A Companion to the Book of Enoch: A Reader's Commentary, Vol I: The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36)

by Michael S. Heiser

Publisher:

Defender Publishing

, 2020

Overview

The Book of Enoch was read and revered across the spectrum of Second Temple Judaism-those forms of Judaism that thrived in the “Intertestamental” period (ca. 500 B.C. to 100 A. D.). The book is more properly referred to as 1 Enoch in order to distinguish it from other books that bore the name Enoch which were composed later than this period (e.g., 2 Enoch, 3 Enoch).

Though 1 Enoch was and is not considered canonical Scripture by the majority of Jewish and Christian authorities in antiquity, the book had a very wide readership, including the authors of New Testament books. This fact is well known to scholars who work in the original languages of both the New Testament and 1 Enoch. The content of 1 Enoch can be found in a number of passages in the New Testament as well as certain of its theological conceptions.

Though the scholarly literature on 1 Enoch is plentiful, no commentary for the interested lay person exists-until now. A Companion to the Book of Enoch: A Reader’s Commentary, Volume 1: The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36) was written to fill this void and help students of the Bible understand and appreciate this important and influential ancient book

This “reader’s commentary” does not require original language facility on the part of its user. Rather, the purpose of a Reader’s Commentary is to help readers of 1 Enoch comprehend what the book’s content with greater insight and clarity. Consequently, this Reader’s Commentary on 1 Enoch is not written for scholars. Anyone who has decided to devote the time to reading 1 Enoch, perhaps for the first time, will find this resource eminently useful.

A Companion to the Book of Enoch: A Reader’s Commentary is based on the translation of 1 Enoch by R. H. Charles (1917). Important original language insights and differences in manuscripts of 1 Enoch are noted and explained as are theological concepts.

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Key Features

• Helps students of the Bible understand and appreciate this important and influential ancient book
• Enables readers of 1 Enoch comprehend what the book’s content with greater insight and clarity
• Notes and explains important original language insights and differences in manuscripts of 1 Enoch

Contents

Introduction to the Book of Enoch (1 Enoch)

• Why 1 Enoch?
• Authorship and Date
• The Books that Make Up 1 Enoch
• Original Language and Manuscript Sources for 1 Enoch
• Reception of 1 Enoch by Jews in the Second Temple Period
• Reception of 1 Enoch in the Early Church
• The Relationship of 1 Enoch to the Book of the Giants from Qumran
• General Overview of 1 Enoch: What’s the Book About?

A Reader’s Commentary on 1 Enoch 1–36 (The Book of the Watchers)

• A Reader’s Commentary on 1 Enoch 1–5
• A Reader’s Commentary on 1 Enoch 6–11
• A Reader’s Commentary on 1 Enoch 12–16
• A Reader’s Commentary on 1 Enoch 17–36

Product Details

• Title: A Companion to the Book of Enoch: A Reader’s Commentary, Vol I: The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36)
• Author: Michael S. Heiser
• Publisher: Defender Publishing
• Print Publication Date: 2020
• Pages: 268
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• ISBNs: 9781948014304, 1948014300
• Resource ID: LLS:CMPNNB1NCH13601
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2025-02-21T22:42:45Z

About Michael S. Heiser

Dr. Michael S. Heiser (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Hebrew and Semitic Studies) was a former Scholar-in-Residence for Faithlife Corporation, the makers of Logos Bible Software. He then served as the Executive Director of the Awakening School of Theology and Ministry. His varied academic background enabled him to operate in the realm of critical scholarship and the wider Christian community. His experience in teaching at the undergraduate level and writing for the layperson both directly contributed to Logos’ goal of adapting scholarly tools for’nonspecialists.

Dr. Heiser earned his PhD in Hebrew Bible and Semitic languages and holds an MA in ancient history and Hebrew studies. He was the coeditor of Old Testament Greek Pseudepigrapha with Morphology and Semitic Inscriptions: Analyzed Texts and English Translations, and he was able to do translation work in roughly a dozen ancient languages, including Biblical Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Ugaritic cuneiform. He specialized in Israelite religion (especially Israel’s divine council), contextualizing biblical theology with Israelite and ancient Near Eastern religion, Jewish binitarianism, biblical languages, ancient Semitic languages, textual criticism, comparative philology, and Second Temple period Jewish literature. In 2007 he was named the Pacific Northwest Regional Scholar by the Society of Biblical Literature.

Dr. Heiser authored several best-selling books, including The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible and Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ. He was host of the popular Naked Bible Podcast and served as the Executive Director of the Awakening School of Theology and Ministry in Jacksonville, FL.

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