Albert Barnes Commentary Jude 1:14

"And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones," — Jude 1:14 (ASV)

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam. The seventh in the direct line of descent from Adam. The line of descent is Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahaleel, Jared, Enoch (see Genesis 5:3 and following). On the character of Enoch, see Hebrews 11:6.

Prophesied of these. He uttered prophecies applicable to these men, or respecting just such men as these. It is not necessarily meant that he had these men specifically in his view; but all that is fairly implied is that his predictions were descriptive of them. There is no mention made in the writings of Moses of the fact that Enoch was a prophet; but nothing is more probable in itself, and there is no absurdity in supposing that a true prophecy, though unrecorded, might be handed down by tradition. See 2 Timothy 3:8; see Jude 1:9.

The source from which Jude derived this passage respecting the prophecy of Enoch is unknown. Amidst the multitude of traditions, however, handed down by the Jews from a remote antiquity, though many of them were false and many of a trifling character, it is reasonable to presume that some of them were true and were of importance.

No one can prove that the one before us is not of that character; no one can show that an inspired writer might not be led to make the selection of a true prophecy from a mass of traditions. As the prophecy before us is one that would be in every way worthy of a prophet and worthy to be preserved, its quotation furnishes no argument against the inspiration of Jude.

There is no clear evidence that he quoted it from any book existing in his time. There is, indeed, now an apocryphal writing called "the Book of Enoch," containing a prediction strongly resembling this, but there is no certain proof that it existed as early as the time of Jude, nor, if it did, is it absolutely certain that he quoted from it.

Both Jude and the author of that book may have quoted a common tradition of their time, for there can be no doubt that the passage referred to was handed down by tradition. The passage as found in "the Book of Enoch" is in these words: "Behold he comes with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon them, and destroy the wicked, and reprove all the carnal, for everything which the sinful and ungodly have done and committed against him" (Book of Enoch, chapter 2; see Biblical Repository, Vol. XV, p. 86).

If the Book of Enoch was written after the time of Jude, it is natural to suppose that the prophecy referred to by him, and handed down by tradition, would be inserted in it. This book was discovered in an Ethiopic version and was published with a translation by Dr. Laurence of Oxford in 1821, and republished in 1832. A full account of it and its contents may be seen in an article by Professor Stuart in the Biblical Repository for January 1840, pages 86-137.

The Lord cometh. That is, the Lord will come (see 1 Corinthians 16:22).

It would seem from this to have been an early doctrine that the Lord would descend to the earth for judgment. With ten thousand of his saints. Or, of his holy ones. The word saints we now commonly apply to redeemed saints, or to Christians. The original word is, however, applicable to all who are holy, angels as well as men. The common representation in the Scriptures is that he would come attended by the angels (Matthew 25:31), and there is doubtless allusion here to such beings. It is a common representation in the Old Testament also that God, when He manifests Himself, is accompanied by great numbers of heavenly beings. See Psalm 68:17; Deuteronomy 33:2.