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NASB | Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 5:24 And [in reverent fear and obedience] Enoch walked with God; and he was not [found among men], because God took him [away to be home with Him]. [Heb 11:5] |
Bible Question:
What happened to Enoch? Aren't we all supposed to die? Steve |
Bible Answer: Good question.. (Genesis 5:24) "then he was no more, because God took him away. The phrase replaces "and then he died" in the other paragraphs of the chapter. Like Elijah, who was "taken" (2 Kings 2:10) to heaven, Enoch was taken away (cf. Ps 49:15; 73:24) to the presence of God without experiencing death (Heb 11:5). Lamech, the seventh from Adam in the geneaology of Cain, was evil personified. But "Enoch, the seventh from Adam" (Jude 14) in the geneaology of Seth, "was commended as one who pleased God" (Heb 11:5)." (NIV Study Bible) "5:24 walked with God...was not, for God took him. Enoch is the only break in the chapter from the incessant comment, "and he died." Cf. 4:17,18; 1 Chr. 1:3; Luke 3:37; Heb. 11:5; Jude 14. Only one other man is said to have enjoyed this intimacy of relationship in walking with God, Noah (6:9). Enoch experienced being taken to heaven alive by God, as did Elijah later (2 Kings 2:1-12)." (The MacArthur NKJV Study Bible) "5:24 As Lamech is seventh in the lineage of Cain, so Enoch is the seventh member in the line of Seth. The contrast between the two spiritual lines of descent is shown by the careers of Lamech and Enoch. Enoch “was not, for God took him”; this translation into heaven was apparently the reward of godly living. Enoch and Elijah were both taken to heaven without passing through the barrier of physical death which was imposed upon the rest of the race (Heb 9:27). Those alive at the return of Christ will experience such a translation (1 Thess 4:13-18). Walking with God results from a desire to be godly, and a determination to live close to God (cf. Ps 5:3, note). Despite the setbacks of sin, it still is possible for people of faith in this present era to live a godly life. Enoch is a source of universal and perpetual encouragement." (Believer's Study Bible) "5:24 Unlike the other descendants of Adam who die after lives of many centuries in length, Enoch, who has walked with God, leaves the earth because God took him. Enoch is linked in the biblical tradition with others like Moses and Elijah who were believed to have been taken up to God when their earthly lives ended (Deut 34:6; 2 Kings 2:11; Heb 11:5)." (Cambridge Annotated Study Bible) "Salvation, Grace—Enoch did not have to die because God took him (Heb 11:5). Although we must die, God’s grace permits us to enjoy sweet fellowship with Him here and hereafter. Last Things, Believers’ Death—Death as the outcome of life is stated eight times in this chapter of Genesis. This verse, however, breaks the pattern. Personal existence after physical death was not clearly taught in the early biblical literature. This verse indicates a basis for that belief even in these early genealogies. In this and other ways God revealed that our life extends beyond this world. Prayer, Fellowship With God—Practically every activity of the time required walking, and the term came to refer to the entire course of life itself. Enoch’s life was spent in the company of God. See note on 1 Jn 1:3." (Disciple's Study Bible) "Took Miracles (O.T.): v. 24; Gen 7:11. (Gen 5:24; Jonah 1:17)" (New Scofield Bible) "5:22-24 Enoch is an exception to the dismal refrain (“and he died”) of this chapter. He walked (lit., walked about, i.e., lived) with God, and instead of letting him die, God took him (the same Hebrew word is used for the translation of Elijah, 2 Kings 2:3, 5; cf. Heb. 11:5). In other words, Enoch went directly to heaven without dying, as will believers who are alive at the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:17). See also note on Jude 14." (Ryrie Study Bible) "The most fascinating name in this listing is that of Enoch (not the son of Cain of the same name, 4:17). The phrase, Enoch walked with God (vv. 22, 24), expresses a life of fellowship with and obedience to the Lord (as was true of Noah, 6:8). It also recalls the experience of Adam and Eve, who had lived in even closer proximity to the Lord before the Fall (3:8). he was not: This phrase does not mean that Enoch ceased to exist, instead it means that he was taken into God’s presence, for God took him. Only Enoch and Elijah (see 2 Kin. 2:11) ever had this experience. Enoch’s remarkable experience was both a testimony of his deep faith in God (see Heb. 11:5, 6) and a strong reminder at the beginning of biblical history that there is life in God’s presence after death for the people of God. What Enoch experienced in a remarkable, dramatic fashion is what each person who “walks with God” will experience—everlasting life with the Savior." (Nelson Study Bible) |