The Pulpit Commentary — Jude — Section 42

roots." In nutumn fruit is expected on trees. but we have here autumn trees without fruit, nnd inc,ipable of beRring fruit iu the future, for they Rre dear], and twice dea<l, not only dead with their roots in the ground, but dead with their root.~ plucked up. So the men of whom Judo writes were not only destitute of goo<l works, but incapable of ever producing them, being" rooted out of the eoil of grace." 4. Waves. "Wild waves 'Jf the see., foaming out their own shame." "The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and <lirt." There are those who are not only sinners, but sinners without the restraints that many put upon themselves in sinning, i.e. wiclced. 'l'hey are restlessly active in sinning; and what they do in their restlessness is to bring up the moral filth that has collected in them. It is these that Jude pictures here. 6. Stars. "Wandering stare, for whom the blackness of darknesH bath been reserved for ever." We are to think of comets, whose course strikes us as erratic, and that, after shining for a time, are lost in the darkness. So there are those who are really out of the course appointed for them, but call forth the admiration ot man for a time; their erratic course, however brilliant, can only end in their passing into the blackness of darkness for ever. This is the startling image with which Jude reaches a climax. VIII. PROPHECY OF ENOCH, 1. Enoch. "And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied." 'l'his is a new association with Enoch. We think of the godly humility of his walk, and of his being one of two rewarded with a translation; but it is only here that Scripture ascribes to him the prophetic gift. We do not wonder at his singular sanctity being accompanied with inspiration. He is here called the ~eventh from .Adam, to mark the ancient date of his prophecy. For Jude, having referred to "these" men as having been of old set forth to their condemnation, and having brought forward many ancient examples, is now able to bring forward a distinct prophecy having a. bearing on them (though not on them exclusively) of the most ancient date. The remarkable thing is that the prophecy (substantially) is found in the apocryphal 'Book of Enoch,' with which Jude seems to have been acquainted. The likelihood i~ that it found its way into that book from tradition. Jude did not avoid tradition (with regard to Michael as well a.s with regard to Enoch), rather took to tradition as that which was familiar to his readers, and what he did with it as an inspired man was to give it a pure, authentic form. We are thus indebted to him for the transmission of two important traditious, without the uncertainty that attaches to other Jewish traditious. 2. Ginteiits of the prophecy. " Saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy oues, to execute judgment upon all, a.nd to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of a.II the bard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." To Adam was made an announcement of redemption; it is a significant fact that "the seventh from Adam " was able to make as clear an announcement of judgment. He announces the event as though it had taken place, and he was, after the event, narrating what he had seen. It was an event that was fitted to 611 with astonishment. 'l'he Lord came, i.e. from heaven to earth. He ea.me with a brilliant retinue, viz. "ten thousands of bis holy ones" (apparently the angels) He came to execute fudgment, which is the very language Christ uses of what was assigned him by the Father (John v. 27). He came to execute judgment upon all, i.e. both godly and ungodly. He came to convict, i.e. bring home guilt to all included in the latter class (therel'ore in Jude's time too), both for their works and for their speeches. "A corrupt tree bringcth forth evil fruit." The ungodly had their works of ungodliness which they had ungodly wrought. 'l'be ungodly sinners had their hard speeches which they had spoken against the Lord. Five times is the thought of ungod- liness brought in. We may account for it by the strong impression Enoch had of the ungodliness that was around him. Men were working works as though they were never to be brought into judgment for them. God they thons:ht of only to utter hard things against him who was Infinite and Essential Reasonableness an(l Tenderness. 'When brooding over the ungodliness of his day, Enoch was moved to predict, in rhythmic form, a coming, world-wide judgment. 3. .Application of the prophecy. "'l'hese are mur- murers, complaiuers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaketh great swelling words), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage." These are hard speakers against the Lord, e,pecially in regard to their lot. Thry are mnrmnrers, complainers of their lot-which iij counected wit-h their lnsts (nut Go(1-gorerned d~sires), which arc not 42 THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JUDF.. [l-25.