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Enosh

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Son of Seth and grandson of Adam, during whose time people began to call on the Lord

Detailed Definition
Enos (or Enosh) marks a spiritual turning point in Genesis 4:26, initiating formal worship. His name means “mortal” or “frail.” In poetry, Enos represents the dawn of conscious devotion, humanity’s recognition of dependence on God, and the birth of prayer as a response to existential vulnerability.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Enosh (variant of Enos) is part of the genealogical line emphasizing human frailty; In George Herbert’s "The Temple," Enosh’s name (“mortal”) underscores human dependence; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "The Seraphim," Enosh symbolizes the first to acknowledge human limitation before God; In John Keble’s "Lyra Innocentium," Enosh represents the humble ancestor; In Christina Rossetti’s devotional verse, Enosh’s mortality contrasts with divine eternity; In T.S. Eliot’s "Ash-Wednesday," Enosh’s frailty echoes in modern spiritual exhaustion.

In John Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Enos (Genesis 4:26) marks the beginning of calling on the Lord’s name; In George Herbert’s "The Temple," Enos symbolizes the first true worshipper; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "The Drama of Exile," Enos represents the dawn of conscious prayer; In John Keble’s "The Christian Year," Enos’s name evokes the human cry for divine presence; In Christina Rossetti’s "Advent," Enos’s invocation prefigures liturgical longing; In T.S. Eliot’s "Four Quartets," Enos’s era marks the threshold of spiritual language.
Additional Notes
Enosh: See ID 13073; standard Hebrew form of the name meaning “mankind” or “frailty”; appears in Genesis 4:26 as the time when worship began. In poetry, Enosh is a potent symbol of human vulnerability and the birth of liturgical consciousness. His name is used in Psalms (e.g., Psalm 8:4) to contrast human weakness with divine majesty. Ideal for poems on mortality, the origins of devotion, or the paradox of finite beings seeking the infinite.

Enos: Variant spelling of Enosh (see ID 12900); son of Seth, grandfather of Enoch (Genesis 4:26). In poetry, Enos/Enosh represents the dawn of formal worship (“then people began to call on the name of the Lord”) and the fragility of human life (name means “mortal” or “frail”). Useful in meditations on the origins of prayer, human limitation, or the genealogical bridge between Eden and the flood. Avoid conflating with later figures—focus on his role in primeval spiritual awakening.
Also Known As
Enosh son of Seth Enos Enos son of Seth
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