the present connection Gen. R. xi. 2, xii. 5: **in the light which God created on the first day (so Gen. R. xi. 2; ib. xii. 5: the light by which the world was created) the first Adam saw from one end of the world to the other. ..but as soon as the Holy One, blessed be He, beheld the deeds of the generation of Enosh, of the Deluge and of the Dispersion he took it away and treasured it. . .for the righteous in the world to come”. Sim. TB. Chag. 12a.
(5) went out and went in: from the Garden to Eden. The Garden of Eden is the greater whole of which Eden is a part: Gen. R. xv, the Garden and Eden are two distinct things: TB. Ber. 34 b. For the expression ‘went out and went in etc.’ cf. the account of Shekina’s ten different journeys in the Temple in Lam. R. Pröem. 25. Fhe idea is probably deduced from Gen. iii. 8 (“and they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden”): the passage is interpreted in this sense in Num. R. xiii. 4 (although there God’s Shekina is said to have had its per- manent abode in heaven, from where it went down and went up again).
16 THE HEBREW BOOK OF ENOCH © [cH. v
were not injured; (6) until “the time of” the genera’ion of Enosh “who was the head of all idol worshippers of the world”. (7) And “what did the generation of Enosh do? They went from one end of the world to the other, and each one brought silver, gold, precious stones and pearls in “heaps like unto mountains and hills making idols out of them throughout all the world. And they erected the idols in every quarter of the world: the size of each idol was Iooo parasangs. (8) And they brought down the sun, the moon, planets and constellations, and placed them before the idols on their right hand and on their left, to attend them even as they attend” the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written (1 Kings xxii. 19): “And all the host of heaven was standing by him on his right hand and on his left”.
(9) What power was in them that they were able to bring them down? ‘They would not have been able to bring them down but for 19’UZZA, ‘AZZA and ‘AZZIEL!$ who taught them !’sorceries whereby they brought them down and made use of them”.
10-10 L: ‘did not consume away’ 11-11 lit. ‘came’ 12-12 E om. 13-13 E om. 14-14 lit. ‘in mountains and hills’ 15 with BCDEL, reading pi‘‘el. A has hithpa‘‘el: ‘make use of’ 16-16 CL: ‘ ‘Azza and ‘Azza’el’ D:‘ ‘Azza and ‘Azeaiel’ E: ‘‘Uzza and ‘Azza’el’ cf. ch. iv. 7. 17-17 C om. L: “the art of sorceries’
(6) until the time of the generation of Enosh who was the head of all idol worshippers of the world. The generation of Enosh is here specifically connected with idolatry. In Rabbinic the cardinal sins of idolatry, adultery and bloodshed (and the calling of God’s name in vain and sorceries) are often pro- miscuously referred to the generations of Enosh, of the Deluge and of the Dis- persion. But cf. Lam. R. Préem. 24: “the generation of Enosh who were the heads of idol-worshippers “.
(7) And they erected the idols in every quarter of the world: the size of each idol was 1000 parasangs. ‘lhis:as well as the following vs. seems to pre- suppose the view of the men of this generation as being of immeasurably higher stature than those of later generations, an idea occasionally met with in Rabbinic.
(8) And they brought down the sun, the moon, planets and constellations. There is perhaps here a covert trace of an original representation of the generation of Enosh as worshippers of the sun and the planets. In the present form the heavenly bodies are made the attendants of the idols: they placed them before the idols to attend them like as they attend the Holy One, blessed be He. The idea is to illustrate how man put the idols in all respects in the same place as that which rightly belonged to God alone. Yalgut to Gen. iv. 26 quotes an account of the deeds of the generation of Enosh of a sintilar character as vss. 7 and 8 here (idols of copper, brass, iron, wood, stone).
(9) What power was in them… ‘Uzza, ‘Azza and ‘Azziel who taught them sorceries, whereby they brought them down. The quotation ,Siuni, Yalqut Re’u- beni, i. 53 a, has ’ Shemchazai and Azzael’ (so also BH. iv. 127—128, Yalq. Shim. Gen. xliv; cf. on the following vs.). On ‘Azza, ‘Uzza and ‘Azzael see on ch. iv. 6. Here they are represented as evil agencies, teaching men sorceries and thereby supporting or rather inspiring the idolatry. The tradition here set forth is of course
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(xo) In that time the ministering angels brought charges (against them) before the Holy One, blessed be He, saying before him: “Master of the World! What hast thou to do with the children of men? As it is written (Ps. viii. 4) ’ What is man (Enosh) that thou art mindful of him?’ ‘Mah Adam’ is not written here, but ‘Mah Enosh’, for he (Enosh) is the head of the idol worshippers. (11) Why
hast thou left
a direct descendant of that which has found expression in the pseudepigraphal writings, esp. 1 En. vi, vii, viii: Semiazaz and Asael among other leaders of the fallen angels who corrupted mankind. vii. 1: “they began to…defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments”’. viii. 1: “‘ Azazel taught men…and made known to them the metals (cf. ‘gold, silver etc.’ here)… and all kinds of costly stones (cf. here)… (3) Semjaza taught enchantments… Baraqijal astrology. Kokabel the constellations,…Shamsiel the signs of the sun, Sariel the course of the moon”, vide Charles, ad loca. Add Jub.iv.22, v. 1, xi. 4seqq.: “they made for themselves molten images, and they worshipped each their idol… and malignant spirits assisted and seduced them into committing transgression and ` uncleanness ’. 2 En. vii, xviii. 2 En. xviii. 4 is of special interest in the present connection, since it shows that already at an early time a tradition obtained that had fixed the number of these angels as three—as against the tradition of the passages quoted in r Zn. representing them as a large number: “and of them (Grigori = Watchers) there went three to the earth from the Throne of God to the place Ermon. And they entered into dealings etc.” Later the number is further reduced to two, so always in Zohar; cf. on vs. 6 of ch. iv. Cf. Midrash Petirath Moshe, BH. i. 129: “‘the angels ‘Azza and ‘Azza’el went down from the heavens and became corrupt in their ways”.
(ro) At that time the ministering angels brought charges against man before God ete. ‘Whatismanetc.’ This verse, Ps. viii. 4, is traditionally made to express the animosity of the angels against man, and rather suitably. See Tanchuma, Par. Bechuqqothai (Lev. xxvi); Gen. R. viii. 5 (in connection with the creations of man); P. R. ’El. xiii uses the similar passage Ps. cxliv. 3, 4 (‘The ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed be He: ‘Lord of all the World, what is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man that thou takest account of him’”). Cf. ferachmeel, xxii. 1, and Ma‘yan Chokma, BH. i. 58. But the form of accusation here recorded is also, in particular, attributed to the angels ‘Azza and ‘Azzael. Thus in Zohar several times, ‘Azza and ‘Azzael are said to have used this argument when opposing man’s Creation, Zohar, i. 23 a, and another quotation in YR, i. 60a. A strange similarity with the present chapter is ex- hibited by the fragment quoted in Yalqut on Gen. vi. 2 (from Midrash Abkir): “the disciples of R. Yoseph asked him: what is ‘Azzael? he answered them: as soon as the generation of the flood (cf. ch. iv) stood up and worshipped idols (cf. the present chapter) the Holy One was sorely grieved. Then forthwith came the two angels Shemchazai and ‘ Azza’el and said before him: Master of the World! Did we not say before thee when thou didst create thy world: what is man that thou art mindful of him. He answered them: if ye were to go down to earth, the evil impulse would get power over you more than over man…Let us go down… He said: Go down and dwell with them. As soon as they were on earth, they corrupted their ways with the daughters of men…“. In that passage almost all the different statements about ‘Azza and ‘Azzael are woven together. Cf. on ch. iv. 6.
(11) Why hast thou left the highest of the high heavens etc. ‘T’his presup- poses that when Shekina was dwelling on earth it was absent from the ‘Araboth
Raqia‘.
OHB
[CH. V
CL:
the highest of the high heavens which are filled with the majesty of thy glory and are high, up- lifted and exalted, and the high and exalted Throne in the Raga’
B:
the ‘Araboth Ragia‘ which are full of thy glory, mighty and high alike, and the high and exalted Throne in the‘Ara- both Raga’ in the
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ADE: | the highest of the high heavens, the abode of thy glo- rious Name, and the high and exalted Throne in ‘Araboth on high
highest ‘Araboth on high
and art gone and dwellest with the children of men who worship idols and equal thee to the idols.. (12) Now thou art on earth and the idols likewise. What hast thou to do with the inhabitants of the earth who worship idols?” (13) Forthwith the Holy One, blessed be He, lifted up His Shekina from the earth, from their midst”.
(14) In that moment came the ministering angels, the troops of hosts and the armies of ‘Araboth in thousand camps and ten thousand hosts: they fetched trumpets and took the horns in their hands and surrounded the Shekina with all kinds of songs. 24And He ascended to the high heavens, as it is written (Ps. xlvii. 5): ” God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet”.
18-18 Bom. C: ‘now that thou art on earth, thou art become in condition like as the inhabitants of the earth who worship idols’ 19-19 L: ‘those who go down to earth and are idol-worshippers’ 20 C adds: ‘and the Shekina ascended to heaven’ 21-21 BCDEL om.
(13) Forthwith the Holy One. . .lifted up His Shekina from the earth… and he ascended to the high heavens. ”T’he Holy One’ and ‘ Shekina’ are here prac- tically synonymous. The idolatry is one of the main causes of the disappearance of the Shekina from on earth. Cf. Sifre (ed. Friedmann), 104 a, Mekilta, 72 a, Tan- chuma Lev., Par. behar (Schechter, Aspects, p. 223, Abelson, op. cit. p. ior). The idol erected in the Holy of Holies by Manasse, by its presence, its “face” drives out the Shekina from the Temple. The Shekina and the idols cannot remain in the same place: this is the burden of the remonstrances of the angels acc. to vs. 12. Cf. Cant. R. vi, Num. R. xii. 5, already referred to, note on vs. 1. Cf. also Lam. R. Proóem. 24 (in connection with the destruction of the Temple): ‘‘I have no abode on earth. I will remove my Shekina from earth and take it up to my former place”.
(14) And he ascended to the high heavens etc. Already acc. to ch. xlviii c the narrative about Shekina’s removal from on earth is connected with the taking ‘ up of Enoch as can be seen from the parallel to the present chapter found ib. (i.e. ch. xlviiic) vs. 1: “When I beheld the men of the generation of the flood (ctr. here and cf. ch. iv) that they were corrupt,-then I went and removed my Shekina from among them. And I lifted it up on high with the sound of a trumpet and with a shout as it is written (Ps. xlvii. 5) ‘God is gone up with a shout etc.’”
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CH. VI] ENOCH-METATRON PIECE 19