Commentary - Hebrews 11:5-6

Bird's-eye view

In this brief but potent passage, the author of Hebrews continues his great muster roll of the faithful by presenting Enoch as Exhibit B. Following Abel, who showed us faith in worship, Enoch demonstrates faith in one's walk. His example is extraordinary; he walked with God so closely that he bypassed the normal process of death entirely. This serves as a powerful illustration of the chapter's central theme: faith is what connects a man to the unseen reality of God, and this connection has profound, tangible consequences in the here and now, and into the hereafter. The passage then pivots from the specific example of Enoch to a universal, axiomatic principle in verse 6. This verse is one of the clearest distillations of the nature of true faith in all of Scripture. It establishes that faith is not a vague religious sentiment but a concrete conviction about who God is and what He does. It is the absolute, non-negotiable prerequisite for any relationship with God. Without it, pleasing God is not just difficult, it is impossible. Faith, therefore, is defined as believing two fundamental truths: God's existence and His character as a benevolent rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him.

This section, then, does two things. It provides a historical anchor for the life of faith in the person of Enoch, a man whose piety was so profound that God simply took him. And second, it provides a theological definition of that faith. It is not a blind leap, but a confident step toward a God who is really there and who is good. This sets the stage for the subsequent examples in the chapter, all of whom acted based on this foundational belief in the reality and goodness of the unseen God.

Outline

Context In Hebrews

Hebrews 11 is the crescendo of the book's argument. Having spent ten chapters establishing the supremacy of Christ over the angels, over Moses, and over the Aaronic priesthood, and having warned his readers against apostatizing from this new and better covenant, the author now turns to exhort them to persevere. He does this by defining faith (11:1) and then illustrating it through a long line of Old Testament saints. This "hall of faith" is not just a collection of inspiring stories; it is a legal argument. These are the witnesses (cf. Heb 12:1) who testify that it has always been by faith that men have pleased God and obtained His promises. The passage on Enoch (vv. 5-6) follows the example of Abel (v. 4) and precedes Noah (v. 7). Abel's faith was in his sacrifice, Enoch's in his walk, and Noah's in his work. Together, they form a triad illustrating the comprehensive nature of a life lived by faith. This section is crucial because it moves from the specific act of worship (Abel) to the ongoing tenor of a life (Enoch), and then provides the foundational theological definition of the faith that drove them both.

Key Issues

Faith's Walk and Faith's Logic

The Christian life is often described as a walk. This is not a picture of a leisurely stroll, but of steady, directional movement. Paul tells us to walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), to walk in love (Eph. 5:2), and to walk as children of light (Eph. 5:8). The story of Enoch in Genesis is remarkably brief, but the summary of his life is that he "walked with God" (Gen. 5:22, 24). This is the essence of the faith being described here. It is not a one-time decision, but a sustained, daily communion with the living God. Abel brought a sacrifice, which was a singular event. Enoch walked, which was a lifelong orientation.

But this walk is not aimless. It is powered by a certain kind of logic, which is laid out for us in verse 6. This is the logic of faith. It is not an irrational leap in the dark; it is a reasoned trust based on divine revelation. The logic has two premises that must be held together. First, God is. He is the ultimate reality, the unshakeable foundation of all existence. Second, God is good. He is a rewarder, not a cosmic tyrant or an indifferent force. He responds to those who seek Him. To drop either of these premises is to destroy faith. If God is not, then seeking Him is a fool's errand. If He is, but He is not a rewarder, then seeking Him is a terrifying prospect. But because He is, and because He is good, drawing near to Him is the most logical thing a person can do.

Verse by Verse Commentary

5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for prior to being taken up, he was approved as being pleasing to God.

The first thing we see is the instrument: By faith. Everything that follows is a result of this. Enoch's entire life was oriented by his trust in the unseen God, and this faith had a spectacular result. He was "taken up," or translated. This is a picture of God reaching down and simply lifting him out of the mortal realm. The result was that he did not "see death." He bypassed the universal curse that came upon mankind through Adam. This is a powerful, physical demonstration of faith's ultimate victory. While all believers will one day be resurrected, Enoch stands as a potent foreshadowing of that final triumph over the grave. He and Elijah are the two great exceptions that prove the rule, showing that God is Lord over death itself. The phrase "he was not found" emphasizes the finality and mystery of his departure. His contemporaries searched, but he was gone. Why? "Because God took him up." It was a direct, divine act. The basis for this extraordinary event is given at the end of the verse: he had a testimony, a divine approval, that he was "pleasing to God." This is the key. His life was pleasing to God, and the translation was God's exclamation point on that life.

6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who draws near to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

This verse takes the specific case of Enoch and extracts the universal principle. If Enoch pleased God by faith, it follows that the only way to please God is by faith. The language is absolute: impossible. You cannot please God through meticulous law-keeping, through impressive acts of charity, through profound philosophical insights, or through earnest religious effort, if faith is absent. All such works are dead works because they do not spring from a right relationship with God. The author then defines the essential components of this necessary faith. It is directed toward God, and it involves drawing near to Him. This is the language of worship and relationship. And the one who draws near must believe two things. First, he must believe that He is. This is more than just acknowledging a generic "higher power." It is a belief in the God of the Bible, the self-existent, personal, sovereign Creator. It is the fundamental premise of a biblical worldview. Second, he must believe that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him. This is crucial. We must not only believe in God's existence, but in His goodness. He is not a God who hides. He is not a God who is reluctant to be found. He is a God who responds to and rewards the seeking heart. The reward is, ultimately, Himself, but it also includes all the blessings that flow from being in a right relationship with Him. To seek God is to pursue Him, to desire Him, to orient your life around Him. And the promise is that such seeking is never in vain.

Application

The lesson of Enoch and the logic of faith are profoundly practical for us today. We live in a world that, like Enoch's, is walking in the opposite direction from God. The temptation is to blend in, to lower our standards, to stop our walk with God and just meander with the culture. Enoch reminds us that a life of faithful walking is possible, even in a corrupt age. His life was not marked by a singular heroic act, but by the steady rhythm of a daily walk. This is the kind of faith we are called to. It is a faith that shows up on Monday morning, a faith that affects how we do our jobs, raise our children, and speak to our neighbors. It is the long obedience in the same direction.

Furthermore, verse 6 provides us with a diagnostic tool for our own faith. When our spiritual lives feel dry or stagnant, we can ask ourselves which of the two pillars is crumbling. Do we truly believe that God is? That He is present, active, and sovereign over our immediate circumstances? Or have we begun to live as practical atheists, acknowledging His existence in theory but denying it in practice? And do we truly believe that He is a rewarder? Or have we subtly started to believe that He is a taskmaster, that obedience is a burden, and that seeking Him is a fruitless chore? The gospel reminds us that God is the ultimate rewarder because in Christ He has given us the ultimate reward: Himself. He did not spare His own Son, so how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? To believe this, to really believe it down to your bones, is to have the kind of faith that pleases God. It is the kind of faith that enables you to walk with Him, come what may, until the day He either comes for you or takes you home.