Genesis 5:24 kjv

And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Genesis 5:24 nkjv

And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Genesis 5:24 niv

Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

Genesis 5:24 esv

Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

Genesis 5:24 nlt

walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.

Genesis 5 verses

Genesis 5 24 Meaning

Genesis 5:24 describes a unique event in the lineage of Adam, stating that "Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him." This means Enoch lived a life of close communion and consistent obedience with the Almighty. Unlike all others in his genealogical line, he did not experience physical death but was divinely translated or assumed directly by God into His presence. This extraordinary event highlights God's special favor and intervention, demonstrating that a deep relationship with the Creator can transcend the common human fate of mortality.

Genesis 5 24 Context

Genesis chapter 5, often called the "Book of the Generations of Adam," provides a concise genealogy from Adam to Noah. Its primary pattern is consistent: patriarchs are born, they beget sons and daughters, they live for a long period, "and he died." This recurring phrase highlights the universal reality of death resulting from the Fall (Gen 3:19). Within this repetitive cadence of life and mortality, Enoch stands as the stark, unique exception. His account directly breaks the pattern by omitting the phrase "and he died" and replacing it with the extraordinary statement that "God took him." This context emphasizes the uniqueness of Enoch's relationship with God and God's powerful, direct intervention in his life, setting him apart as a singular instance of divine translation before the great Flood.

Historically and culturally, the narrative of Enoch challenged common ancient Near Eastern beliefs. Many cultures believed in a journey to a shadowy underworld after death, often dependent on elaborate burial rituals or the whim of multiple deities. Enoch's direct taking by the one true God, without prior death or descent to an underworld, stands as a powerful counter-narrative. It asserted the Lord's absolute sovereignty over life and death, and His ability to choose whom to receive directly into His presence, emphasizing a personal and covenantal relationship distinct from other pantheons.

Genesis 5 24 Word analysis

• וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ (vayithhallekh) - "And he walked" / "Enoch walked": From the Hebrew verb הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning "to walk." The Hithpael stem (intensive-reflexive) implies a continuous, habitual, and deeply personal walking. It is not a casual stroll but an ongoing, active communion, a way of life lived in agreement and fellowship with God. This signifies obedience, moral uprightness, and a conscious awareness of God's presence governing his steps. It's the same construction used for Noah ("walked with God," Gen 6:9), emphasizing a relationship of intimate companionship and devotion.
• אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים (et-ha'elohim) - "with God": Et denotes a strong association or closeness. Elohim is the most common Hebrew word for God, often referring to the sovereign Creator and Judge. The phrase together means being actively engaged in life alongside God, aligning one's will and actions with His. This implies a covenantal faithfulness, trust, and deep spiritual unity, contrasting sharply with the common practices and spiritual distance of humanity described later in Genesis.
• וְאֵינֶנּוּ (ve'einennu) - "and he was not" / "he was no more": From the Hebrew אֵין (ain), meaning "is not, there is not." This phrase simply denotes his absence or disappearance from the earthly sphere. It's concise and impactful, intentionally avoiding the expected "and he died." This immediate statement of absence prepares the reader for the extraordinary explanation that follows. It highlights his complete physical removal from the sight and presence of mankind.
• כִּי־לָקַח (ki-laqach) - "for God took him": Ki (for/because) introduces the divine reason for Enoch's disappearance. Laqach (לקח) means "to take, to grasp, to receive, to fetch." This verb signifies an intentional, purposeful action on God's part. It implies a divine initiation and consummation, God reaching out and actively bringing Enoch to Himself. This was not a passive disappearance but an active "taking up," demonstrating God's sovereign power over life and death and His intimate involvement with His faithful servant.
• אֹתוֹ (oto) - "him": The direct object pronoun referring to Enoch, making it clear he was the one taken.
• אֱלֹהִים ('elohim) - "God": Here, 'Elohim is the active subject, emphasizing God as the agent of this unprecedented event.

Words-group analysis:

• "Enoch walked with God": This phrase is the key descriptor of Enoch's life. It emphasizes continuous, intimate communion and a life lived in alignment with God's will. It describes a deep spiritual relationship marked by devotion, faith, and obedience. It highlights a conscious, daily decision to live in God's presence and under His authority.
• "and he was not, for God took him": This entire phrase explains Enoch's extraordinary departure from earthly existence. "He was not" signals his unexplained disappearance, generating immediate curiosity. "For God took him" provides the divine reason—a direct act of God. This pairing highlights the miraculous nature of the event: a faithful human was removed from the realm of death not by his own power but by God's sovereign will, demonstrating God's reward for such close fellowship and a foreshadowing of future triumphs over death.

Genesis 5 24 Bonus section

• Symbolic Lifespan: Enoch lived 365 years, a relatively short life compared to his patriarchal peers who lived nearly a millennium. Some scholars propose that this number, corresponding to the days in a solar year, symbolically represents a "complete cycle" or a perfectly rounded life in God's eyes, even if short by human measures, underscoring God's perfect timing and design for his removal.
• Enoch's Prophecy: The book of Jude (Jude 1:14-15) reveals that Enoch, the "seventh from Adam," was a prophet who foretold the Lord's coming with "myriads of his holy ones" for judgment. This adds depth to his "walk with God," implying that his communion involved receiving divine revelation and potentially serving as a herald of divine truth in a wicked pre-Flood world.
• Faith as the Foundation: Hebrews 11:5 clarifies the mechanism behind Enoch's translation, stating it was "by faith" that "he was taken up so that he should not see death." This highlights that his close walk and subsequent divine taking were not merely a spontaneous act of God but a divine response to Enoch's deep and abiding trust and belief in God, further affirming that "without faith it is impossible to please him" (Heb 11:6).
• Defying Sheol: Enoch's translation bypassed the standard fate of humanity described throughout much of the Old Testament – a descent to Sheol (the realm of the dead). This singular event demonstrates God's sovereignty over the afterlife and offers a unique exception to the pervasive experience of death prior to Christ's victory.

Genesis 5 24 Commentary

Genesis 5:24 is a profoundly significant verse within the tapestry of biblical revelation. It offers the first explicit account of a human being circumventing the curse of death (Gen 3:19) not through natural longevity or inherent power, but by direct divine intervention. Enoch's "walk with God" describes a continuous, deep, and intimate fellowship, suggesting a life lived in obedience, faith, and complete alignment with the Creator. This intimate walk culminated in an extraordinary act where God, Himself, "took" Enoch from the earth. This wasn't a passive passing away but an active, purposeful taking, indicative of God's immense pleasure and special relationship with Enoch.

This account offers a glimmer of hope for an existence beyond earthly mortality and implicitly teaches that faithful communion with God can alter one's ultimate destiny. It provides an early example of a unique reward for godliness and foreshadows future events, such as Elijah's similar translation (2 Ki 2:11) and, ultimately, Christ's ascension (Acts 1:9), and the promised resurrection and gathering of believers (1 Thes 4:17). Enoch stands as an ancient testament to the truth that God delights in those who pursue Him wholeheartedly, confirming that a life lived with God can lead to being taken by God into eternal glory, even defying the established order of mortality.