• Hebrews 11:5
    The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures

    • 5 Πίστει To faith Ἑνὼχ Enoch μετετέθη was transferred τοῦ of the μὴ not ἰδεῖν to see θάνατον, death, καὶ and οὐχ not ηὑρίσκετο he was being found διότι through which μετέθηκεν transferred αὐτὸν him ὁ the θεός· God; πρὸ before γὰρ for τῆς the μεταθέσεως transference μεμαρτύρηται he has been borne witness to εὐαρεστηκέναι to have pleased well τῷ to the θεῷ, God,

  • Hebrews 11:5
    The Bible in Living English

    • 5 It was by faith Enoch was translated so as not to see death, and was not to be found because God had translated him; for before the translation he was vouched for as having pleased God,

  • Hebrews 11:5
    American Standard Version

    • 5 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:

  • Hebrews 11:5
    The Emphasized Bible

    • 5 By faith Enoch was translated so as not to see death, And was not found because that God had translated him; For before the translation he had received witness that he had become well-pleasing unto God;—

  • Hebrews 11:5
    King James Version

    • 5 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.

  • Hebrews Study Notes—Chapter 11
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)

    • 11:5

      Enoch was transferred: Some translations say here that Enoch “was taken up,” implying that he was transferred from earth to heaven. However, the Greek word here rendered “was transferred” does not imply being taken up. Rather, it can convey the idea of something being changed (Heb 7:12) or of someone being moved from one location to another (Ac 7:16). In the Greek Septuagint, this same word is used regarding Enoch to translate the Hebrew word for “took” in the phrase “God took him.” (Ge 5:24) It is also worth noting that the same Hebrew word is used in the account about Elijah, who was not taken to heaven. (2Ki 2:3, 5, 9; compare the account at 2Ch 21:1, 12-15, indicating that Elijah was alive on earth a number of years later.) Jesus confirmed that Enoch did not go to heaven, saying: “No man has ascended into heaven but the one who descended from heaven, the Son of man.”​—Joh 3:13.

      so as not to see death: Enoch lived to be 365 years old. (Ge 5:23) He is included among those of whom Paul said: “In faith all of these died.” (Heb 11:13 and study note) Therefore, in saying that Enoch “was transferred so as not to see death,” Paul cannot mean that Enoch never died. Because Enoch prophesied courageously, he may have become a target of the violent and “ungodly sinners” of his day. (Jude 14, 15) It seems that God did not allow the wicked people to kill his faithful prophet. Rather, God likely ended Enoch’s life peacefully, perhaps by causing him to fall asleep while in a prophetic trance.

      he received the witness that he had pleased God well: Paul is apparently alluding to the Septuagint rendering of Ge 5:22. There the Hebrew text reads: “Enoch continued to walk with the true God,” whereas the Septuagint says: “Enoch was well pleasing to God.” Paul here confirms under inspiration that before Enoch died, Jehovah in a special way gave him a witness, or assured him, that He was very pleased with Enoch’s faithful course. It was “by faith,” or because of his faith, that he was spared a violent death.​—See study notes on Heb 11:4, 6.