Glory Be to Jesus Christ!
🌞
Since in the work published at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02082025.html
and even earlier in others, published at the links:
https://churchandsociety.org.ua/pdf/projects/zbirnyk.pdf
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17082024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12112025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27112024.html
it is written that the use of prepositions has important significance for the correct understanding of important and topical questions, particularly the question of power, I am writing comments regarding the use of precisely these prepositions. As advice regarding reading what is written — one can read the verse in translation or/and original (whoever has such possibility), and then the corresponding comment regarding prepositions here. Then it is necessary to understand which part of the verse the comment concerns, and also to consider what essential for understanding it affirms — or more rarely — denies. Such thoughtful reading helps to deepen understanding and protects from the mentioned mistakes.
I prepared an improved version of my research, the presentation of which is available at the link:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/commentaries/vystup-2025-hypo-genitive-Romans-XIII_1.pdf
The research material is currently being prepared for publication. I hope, God willing, to present fuller results later after the publication comes out.
I will update the list of references regarding prepositions at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02082025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/commentaries/Pryjmennyky.html
the latter — once or twice a month (in Ukrainian), to keep the text version current and up to date.
Translated from Ukrainian by Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Anthropic AI), with subsequent editing by me.
Strong's references (note: according to Strong) in the translation of the original text mean that the word is taken from Strong's dictionary, and the specific meaning was chosen following the translation and commentary by Google Gemini Fast 3.
As Great Lent has begun, the readings from the New Testament are replaced with readings from the Old Testament, in order to urge people more towards repentance.
As it is spoken of several Ancient Greek (Koine) prepositions, the Old Testament readings will continue to be commented upon, examining the first complete translation into Ancient Greek — the Septuagint.
The most widely read are the book of the prophet Isaiah, who is also called the Old Testament evangelist
on account of the clarity of his prophecies concerning Christ, the book of Genesis, from which we learn much concerning the meaning and the need for salvation and concerning God's will, and the book of the Proverbs of Solomon, which is an instructive canonical book, called to raise a person above the commonplace to the threshold of eternity, to prepare them for the higher through the seeking of wisdom rather than of certain earthly gains. All three books, as indeed the whole of the Old Testament, bear witness to Jesus Christ, notwithstanding that each of the books does so in an entirely different manner.
The theme is very profound, but it must be noted at once that the readers and hearers of the Old Testament in its own time differed from people today. The most essential difference was that the depth of understanding, especially the understanding of repentance, conversion and purification, was being formed at that time, and it is precisely for this reason that the reading of Old Testament books takes place first and foremost in the time of the fast, in the time of repentance and preparation, for that which those people encountered is also relevant today.
At the 6th Hour:
Isaiah V, 9 — 'εἰς τὰ ὦτα' — 'eis ta ota' - into the ears
. That is, whereto
. 'εἰς ἔρημον ἔσονται' - 'eis eremon esontai' - they shall become a desert
. That is, into what they will be transformed. 'ἐν αὐταῖς' - 'en autais' - in them
.
Isaiah V, 16 — 'ἐν κρίματι' — 'en krimati' - in judgement; with judgement (note: according to Strong)
. Both translation variants are possible, and the second indicates that God's very Judgement will be a manifestation of God's majesty. 'ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ' - 'en dikaiosyne' - in righteousness; with righteousness (note: according to Strong)
. Analogously to the previous.
Isaiah prophesies in order to bring people to their senses, that they should not live by earthly things alone, not live consumeristically
, but live devoutly and piously. The description is figurative, as is often the case with the prophets.
God will be glorified in righteousness
— words of many meanings, but here they mean in particular that the folly of a purely consumeristic life
will be evident to people of unclouded mind and open heart.
On the readings from the Prophets see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/11032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07032023.html
At Vespers:
Genesis IV, 8 — 'εἰς τὸ πεδίον' — 'eis to pedion' - into the plain; into the field on the plain (note: according to Strong)
. Whereto. 'ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ' - 'en to einai autous en to pedio' - when they were on the plain (in the field) (note: according to Strong)
. Where.
Genesis IV, 10 — 'ἐκ τῆς γῆς' — 'ek tes ges' - from the earth; out of the earth
. That is, from whence
.
Genesis IV, 11 — 'ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς' — 'apo tes ges' - from the earth
. The preposition 'apo' indicates that Cain acted against nature, not only against God, and therefore nature will cause him additional suffering. 'ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου' - 'ek tes kheiros sou' - from your hand
. That is, from whence
.
Genesis IV, 14 — 'ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου' — 'apo prosopou tes ges kai apo tou prosopou sou' - from the face of the earth and from Your face
. The preposition 'apo' indicates that Cain will strive utterly to avoid both God and nature (a road to nowhere
).
Today's reading concerns the sin of Cain — fratricide — and God's punishment.
God gave the person a conscience, by listening to which a person can do good. But conscience alone proved insufficient for the person in the general case, and therefore the Lord manifested yet many of His gifts, in particular Revelation. Through these and through conscience a person can fulfil God's will, although their nature has been damaged by sin after the fall.
How did Cain descend to so great a fall as fratricide? He did not heed either God or his own conscience. In his words we see genuine insolence both before the fall, craftiness in sin, and insolence and impenitence after the sin and God's verdict.
Why does the Lord not punish Cain with death? Even Cain's own conscience tells him that his sin is very great. First and foremost, because of God's mercy. The human being remains God's creature even in sin.
Moreover, God does not wish to multiply
death.
Third, Cain partially acknowledged his sin, although he showed no desire to be truly forgiven. Here we encounter the fact that people were gradually discovering for themselves the possibility of repentance, and the Lord was constantly leading them towards it. The acknowledgement of sin gives a person the possibility of accepting its consequences at least to some (even if very insufficient) degree.
Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!
Yet another reason — God in His providence knew that the descendants of Cain would accomplish much in the sphere of the development of society (although it may well be that all of them subsequently perished in the waters of the flood), that is, the Lord wishes to manifest and show a certain potential (in the case of Cain it was realised in reality in due course, about which there will be reading tomorrow) significance
even of people who seem completely lost and gone to ruin
.
If one were to imagine that even this significance had not been present in Cain, even then they would have resembled evil spirits, who, as is known, before their fall were good angels and are God's creatures. God did not destroy them, first and foremost out of respect for the dignity which, when it concerns people, is part of God's image in them.
Here and further we encounter the question of the existence of other people besides those named by name in the first chapters of the book of Genesis.
This is a complex and unclear question (on the existence and certain necessity of which I wrote, beginning to comment on the Old Testament, see:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27022023.html
I shall not dwell on it in detail now (God willing, I shall examine it more fully before long).
For more on the readings from the Law see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/11032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07032023.html
Proverbs V, 3 — 'ἀπὸ χειλέων' — 'apo kheileon' - from the lips (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'apo' indicates that that honey leaves her lips, which adds the sense of waste.
Proverbs V, 5 — 'εἰς τὸν ᾅδην' — 'eis ton haden' - into hades
. That is, whereto they lead.
Proverbs V, 8 — 'ἀπ' αὐτῆς' — 'ap autes' - from her
. The preposition 'apo' in its form before the following vowel indicates that one must distance oneself from her entirely, utterly, completely.
Proverbs V, 10 — 'εἰς οἴκους ἀλλοτρίων' — 'eis oikous allotrion' - into the houses of strangers
. That is, lest strangers take away one's labour.
Proverbs V, 14 — 'παρ' ὀλίγον' — 'par oligon' - almost; very nearly (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'para' here with the accusative indicates that only a little more and what followed would have happened. 'ἐν παντὶ κακῷ ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας καὶ συναγωγῆς' - 'en panti kako en meso ekklesias kai synagoges' - in all evil in the midst of the chosen and the assembly; in all evil among the Church and the gathering; in all evil among the Church and the synagogue
. Notwithstanding that the latter variants appear timeless, they may be prophetically present.
Proverbs V, 15 — 'ἀπὸ σῶν ἀγγείων καὶ ἀπὸ σῶν φρεάτων' — 'apo son angeion kai apo son phreaton' - from your own vessel and from your own well (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'apo' indicates that these are gifts.
Chapter V is devoted to the theme of faithfulness in marriage (and in general, more broadly, faithfulness in the relations of men and women, young men and young women). It is built upon the exposure of a dissolute woman (since the book was written by Solomon, a man, for his son, the choice of gender is entirely understandable, but a man can equally be dissolute, that is, the thoughts are in truth of a general character — may women and young women forgive this).
The main argument here becomes the real possibility that she will pass your labour on to strangers and the merciless
— a very many-meaning metaphor, which has both a direct and an indirect sense.
The direct sense — such a woman may in truth have relations with many men, and to form with her a stable union, strong and lasting relations in their richness and depth, with all their advantages and attainments, will be difficult; the relations will chiefly lack trust.
The indirect sense lies in the fact that by the merciless
may be meant crafty evil spirits, demons. That is, it speaks of the possibility of becoming enslaved to sin, and in certain cases to the demons themselves. Enslavement is when a person does not belong to themselves
, does not control their own actions, but is governed entirely by sinful desires, passions and dependencies.
Solomon does not mention in these verses God's judgement concerning unfaithfulness, impurity and the like, but speaks only of earthly
things, though ones directly connected with spirituality.
On faithfulness there are fine works at the links:
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DT6fitxAvd9/
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DVQxVNPjche/
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DVCfQjCAjZp/
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DT6e62HgrP5/
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
For more on the readings from the Poetical Books see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/11032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07032023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!