Is 3 Enoch in the Bible?
No. 3 Enoch is not in the King James Version or in any Christian canon. It is a Jewish mystical text from several centuries after the New Testament.
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3 Enoch (Hebrew Enoch) — Free PDF Study Guide
A clear introduction to 3 Enoch — the Hebrew Book of the Palaces (Sefer Hekhalot). In this late merkabah text, Rabbi Ishmael ascends to the seventh heaven and is met by Metatron, the 'Prince of the Presence,' who reveals that he was once Enoch son of Jared, taken up from among men and transformed into the greatest of angels. This free guide explains its structure, its place in Jewish mysticism, and how Christians should read it.
An original Bible Sundays study companion. 3 Enoch is a Hebrew merkabah text usually dated to the fifth–sixth centuries AD; the standard English translation is by Hugo Odeberg (1928). Scripture quoted from the King James Version.
What you get
Structure of the 48 chapters of Sefer Hekhalot
Rabbi Ishmael's ascent through the seven palaces
Enoch's transformation into the angel Metatron
Merkabah mysticism and the throne-chariot of Ezekiel 1
How 3 Enoch differs from 1 Enoch and 2 Enoch
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What is 3 Enoch?
3 Enoch, properly Sefer Hekhalot ('the Book of the Palaces'), is a Hebrew mystical work usually dated to the fifth or sixth century AD, though it draws on much older traditions. It belongs to the merkabah literature — Jewish texts about the throne-chariot of Ezekiel 1 and the perilous ascent of the mystic through the heavenly palaces. Its narrator is Rabbi Ishmael, a second-century sage, and its main speaker is the angel Metatron.
Enoch becomes Metatron
The book's central claim is startling: the towering angel who greets Rabbi Ishmael in the seventh palace identifies himself as Enoch son of Jared, taken from the generation of the flood, enlarged to cosmic size, seated on a throne at the door of the seventh palace, crowned, and named 'the lesser YHWH.' Chapters 3–16 narrate his elevation and the angelic protest that followed. Later chapters catalogue the ranks of angels, the workings of divine judgment, the heavenly curtain on which all history is woven, and the punishment of Metatron himself when a visiting mystic mistakes him for a second power in heaven.
How Christians should read it
3 Enoch is not Scripture, and it is far later than the New Testament — so it cannot be used as background to Jude or Hebrews the way 1 Enoch can. Its value is different: it shows how Jewish mystical tradition continued to wrestle with the silence of Genesis 5:24 for centuries, and how carefully rabbinic Judaism policed the line between the one God and his exalted servants. Christians reading it will notice how firmly Scripture keeps that line: 'there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus' (1 Timothy 2:5).
Frequently asked questions
Who is Metatron in 3 Enoch?
Metatron is the chief angel of the book, who identifies himself as the patriarch Enoch transformed after being taken up by God. He is called 'Prince of the Presence' and serves as heavenly scribe.
Is Metatron in the Bible?
No. The name Metatron never appears in the King James Bible or in any biblical book. It is found only in later Jewish mystical and rabbinic literature.
When was 3 Enoch written?
Most scholars date the compilation to roughly the fifth or sixth century AD in Babylonia, though it preserves earlier merkabah traditions.
What is merkabah mysticism?
Merkabah ('chariot') mysticism is a stream of early Jewish mysticism focused on the throne-chariot vision of Ezekiel 1 and on the disciplined, dangerous ascent of the visionary through the heavenly palaces to the throne of glory.
How is 3 Enoch different from 1 Enoch?
1 Enoch is a Second Temple Ethiopic collection quoted in Jude and concerned with the Watchers and judgment. 3 Enoch is a much later Hebrew text concerned with heavenly ascent, angelology, and Metatron.
Why isn't 3 Enoch in any canon?
It was written centuries after both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament were settled, and it belongs to esoteric mystical literature rather than to scriptural tradition in either Judaism or Christianity.
Can I share this study guide?
Yes. This Bible Sundays study guide is free to share for any personal, ministry, or educational purpose.
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