The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Biblia.com)

Extra-biblical Depictions of Spiritual Beings

The first book of Enoch (probably written in the first few centuries bc) contains an abundance of Jewish speculation about angelic and demonic beings. It identifies the source of evil spiritual beings as the angelic “Watchers”—identified as the disobedient “sons of God” mentioned in Gen 6:1–4 (1 Enoch 6:1–7:6; compare 1 Pet 3:18–22; 2 Pet 2:4–5; Jude 6). First Enoch uses terminology similar to Paul’s for supernatural forces, suggesting that Paul’s thought regarding the Principalities and Powers may be partially dependent upon Jewish Apocalypticism.

• The angelic Watchers are called “rulers” (ἄρχων, archōn; and ἀρχαὶ, archai; in 1 Enoch 6:7–8).

• In a few instances, these beings are called “powers” (δυνάμεσιν, dynamesin; in 1 Enoch 18:14 and Ἄγγελοι τῶν δυνάμεων, Angeloi tōn dynameōn; in 1 Enoch 20:1; see also 3 Baruch 2:6).

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