Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

14-16 Judgment on the False Teachers Revisited. Jude turns his primary focus back to judgment, using an extrabiblical Jewish work, 1 Enoch (2nd or 1st century b.c.), to make his point. The use of extrabiblical literature does not mean that any of these literary works are authoritative words of God in the same category as Scripture (see note on vv. 8-10). Jude is simply drawing from 1 Enoch another example of judgment, which means that, in at least this specific instance, 1 Enoch 1.9 contains truth.

14-15 Description of the Judgment. Enoch, the seventh from Adam does not necessarily imply that Enoch was literally the seventh generation descended from Adam; it may mean simply that he is the seventh one listed in the line of Adam in the Genesis narrative (Gen. 5:18-24; cf. 1 Chron. 1:3). Jude describes the coming of the Lord as Enoch prophesied, and he quotes from 1 Enoch 1.9. Again, with regard to this particular statement, Jude is citing the content of 1 Enoch as true and prophetic of the return of the Lord (see note on Jude 14-16). The Lord will return with hosts of angels to execute judgment on all the ungodly. Enoch (and thus also Jude) focuses on blasphemy against God (e.g., in vv. 3-4, the opponents' denial of Jesus Christ). to convict. For punishment, not for repentance (as in John 16:8). Jude places great emphasis on the ungodliness of those judged ("ungodliness," Gk. asebeia, vs. "godliness," Gk. eusebeia; see note on 2 Pet. 1:6).

16 Further Reasons for Judgment. Jude applies the citation from 1 Enoch (see vv. 14-15) to the false teachers, probably using this vice list to focus on some of their more pronounced and obvious misbehaviors. Grumblers calls to mind the wilderness generation (Ex. 16:7-12; Num. 14:27; 16:41; 17:5). To gain advantage probably refers to financial gain, and ties in with an earlier mention of greed (Jude 11).