Jude 1:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones,

NIV: Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: 'See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones

NASB: It was also about these people that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, 'Behold, the Lord has come with many thousands of His holy ones,

CSB: It was about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied: "Look! The Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones

NLT: Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, 'Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones

KJV: And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

NKJV: Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,

This verse is interesting for providing a quote from one of mankind's earliest patriarchs, Enoch. Jude relates a statement made by Enoch concerning the fate of the ungodly apostates. Although Enoch was not a writer of Scripture, the Holy Spirit guided Jude to quote from Enoch, who lived before Noah's flood (2 Peter 1:21). Genesis 5:24 credits Enoch with walking with God before God took him away from earth, apparently without dying, to be with the Lord. Enoch's prediction is quoted in verses 14 and 15 as a prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled. Enoch predicted that the Lord will return to earth with a myriad of "holy ones." This seems to refer to angels and raptured Christians (Matthew 25:31; Colossians 3:4).

We are not exactly sure where this quotation comes from, or if it was part of some other Jewish writing before being recorded here. At the time Jude wrote, Jewish literature included a non-inspired book, The Book of Enoch, which contains a similar statement. Jude's phrasing is significantly different, however, leading many to suggest that he was either quoting an oral tradition, or had been given particular information by the Holy Spirit. Writers of Scripture often quoted from non-inspired texts for the sake of making a point (Titus 1:12), so this reference does not imply that Jude accepted The Book of Enoch as God's Word.

Jude 1:5–16 describes the nature, errors, and fate of false teachers plaguing the Christian church. Jude's readers seem to have been acquainted with Israel's history. This passage references Old Testament events to help explain the apostates' sins, the danger they pose, and how the Lord will punish them. Jude references the unbelief of Israel after the Lord delivered them from slavery in Egypt, rebellious angels, the ungodly people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the dangers of allowing such people to mingle with other believers.

Jude's brief letter describes men at their worst and God at His best. Believers are already on the victorious side! Those who mock God's truth and who follow their own desires all while claiming to be Christians, are the most dangerous kind of unbelievers. These persons pose a danger to themselves and to any Christians they might influence. In response, Christians need to focus on understanding the truth of God's written Word and submitting to His will.

Jude is a single-chapter letter which reflects earlier warnings about apostates and their false teachings. Other passages of Scripture describe evil men who taught that Jesus was not fully human or fully God (1 John 2:22; 4:1–3), that God's grace allowed them to live immorally (2 Peter 2; Romans 6:1, 15), that Jesus blood was not an adequate sacrifice (Galatians 1:6–9; Hebrews 3:12–19; 10:19), and sinners gain a right standing in God's sight by keeping the law of Moses (Galatians 5:4, 7–9). Jude's letter combats false teaching and exhorts readers to remain faithful to the Lord.

The book of Jude is a letter written by a half-brother of Jesus, likely later than AD 66–67, which was after 2 Peter was written. Its placement immediately before the book of Revelation is appropriate. This letter warns about false religion and evil men, whom Revelation describes as maliciously affecting political and religious conditions.