Which Book of Enoch Edition Should I Read? A Practical Comparison
Updated: Oct 23
Choose an Enoch edition by its contents and the kind of explanation you need. A translation of First Enoch serves a different purpose from a collection of First, Second, and Third Enoch. Compare sample pages, source notes, and format before deciding.
The two approaches below illustrate that difference in scope. Fifth Estate publishes the Lumpkin editions discussed here.
Start with the contents: 1 Enoch or all three books?
The title Book of Enoch often refers to 1 Enoch, the Ethiopic Enoch. A collection labeled Books of Enoch may also contain 2 Enoch, known as Slavonic Enoch, and 3 Enoch, known as Hebrew Enoch. These are distinct works. A translation of 1 Enoch can be complete without including 2 and 3 Enoch.
For focused scholarly study of 1 Enoch
Nickelsburg and VanderKam’s 1 Enoch: The Hermeneia Translation offers a translation based on critical study of the ancient witnesses, with an introduction and bibliography. Their preface explains its relationship to the larger Hermeneia commentaries. The translation volume and the commentary volumes should be compared as separate publications.
For reading 1, 2, and 3 Enoch together
Joseph Lumpkin’s The Books of Enoch brings the Ethiopic, Slavonic, and Hebrew Enoch works together with commentary. The Sacred Classics hardcover is one format. This broader selection allows a reader to compare the works in one volume; its scope is different from that of a critical edition devoted to First Enoch.
The paperback identified by ASIN 1936533073 includes access to Fifth Estate’s Reader’s Library, a collection of more than 1,000 texts, audiobooks, and videos. The library includes all texts of the Ethiopian Bible, the deuterocanon, and much more.
Five checks before you buy
Contents: Does the volume contain 1 Enoch, or 1, 2, and 3 Enoch?
Editorial approach: Are the translator, editor, source texts, and commentary clearly identified?
Navigation: Can you follow chapter and verse references easily?
Reading experience: Do the sample pages, print size, and notes suit how you study?
Format and extras: Does the specific paperback, hardcover, ebook, or audiobook listing include the features you need?
Frequently asked questions
Which edition should a beginner choose?
Start by deciding whether you want to read 1 Enoch alone or explore all three works. Then compare sample pages and the amount of explanatory material. Readers interested mainly in the Watchers can begin with 1 Enoch, chapters 1–36.
Does a longer Enoch collection make another edition incomplete?
No. A complete translation of 1 Enoch and an anthology containing 1, 2, and 3 Enoch have different scopes. Compare their stated contents, not just their titles or page counts.
Where can I learn about the Watchers before buying?
Further reading
The Joseph Lumpkin paperback edition
For a paperback containing 1, 2, and 3 Enoch with Joseph Lumpkin’s commentary, see The Books of Enoch: The Angels, The Watchers and The Nephilim (ASIN 1936533073; ISBN 9781936533077). This is a separate edition from the Sacred Classics hardcover discussed above. It includes access to the Reader’s Library described above.
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