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The Book of Enoch · 48 of 109

Chapter XLVIII. The Fount of Righteousness

1.And in that place I saw the fountain of righteousness

Which was inexhaustible:

And around it were many fountains of wisdom;

And all the thirsty drank of them,

And were filled with wisdom,

And their dwellings were with the righteous and holy and elect.

2.And at that hour that Son of Man was named In the presence of the Lord of Spirits,

And his name before the Head of Days.

3.Yea, before the sun and the signs were created,

Before the stars of the heaven were made,

His name was named before the Lord of Spirits.

4.He shall be a staff to the righteous whereon to stay themselves and not fall,

And he shall be the light of the Gentiles,

And the hope of those who are troubled of heart.

5.All who dwell on earth shall fall down and worship before him,

And will praise and bless and celebrate with song the Lord of Spirits.

6.And for this reason hath he been chosen and hidden before Him,

Before the creation of the world and for evermore.

7.And the wisdom of the Lord of Spirits hath revealed him to the holy and righteous;

For he hath preserved the lot of the righteous,

Because they have hated and despised this world of unrighteousness,

And have hated all its works and ways in the name of the Lord of Spirits:

For in his name they are saved,

And according to his good pleasure hath it been in regard to their life.

8.In these days downcast in countenance shall the kings of the earth have become,

And the strong who possess the land because of the works of their hands;

For on the day of their anguish and affliction they shall not (be able to) save themselves.

9.And I will give them over into the hands of Mine elect:

As straw in the fire so shall they burn before the face of the holy:

As lead in the water shall they sink before the face of the righteous,

And no trace of them shall any more be found.

10.And on the day of their affliction there shall be rest on the earth,

And before them they shall fall and not rise again:

And there shall be no one to take them with his hands and raise them:

For they have denied the Lord of Spirits and His Anointed.

The name of the Lord of Spirits be blessed.

Asked of Guide

Why is the Son of Man called a 'fount of righteousness' before creation?

Enoch sees the Son of Man as an eternal source of salvation because “His name was named before the Lord of Spirits” and the fountain is “inexhaustible,” so his role predates sun, signs, and stars. The chapter ties that eternal naming to practical rescue: he is “a staff to the righteous” and “the light of the Gentiles,” providing wisdom and refuge to those who reject the world’s unrighteousness.

The text says the righteous drink from surrounding “fountains of wisdom” and dwell with the “holy and elect,” so the Son of Man’s preexistent status explains why salvation and wisdom flow to them. This echoes themes in John (the Logos as preexistent light) and in later Christian readings that identify the Son of Man with the preexistent Christ.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.