Speak The Word Only

  Penemue —also written Penemûe, Penemue, or Penemuel —appears in the Watcher tradition preserved in 1 Enoch , particularly chapter 69. Unlike Kokabiel, Shamsiel, and several others whose teachings are listed in 1 Enoch 8, Penemue appears in a later list describing additional secrets revealed to humanity. According to 1 Enoch 69 , Penemue taught humanity knowledge connected with wisdom and writing . The ancient account specifically associates him with teaching people to write using ink and writing material . The text then presents this knowledge negatively because it says that through such knowledge many were led astray. That deserves careful interpretation. Was writing itself considered evil? Not necessarily. 1 Enoch itself is a written book , and Scripture repeatedly commands God's words to be written. Moses wrote the words of the covenant, the prophets recorded revelation, and Habakkuk was told: “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables.” — Habakkuk 2:2 Therefore, the iss...