The Messiah of Jewish literature, specifically the messiah described in 2 Samuel 7 and Psalms 2 contrasts the messiah spoken of in 1 Enoch, and in turn the messiah Mark presents in the form of Jesus. We can begin to compare the “messiah” of the gospels with early jewish ideas of the coming messiah by taking a closer look at the hebrew accounts of the messiah foreshadowed after the reign of King David.

The Jewish cultural idea of the coming Messiah can begin to be partially understood through the hebrew translation of the word messiah itself: “ha-messiach”. Ha-messiach, or messiah, refers to an anointed one- someone specifically chosen by God for his service. In the Hebrew context, it was understood to be someone of high stature, most notably a king. The word came to be used for important kings of Israel, and carried with it the connotation of a ritualistic coronation.  Directly translated messiah means “anointed king”.

2 Samuel and 2 Psalms present the coming messiah as a kingly figure, who will rule in the land of Zion presumably, forever.  In 2 Psalms, The God of Israel says “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill”. 2 Samuel goes on to say that the Lord will “give [the Israelites] rest from their enemies… and give [them] a house” and “[the messiah] will establish the throne of [the lord’s] kingdom forever”. Both of these books in the Hebrew bible view the coming messiah as someone who will save them from their enemies by destroying those who stand against them and re-establishing the powerful kingdom of Israel to the power it was under the rule of King David.

1 Enoch approaches the messiah from a more apocalyptic world view, referring to the messiah as a “crushing power at the right hand of God”. In these passages said messiah is seen as more of a God-like figure rather than a king, but still powerful and willing to fight a war for the people of Israel against their enemies. Satan is introduced and the messiah is seen as a deliverer/leader from the “evil age”.

These passages Hebrew laid the foundations for the jewish world’s expectations of the coming messiah. Each passage depicts someone of great power, almost god-like, who will essentially overthrow the status quo as they know it. They expect someone to deliver them from their transgressions and their pain, and restore the kingdom of Israel essentially. Mark will offer a view of a messiah that in most ways sharply contrasts these world views in his book of the gospel of Jesus.