3 Enoch Chapter 26: Modernized English & Source Wording

The Hebrew Book · Lightly modernized English

Switch Between Modernized and Source Wording

Use the wording buttons beneath Chapters and Narrate chapter in the interactive reader to change versions without leaving this chapter.

Read This Chapter in Modernized English

Rabbi Ishmael said: Metatron, the Angel, the Prince of the Presence, said to me:

¹ Above these there is one prince, wonderful, noble, great, honourable, mighty, terrible, a chief and leader 1 and a swift scribe, glorified, honored and beloved.

² He is altogether filled with splendor, full of praise and shining; and he is wholly full of brilliance, of light and of beauty; and the whole of him is filled with goodliness and greatness.

³ His face is altogether like (that of) angels, but his body is like an eagle's body.

⁴ His splendor is like to lightnings, his appearance like fire brands, his beauty like to sparks, his honor like fiery coals, his majesty like chashmals, his radiance like the light of the planet Venus. The image of him is like to the Greater Light. His height is as the seven heavens. The light from his eyebrows is like the sevenfold light.

⁵ The sapphire stone upon his head is as great as the whole universe and like to the splendor of the very heavens in radiance.

⁶ His body is full of eyes like the stars of the sky, innumerable and unsearchable. Every eye is like the planet Venus. Yet, there are some of them like the Lesser Light and some of them like to the Greater Light. From his ankles to his knees (they are) like to stars of lightning, from his knees to his thighs like to the planet Venus, from his thighs to his loins like to the moon, from his loins to his neck like the sun, from his neck to his skull like to the Light Imperishable. (Cf. Zeph. iii. 5.)

⁷ The crown on his head is like to the splendor of the Throne of Glory. The measure of the crown is the distance of 502 years' journey. There is no kind of splendor, no kind of brilliance, no kind of radiance, no kind of light in the universe but is fixed on that crown.

⁸ The name of that prince is SERAPHIEL H''. And the crown on his head, its name is "the Prince of Peace". And why is he called by the name of SERAPHIEL '? Because he is appointed over the Seraphim. And the flaming Seraphim are given in his charge. And he presides over them by day and by night and teaches them song, praise, proclamation of beauty, might and majesty; that they may proclaim the beauty of their King in all manner of Praise and Sanctification (Qedushsha).

⁹ How many are the Seraphim? Four, corresponding to the four winds of the world. And how many wings have they each one of them? Six, corresponding to the six days of Creation. And how many faces have they? Each one of them four faces.

¹⁰ The measure of the Seraphim and the height of each one of them correspond to the height of the seven heavens. The size of each wing is like the measure of all Raqia'. The size of each face is like that of the face of the East.

¹¹ And each one of them gives forth light like to the splendor of the Throne of Glory: so that not even the Holy Chayyoth, the honored 'Ophannim, nor the majestic KeruUm are able to see it. For everyone who beholds it, his eyes are darkened because of its great splendor.

¹² Why are they called Seraphim? Because they burn (saraph) the writing tables of Satan: Every day Satan is sitting, together with SAMMAEL, the Prince of Rome, and with DUBBIEL, the Prince of Persia, and they write the wicked deeds of Israel on writing tables which they hand over to the Seraphim, in order that they may present them before the Holy One, blessed be he, so that He may destroy Israel from the world. But the Seraphim know from the secrets of the Holy One, blessed be he, that he desires not, that this people Israel should perish. What do the Seraphim? Every day do they receive (accept) them from the hand of Satan and burn them in the burning fire opposite the high and exalted Throne in order that they may not come before the Holy One, blessed be he, at the time when he is sitting upon the Throne of Judgment, judging the whole world in truth.