Hebrews 11:5 · Bible study
Hebrews 11:5 Commentary: Faith, Pleasing God, and Translation
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Hebrews 11:5 unpacks the link between Enoch's faith, his walk with God, and his being taken without seeing death.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Enoch’s faith, expressed in a life that pleased God, resulted in his being taken directly into God’s presence without dying.
- Key words: μετετέθη (was translated: aorist passive, act of God), μεμαρτύρηται (has been testified: perfect passive, enduring record), εὐαρεστηκέναι (to have pleased: perfect infinitive, settled state).
- Main debate: Whether Enoch’s translation is a reward for his own righteousness or a gift of grace through faith; the text grounds it in faith, not works.
- Theological theme: Faith as the essential basis for pleasing God and for receiving the ultimate hope of life beyond death, even before the resurrection.
- Best use: As a bridge from the theology of faith (Heb. 11:1-3) to the examples of Abraham and others; also as a comfort for believers who wonder if God notices a quiet, faithful life.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
WEB World English Bible 2000
By faith Enoch was taken away, so that he wouldn’t see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God.
KJV King James Version 1769
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him: for he hath had witness borne to him that before his translation he had been well-pleasing unto God:
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
By faith Enoch was translated--not to see death, and was not found, because God did translate him; for before his translation he had been testified to--that he had pleased God well,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him; for before [his] translation he has the testimony that he had pleased God.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
By faith Henoch was translated that he should not see death: and he was not found because God had translated him. For before his translation he had testimony that he pleased God.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por la fe Enoc fué traspuesto para no ver muerte, y no fué hallado, porque lo traspuso Dios. Y antes que fuese traspuesto, tuvo testimonio de haber agradado á Dios.
Pela fé, Enoque foi transportado para não experimentar a morte; e não foi achado, porque Deus havia o transportado; pois antes da transportação ele obteve testemunho de ter agradado a Deus.
C’ est par la foi qu’ Énoch fut enlevé pour qu’ il ne vît point la mort, et qu’ il ne parut plus parce que Dieu l’ avait enlevé; car, avant son enlèvement, il avait reçu le témoignage qu’ il était agréable à Dieu.
Durch den Glauben ward Henoch weggenommen, daß er den Tod nicht sähe, und ward nicht gefunden, darum daß ihn Gott wegnahm; denn vor seinem Wegnehmen hat er Zeugnis gehabt, daß er Gott gefallen habe.
Door het geloof is Enoch weggenomen geweest, opdat hij den dood niet zou zien; en hij werd niet gevonden, daarom dat hem God weggenomen had; want voor zijn wegneming heeft hij getuigenis gehad, dat hij Gode behaagde.
Per fede Enoc fu trasportato perché non vedesse la morte; e non fu più trovato, perché Dio l’avea trasportato; poiché avanti che fosse trasportato fu di lui testimoniato ch’egli era piaciuto a Dio.
Wiarą Enoch jest przeniesiony, aby nie oglądał śmierci i nie jest znaleziony, przeto że go Bóg przeniósł; albowiem pierwej niż jest przeniesiony, miał świadectwo, że się podobał Bogu.
Верою Енох переселен был так, что не видел смерти; и не стало его, потому что Бог переселил его. Ибо прежде переселения своего получил он свидетельство, что угодил Богу.
以諾 因著信，被接去，不 至於見 死，人也 找 不著他，因為 神 已經把他 接去了；只是 他被接去 以先，已經得了 神 喜悅 他的明證。
By faith Enoch was taken up to heaven so that he did not see death; he was seen no longer, for God took him away: for before he was taken, witness had been given that he was well-pleasing to God:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Hebrews 11:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Enoch's faith was the root of his pleasing God, and that his translation, his being taken without seeing death, was God's extraordinary honor for that faith. Calvin states plainly that through faith Enoch was translated, and that righteousness begins with faith, so Enoch's pleasing God is justly ascribed to his faith. Barnes emphasizes that while Genesis does not explicitly mention faith, it is implied in Enoch's walking with God, and the apostle draws out the connection. Matthew Henry notes that Enoch's faith enabled him to please God, and God crowned that faith with a translation that spared him death. The Greek perfect tenses in the verse (μεμαρτύρηται, εὐαρεστηκέναι) underscore that Enoch's testimony of pleasing God stands as an enduring record, and the verbal form μετετέθη (‘was translated’) echoes the LXX of Genesis 5:24, confirming that the writer understands Enoch's departure as a direct act of God in response to a life of faith.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse unambiguously teaches that Enoch's faith was the basis for a life that pleased God, and that God's extraordinary act of translation was His response to that faith—sparing him from death and granting him an enduring testimony in Scripture.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Faith and pleasing God | Enoch's faith was the foundation for his pleasing God, not his own moral works apart from trust. | Some traditions emphasize that pleasing God includes active obedience and a holy life flowing from faith, while others stress that faith alone (apart from any human merit) is the basis for being well-pleasing to God. |
| Translation without death | Enoch did not experience physical death; God removed him directly from earthly life. | A minority of interpreters (ancient and modern) have speculated that Enoch later died a natural death, since Scripture is silent about his final state; but the overwhelming consensus holds that he was taken alive into God's presence. |
| The nature of translation | The translation was a literal removal from the earth, not a metaphorical or spiritual experience. | Some see it as a rapture into heaven itself (immediate entrance into glory), while others view it as a transfer to a different earthly location or an intermediate state; the text does not specify where Enoch was taken. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Hebrews 11:5 draws directly from the brief account in Genesis 5:21-24, where Enoch’s life stands out in a genealogy of death. Every other patriarch listed in Genesis 5 has the refrain “and he died”, except Enoch. The Hebrew of Genesis 5:24 reads “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” The Greek translation (LXX) renders the last phrase as “God translated him” (μετέθηκεν), which the writer of Hebrews follows. The phrase “was not found” echoes the LXX’s “he was not found” (οὐχ εὑρίσκετο), suggesting he simply disappeared from human sight.
In Jewish tradition, Enoch was viewed with reverence. The Septuagint text of Sirach 44:16 and 49:14, as well as Wisdom 4:10, praise Enoch as one who pleased God and was translated as an example. The Targums speak of Enoch ascending to heaven by the Word of the Lord, a tradition that may have been familiar to the first readers. The book of Jude quotes a prophecy attributed to Enoch, further cementing his role as a prophet who lived by faith in God's coming judgment.
The author of Hebrews places Enoch second in his catalogue of faith after Abel, showing that faith is not only about sacrificial offering but also about a consistent walk with God. In a world growing corrupt before the flood, Enoch’s faith preserved him from the tide of unbelief, and ultimately from death itself. This historical and literary backdrop sharpens the question the passage raises: what kind of faith pleases God so deeply that He responds with such a remarkable honor?
Textual Notes
No significant textual variants in Hebrews 11:5 affect the interpretation of this verse. The few minor differences among manuscripts (such as the inclusion or omission of ‘had’ in ‘God had translated him’) do not change the meaning. All major Greek manuscripts preserve the same sequence: Enoch was translated so that he would not see death, and Scripture still testifies that he pleased God. The consulted sources note no variants that alter the doctrinal or historical sense of the passage.
Reception History
Enoch has been received across Christian history as a preeminent example of personal faith and intimacy with God. The early church, drawing on Jewish tradition, saw his translation as a type of the believer’s hope of resurrection and of being caught up to meet the Lord. In the medieval period, figures like Dante placed Enoch in the sphere of the blessed. The Protestant reformers, especially Calvin, emphasized that Enoch’s faith, not his works, was the ground of his pleasing God, making him a model of justification by faith alone. In modern preaching, Enoch is often held up as an encouragement to persevere in a quiet, consistent walk with God, knowing that such a life does not go unnoticed by the One who ‘is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him’ (Heb. 11:6).
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Faith is the foundation for a life that pleases God. The verse twice links Enoch’s faith to God’s approval: “before his translation he had been well pleasing to God.” The Greek perfect infinitive εὐαρεστηκέναι points to a settled state of pleasing God, rooted in faith, not a single act but a sustained relationship.
- Pleasing God through faith leads to extraordinary deliverance. Enoch was “translated that he should not see death.” The phrase τοῦ μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον may indicate purpose or result, either way, God acted to spare His faithful servant from the grave. This translation is a foretaste of the resurrection hope for all believers.
- God’s testimony over a life of faith outlasts death. The perfect tense μεμαρτύρηται (“he has had testimony given to him”) shows that the record stands. Enoch still speaks through Scripture, and his example continues to encourage believers to walk by faith in any generation.
Five-point outline
- By faith, Enoch’s life began with trust in God, not in human achievement.
- He walked with God, a daily, intimate communion sustained for three hundred years (Gen. 5:22).
- He pleased God, his life was not merely correct but delightful to the Lord.
- He was translated, God intervened to remove him from a corrupt world and from death.
- He received testimony, Scripture still records God’s approval, a lasting witness to faith’s power.
Illustration hooks
- A child who disappears from sight, a parent calls for a child in a crowd, but the child is safe in the parent's arms. Enoch was not lost; he was taken. His “not being found” was not tragedy but rescue.
- An athlete who finishes early, a runner is pulled from a race not because he failed but because he has already won the prize. Enoch did not complete the usual span of life because God brought him to the finish ahead of time.
- A faithful employee who receives an unexpected promotion, the boss sees years of consistent work and rewards the worker with a position far beyond the ordinary. Enoch’s translation was a divine promotion, bypassing the normal path of death.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If I have faith, will God spare me from hard things like death?
- What does it actually mean to “please God” in daily life, is it about feelings or actions?
- How can I know whether my faith is the kind that God honors as Enoch’s was?
Leading a Discussion
This passage offers a compact but profound look at what faith produces: a life that pleases God and an end that defies the normal pattern of death. As you discuss, pay attention to how the writer connects faith, approval, and translation. The Greek verbs for “was translated” (μετετέθη) and “has been commended” (μεμαρτύρηται) show that God acted and that His testimony remains. Let the group consider how Enoch’s example challenges or comforts them in their own walk with God.
Discussion questions
- Read Genesis 5:21-24. What do you notice about how Enoch’s life is described compared to the other people in the genealogy?
- The Greek perfect tense in “he has had testimony given to him” suggests an ongoing record. How does knowing that God’s approval of a faithful life endures beyond the grave affect how you live today?
- Hebrews says Enoch was translated “by faith.” In what ways might faith be necessary even for a quiet, consistent walk with God over many years?
- How does verse 5 prepare for verse 6, where the writer says “without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him”? What does this connection teach about the place of faith in a relationship with God?
- Enoch pleased God before his translation. How can we know if we are living in a way that pleases God, especially when we don’t receive visible signs of approval?
- The writer uses Enoch as an example of faith, but not everyone who pleases God is translated without death. How do other parts of Hebrews 11 (like Abraham, Moses, and the unnamed faithful) balance this picture?
- What is one practical step you could take this week to “walk with God” as Enoch did, not just in routine but in conscious faith?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 5:21 | Enoch lived sixty-five years, then became the father of Methuselah. |
| Genesis 5:22 | After Methuselah’s birth, Enoch walked with God for three hundred years, and became the father of more sons and daughters. |
| Genesis 5:24 | Enoch walked with God, and he was not found, for God took him. |
| II Kings 2:11 | As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. |
| II Kings 2:16 | They said to him, “See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. Perhaps Yahweh’s Spirit has taken him up, and put him on some mountain or into some valley.” He said, “Don’t send them.” |
| II Kings 2:17 | When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” Therefore they sent fifty men; and they searched for three days, but didn’t find him. |
| Psalms 89:48 | What man is he who shall live and not see death, who shall deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah. |
| Jeremiah 36:26 | The king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet; but Yahweh hid them. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke points out that the apostle Paul interprets the Genesis phrase "God took him" as a translation that prevented Enoch from experiencing death. From this, Clarke concludes that Enoch did not die, but was taken directly to a state of blessedness without passing through death.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the phrase “God took him” in Genesis, combined with the unusual absence of any death notice, naturally implies Enoch was taken to heaven without dying. He supports this with the Hebrew word used, the Septuagint translation, Jewish tradition, and the parallel with Elijah. This removal, Barnes suggests, served as a powerful confirmation of a future state in a wicked age.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that God translated Enoch in such an unusual way to make His hand visibly manifest, rescuing him from the corruption that filled the world. He dismisses curious speculations about Enoch and Elijah being reserved for the last days, arguing their translation was an extraordinary death where they were divested of mortal flesh for renewal into blessed immortality.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible Schools notes that the Greek word behind "translated" literally means "transferred," as in Enoch was moved from one place to another by God. The testimony given to Enoch is that he pleased God, which the Greek Old Testament equates with walking with God.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that Enoch's translation, or removal without seeing death, was accomplished by faith. They point out that the testimony of his pleasing God came before this translation, showing that faith was the foundation for both God's approval and his miraculous deliverance from death.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill insists that Enoch's translation was a physical, bodily removal from earth to heaven, just as Elijah later experienced. He takes care to distinguish this from spiritual conversion or a temporary rapture. The faith mentioned is not what earned the translation; rather, God honoured Enoch's existing faith by granting this extraordinary departure without death.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange defines faith not as blind trust but as rational conviction and confident assurance directed toward unseen realities. He stresses this definition applies to all religious faith, not just Christian faith. Faith, for Lange, enables the mind to perceive that the visible world originates from God's word, not from visible phenomena.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws out one thread through all these examples: genuine faith makes a person live as a stranger
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights that the Greek word for "translated" is the same verb used elsewhere in the New Testament for a change in location or condition. He notes the phrase "that he should not see death" likely describes the result rather than the purpose of Enoch's removal, and the perfect tense of "had this testimony" shows that witness remains on record.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Enoch, like Elijah, was taken so that he could no longer be found among men. His testimony came directly from God within his own conscience, an inward assurance rather than outward recognition.