Bible Figure
Enoch
biblical figure, son of Jared
Enoch was a descendant of Adam through Seth and the father of Methuselah. Genesis distinguishes him from the surrounding genealogy by saying that Enoch walked with God and then was no more because God took him. Hebrews later presents Enoch as an example of faith who pleased God.
Biography
Enoch appears in the genealogy of Genesis 5 as the son of Jared and father of Methuselah. Unlike the repeated pattern in which each patriarch's life ends with the statement that he died, Enoch's account says that he walked with God and that God took him. Genesis gives few additional details about his life. Hebrews 11 interprets his removal as an act of faith, saying that he was taken so that he did not experience death and emphasizing that he pleased God. Jude also refers to Enoch in connection with a prophetic saying known from later Jewish tradition. The biblical text itself remains brief and does not supply the elaborate angelic and visionary material associated with later Enochic literature.
Biblical Significance
Enoch is one of Scripture's clearest early examples of a life characterized by fellowship with God. His unusual departure interrupts the repeated pattern of death in Genesis 5 and provides an early biblical witness that death does not have the final word over those who belong to God. Hebrews uses him specifically to teach the necessity and value of faith.