Did Jude Quote from the Book of Enoch?

 

Some argue that Jude treated the Book of Enoch as inspired Scripture because Jude 14–15 sounds similar to 1 Enoch 1:9. However, we should be careful here. Jude never once mentions the “Book of Enoch.” Instead, he writes:

“About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’” (Jude 1:14–15)

Notice that Jude attributes this prophecy to Enoch himself, “the seventh from Adam.” He does not reference an outside book but records a prophecy as genuine revelation now preserved through the Spirit’s inspiration.

Yes, 1 Enoch 1:9 contains a parallel line: “Behold, he cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment upon all...” Yet the details diverge. The Book of Enoch often uses “destroy” rather than “convict.” Jude, however, under the Spirit’s inspiration, uses the Greek word elenxai, meaning “expose, rebuke, convict.” This is a biblical idea consistent with how Christ judges: not arbitrary annihilation, but convicting the wicked in righteousness (see Isaiah 2:2–4; Micah 4:3; Matthew 25:31–34). This difference is significant. The Spirit makes sure Jude’s record conveys the true prophecy of God, while Enoch’s later copies or traditions distort it with pagan or annihilationist ideas.

It is also important to realize that biblical authors sometimes quote or allude to familiar writings without endorsing them as inspired. Paul quoted pagan poets (Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12), using what was true in their words while discarding the rest. Likewise, Jude may be drawing from a prophecy genuinely spoken by the real Enoch and later corrupted and circulated in works like the Book of Enoch. The Holy Spirit ensured Jude recorded the authentic version.

Therefore, Jude is not endorsing the Book of Enoch as Scripture. He is testifying to God’s true word spoken long ago and preserved by inspiration in his epistle. The Book of Enoch, written many centuries after the real Enoch lived, is filled with error and myth. But Jude 14–15 stands as the true prophecy of God’s judgment, perfectly consistent with the rest of Scripture and confirmed by the Spirit.