Enoch חֲנוֹךְ
Son of Cain, and a city named after him.
Who is Enoch in the Bible?
The Bible mentions two figures named Enoch. The first was the son of Cain, who lived after Cain had been banished from God's presence for murdering his brother Abel (Genesis 4:17). Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch, marking the first city mentioned in Scripture, though little else is recorded about him. The second and more significant Enoch was a descendant of Adam through the line of Seth, who lived 365 years and was known for his exceptional devotion to God (Genesis 5:23-24). This Enoch "walked with God" in such intimate communion that God took him directly to heaven without experiencing death, a distinction shared only with Elijah and foreshadowing the hope of resurrection in biblical theology (Jude 1:14).
Biography
Enoch is mentioned in the genealogy of Cain as his son (Gen.4.17). He was born after Cain had been banished by God for killing his brother Abel. The text states that Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch, which is the first mention of a city in the Bible (Gen.4.17). The naming of the city after Enoch suggests that Cain had high hopes for his son and wanted to establish a lasting legacy through him. However, no further details are provided about Enoch's life, his role in the city, or his descendants. The genealogy continues with Enoch's son, Irad, but the focus shifts away from Enoch himself (Gen.4.18). The mention of Enoch in this context serves primarily to highlight the development of civilization and the expansion of human society, even among the descendants of Cain.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentGenesis 2 verses
- Genesis 4:17
"And Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 4:18
"Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methusael, and Methusael was the father of Lamech."
Study Genesis →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | חֲנוֹךְ | ḥănwōkĕ | Chanok , an antediluvian patriach |
Enoch
in descent from Adam in the line of Seth (Jude 1:14). He is said (Ge 5:23) to have lived 365 years, but the brief record of his life is comprised in the words, "Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him" (Ge 5:24). The expression "walked with God" denotes a devout life, lived in close communion with God, while the reference to his end has always been understood, as by the writer of He, to mean, "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him" (Heb 11:5).
See further, APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE, sec. II, i, 1.
A. C. Grant
In Ge 4:17 it is narrated that Cain, who had taken up his abode in the land of Nod, East of Eden (verse 16), built there a city, and called it after the name of his firstborn s