Original Word: חֲנוֹךְ
Part of Speech: proper name, masculine
Transliteration: Chanowk
Pronunciation: khan-oke'
Phonetic Spelling: (khan-oke')
KJV: Enoch
NASB: Enoch, Hanoch
Word Origin: [from H2596 (חָנַך - dedicated)]

1. initiated
2. Chanok, an antediluvian patriach

Enoch

From chanak; initiated; Chanok, an antediluvian patriach -- Enoch.

see HEBREW chanak

Word Origin
from the same as chek
Definition
four Isr., sons of Cain, Jered, Midian and Reuben
NASB Translation
Enoch (10), Hanoch (6).

חֲנוֺךְ proper name, masculine 1. son of Cain Genesis 4:17 (twice in verse); Genesis 4:18 ᵐ5 Ενωχ, ᵐ5^L Ενως.

2 son of Jered (line of Seth), the pious Enoch, who walked with God and was taken by him Genesis 5:18,19,21,22,23,24; 1 Chronicles 1:3 ᵐ5 Ενωχ.

3 חֲנֹךְ a son of Midian Genesis 25:4; 1 Chronicles 1:33, ᵐ5 Ενωχ.

4 חֲנוֺךְ a son of Reuben Genesis 46:9; Exodus 6:14; Numbers 26:5; 1 Chronicles 5:3, ᵐ5 Ενωχ.

Occurrences and Identifications

חֲנוֹךְ appears sixteen times in four distinct personal profiles:

1. Enoch, firstborn of Cain (Genesis 4:17–18).
2. Enoch, seventh from Adam through Seth (Genesis 5:18–24; 1 Chronicles 1:3).
3. Hanoch, firstborn of Reuben and forefather of the Hanochite clan (Genesis 46:9; Exodus 6:14; Numbers 26:5; 1 Chronicles 5:3).
4. Hanoch, son of Midian, grandson of Abraham through Keturah (Genesis 25:4; 1 Chronicles 1:33).

Enoch Son of Cain: An Early Monument to Human Achievement

“Cain…built a city and named it after his son Enoch” (Genesis 4:17).

This Enoch stands at the head of the Cainite genealogy that highlights cultural advance (city-building, metallurgy, music) yet accelerates moral decline. The city named for him symbolizes human ingenuity divorced from covenantal faith. Scripture offers no further biographical comment, allowing the city itself to serve as his legacy—an implicit warning that earthly monuments cannot substitute for righteous character.

Enoch Son of Jared: The Man Who Walked with God

“When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah…Enoch walked with God 300 years” (Genesis 5:21-22).

“So Enoch’s lifespan was 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more, because God had taken him away” (Genesis 5:23-24).

1. Walk of Fellowship: Twice the text stresses that Enoch “walked with God,” a relational description otherwise reserved for Noah before the Flood.
2. Translation without Death: Hebrews 11:5 quotes Genesis to show that by faith “Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death,” foreshadowing the believer’s hope of resurrection and the promised transformation at the return of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
3. Prophetic Voice: Jude 14-15 cites Enoch as proclaiming divine judgment upon ungodliness, affirming the continuity of God’s moral governance from antediluvian days to the church age.
4. Pattern of “365”: His lifespan mirrors the solar year, an emblem of completeness in God’s providence, contrasting the immense ages of his forebears and descendants and pointing to quality of life with God over quantity of years.

Hanoch Son of Reuben: Clan Founder within Israel

The firstborn of Jacob’s firstborn, Hanoch becomes progenitor of the חֲנוֹכִי (“Hanochite”) clan. Scripture preserves his name in every major census and genealogical record of the tribe (Genesis 46:9; Exodus 6:14; Numbers 26:5; 1 Chronicles 5:3). Though no personal deeds are recorded, the enduring mention of his clan underlines God’s faithfulness to covenant promises to the patriarchs and the corporate identity of Israel’s families.

Hanoch Son of Midian: A Line among the Nations

Listed among Midian’s five sons (Genesis 25:4), this Hanoch shares in the complex legacy of Abraham’s wider offspring—peoples often interacting with Israel in both hostility and blessing. His brief mention reminds readers that God tracks every lineage descended from Abraham and that His redemptive plan considers all nations.

Theological Themes

1. Dedication and Consecration: The shared name hints at devotion. Cain’s Enoch embodies misguided dedication to self-made security; Jared’s Enoch models true dedication in intimate obedience.
2. Life versus Legacy: One Enoch leaves a city; the other leaves a testimony. Scripture contrasts temporal achievement with eternal commendation.
3. Hope of Deliverance from Death: Enoch’s translation prefigures victory over the grave, reinforcing the doctrine that death is not inevitable for those in God’s favor (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
4. Generational Faithfulness: The repeated genealogical listings—whether of righteous or ordinary men—demonstrate God’s meticulous care for family lines and His intent to bless successive generations.

Ministry and Discipleship Applications

• Walking with God is measured in consistent, day-by-day obedience rather than spectacular acts.
• Cultural progress apart from submission to God risks perpetuating Cain’s legacy of alienation.
• Genealogies invite believers to value family heritage and to steward a godly legacy for descendants.
• Enoch’s translation strengthens pastoral encouragement concerning the believer’s assured future and motivates holy living in anticipation of Christ’s return (2 Peter 3:11-12).

Summary

Across its varied appearances, חֲנוֹךְ presents a study in contrasts: earthly city versus heavenly reward, forgotten founder versus enduring example, peripheral clans versus central covenant line. Together these figures exhort readers to choose the path of faithful communion with God, confident that He honors those who seek Him and records every name within His unfolding redemption.

וַחֲנ֔וֹךְ וַחֲנֹ֔ךְ וחנוך וחנך חֲנ֑וֹךְ חֲנ֔וֹךְ חֲנ֖וֹךְ חֲנ֜וֹךְ חֲנ֤וֹךְ חֲנ֥וֹךְ חֲנֽוֹךְ׃ חֲנוֹךְ֙ חנוך חנוך׃ לַֽחֲנוֹךְ֙ לחנוך chaNoch ḥă·nō·wḵ ḥănōwḵ la·ḥă·nō·wḵ lachanoCh laḥănōwḵ vachaNoch wa·ḥă·nō·wḵ wa·ḥă·nōḵ waḥănōḵ waḥănōwḵInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts