Hebrews 11:5

‘By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him: for he has had witness borne to him that before his translation he had been well-pleasing to God.'

Enoch too was a ‘righteous one'. He too was well-pleasing to God. He walked with God (Genesis 5:22). In Genesis 5:21; Genesis 8:9 LXX translates ‘walked with God' as ‘was well pleasing to God', so the ideas were seen as similar. He was thus not of those who draw back in whom God has no pleasure (Hebrews 10:38).

But unlike Abel he did not die. Rather he just ‘disappeared'. It is not said of him that he died. He was rather ‘translated' (repeated three times) and God took him (compare Colossians 1:13). But all testified to his righteous life as being pleasing to God. And this all occurred because of his faith. So whether through death for His sake (Hebrews 11:4) or through life for His sake (Hebrews 11:5), those who trust God are blessed and their future is secure.

There is surely intended here the contrast between those who were martyred and await the resurrection, and those who will be taken up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13). This was a contrast much more emphasised in the early days of the church, when death was looked on as an unfortunate happening for those Christians to whom it happened prior to His anticipated coming. It is declaring that whether through death, or anticipated rapture, men of faith will go to God.