Commentary for (Isaiah XLII, 5-16; Genesis XVIII, 20-33; Proverbs XVI, 17-XVII, 17)

Oleksandr Zhabenko 🇬🇧
Glory Be to Jesus Christ!
🌞

Since in the works published at the following 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/27112024.html
it is written that the use of prepositions is important for the correct understanding of important and actual issues, in particular the issue of power, I am writing commentaries on the use of these prepositions. As a piece of advice on how to read the text, you can read the verse in translation and/or in the original (if you have the opportunity), and then the commentary on prepositions here. Next, you need to understand which part of the verse the commentary refers to, and consider what it affirms — or less often, denies — that is essential to understanding. This thoughtful reading helps to deepen understanding and protects against the mistakes mentioned above.

As Lent has begun, the readings from the New Testament are replaced by readings from the Old Testament to encourage people to repentance.

Since I am commenting on several Ancient Greek (koine) prepositions, I will continue to comment on the Old Testament readings by looking at the first complete translation into Ancient Greek, the Septuagint.

In the 6th hour:
(Isaiah XLII, 5-16)
Isaiah XLII, 5 — ‘τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ’ - ‘ta en aute’ - ‘those (creatures) that are in (on) it’.

Isaiah XLII, 6 — ‘ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ’ - ‘en dikaiosyne’ - ‘in justice; in righteousness; with justice; with righteousness’. There are various translation options that complement each other. Those with ‘in’ indicate that the Lord God's actions were just in dealing with sin and righteous, those without ‘in’ indicate that the Lord God calls the faithful by the beauty of righteousness and its desirability. ‘ἔδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν’ - ‘edoka se eis diatheken genous eis phos ethnon’ - ‘I have given you as a covenant to your descendants and the light of the Gentiles’. A parallel with the words of Simeon the God-bearer at the time of the Presentation. The preposition ‘eis’ indicates here what the Lord has made Israel (the faithful) to be.

Isaiah XLII, 7 — ‘ἐξαγαγεῖν ἐκ δεσμῶν δεδεμένους καὶ ἐξ οἴκου φυλακῆς καθημένους ἐν σκότε’ - ‘exagagein ek desmon dedemenous kai ex oikou phylakes kathemenous en skote’ - ‘to lead out of the chains the prisoners and out of the house of imprisonment those sitting in darkness’. The preposition ‘ek’ (‘ex’) indicates where the people are to be brought out from.

Isaiah XLII, 9 — ‘τὰ ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς' - ta ap arkhes - those (things) that are from the beginning. The preposition ‘apo’ in its form before the next vowel indicates here the beginning of the count.

Isaiah XLII, 10 — ‘ἀπ’ ἄκρου τῆς γῆς' - ap akrou tes ges - from the ends of the earth. That is, from everywhere. The preposition ‘apo’ in its form before the next vowel indicates that the Lord will hear this song of praise, no matter how far away people are. ‘οἱ καταβαίνοντες εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πλέοντες αὐτήν’ - ‘hoi katabainontes eis ten thalassan kai pleontes auten’ - ‘those who go down into the sea and swim in it’.

Isaiah XLII, 11 — ‘ἀπ’ ἄκρων τῶν ὀρέων' - ap akron ton oreon - from the edges of the mountains. Similar to the previous one.

Isaiah XLII, 12 — ‘ἐν ταῖς νήσοις’ - ‘en tais nesois’ - ‘in the islands; on the islands’.

Isaiah XLII, 15 — ‘θήσω ποταμοὺς εἰς νήσους’ - ‘theso patamous eis nesous’ - ‘I will put the river (torrent) into the islands’. The unclear place can mean either the appearance of a river on an island or the draining of an existing river until the islands appeared. Either way, it is an image of geographical change that may have a non-literal meaning.

Isaiah XLII, 16 — ‘ἄξω τυφλοὺς ἐν ὁδῷ ᾗ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν’ - ‘axo typhlous en hodo he ouk egnosan’ - ‘I will lead the blind by a way they have not known’. That is, a new, previously unknown road. The road often means life - an image of new life, also a prophecy of the Kingdom of God. ‘ποιήσω αὐτοῖς τὸ σκότος εἰς φῶς καὶ τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθεῖαν’ - ‘poieso autois to skotos eis phos kai ta skolia eis eutheian’ - ‘I will make (turn) for them darkness into light and crooked (things, roads) into straight ones’. In other words, I will open their minds and hearts to the knowledge and preservation of the truth, and I will correct their lives for righteousness. This is not so much about the bodily shortcomings of people, which not everyone has, but about spiritual illnesses and infirmities. A prophecy about Christ.

For more on the reading, please refer to the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/20032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06032025.html
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8m2VbbsyXu/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8AN3CfikTS/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7cEETLs_Qe/
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/30032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18042024.html

At vespers:
(Genesis XVIII, 20-33)
Genesis XVIII, 22 — ‘εἰς Σοδομα’ - ‘eis Sodoma’ - ‘into Sodom’.

Genesis XVIII, 24, 26 — ‘ἐν τῇ πόλει’ - ‘en te polei’ - ‘in the city’. That is, where. ‘ἐν αὐτῇ’ - ‘en aute’ - ‘in it’.

Genesis XVIII, 26 — ‘ἐν Σοδομοις’ - ‘en Sodomois’ - ‘in Sodom’.

Genesis XVIII, 33 — ‘εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ’ - ‘eis ton topon autou’ - ‘to his place’. That is, he returned to where.

For more on the reading, please refer to the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/30032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18042024.html

(Proverbs XVI, 17-XVII, 17)
Proverbs XVI, 17 — ‘ἀπὸ κακῶν’ - ‘apo kakon’ - ‘from the wicked’. The preposition ‘apo’ here indicates that one must avoid completely, entirely. ‘ὁ δεχόμενος παιδείαν ἐν ἀγαθοῖς’ - ‘ho dekhomenos paideian en agathois’ - ‘who was brought up in the good ones’.

Proverbs XVI, 20 — ‘συνετὸς ἐν πράγμασιν εὑρετὴς ἀγαθῶν’ - ‘synetos en pragmasin euretes agathon’ - ‘the prudent (intelligent) will find good (results) in the things he has done’. That is, he will have good results, outcomes.

Proverbs XVI, 21 — ‘οἱ δὲ γλυκεῖς ἐν λόγῳ πλείονα ἀκούσονται’ - ‘hoi de glykeis en logo peiona akousontai’ - ‘those who are sweet in word will be more (preferably) heard’. In other words, the ability to be eloquent contributes to being heard.

Proverbs XVI, 23 — ‘καρδία σοφοῦ νοήσει τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου στόματος’ - ‘kardia sophou noesei ta apo tou idiou stomatos’ - ‘the heart of the wise will understand those that come from his own mouth’. That is, a wise person is able to understand why they say something; a wise person is capable of reflection; a wise person understands themselves, including what they say, and therefore is not hot-tempered or thoughtless.

Proverbs XVI, 25 — ‘εἰς πυθμένα ᾅδου’ - ‘eis pythmena hadou’ - ‘into the abyss of hell’. That is, they look where to.

Proverbs XVI, 26 — ‘ἐν πόνοις’ - ‘en ponois’ - ‘in labour; in pain’. That is, not easily, but with perseverance.

Proverbs XVI, 31 — ‘ἐν δὲ ὁδοῖς δικαιοσύνης’ - ‘en de hodois dikaiosynes’ - ‘in the ways of righteousness; on the paths of righteousness’. That is, good old age is found in a righteous life.

Proverbs XVII, 1 — ‘ἐν εἰρήνῃ’ - ‘en eirene’ - ‘in peace’.

Proverbs XVII, 2 — ‘ἐν δὲ ἀδελφοῖς’ - ‘en de adelphois’ - ‘but in (among) the brothers’.

Proverbs XVII, 3 — ‘ἐν καμίνῳ’ - ‘en kamino’ - ‘in the furnace’. ‘ἐκλεκταὶ καρδίαι παρὰ κυρίῳ’ - ‘eklektai kardiai para kyrio’ - ‘the chosen hearts in the vicinity of the Lord'. The preposition ‘para’ is here with the dative case and indicates that it refers to closeness to the Lord. In general, there is a parallel to the Church, which in Greek also has the root ‘elect’. See more about this here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1539152859716654/

Proverbs XVII, 13 — ‘ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ’ - ‘ek tou oikou autou’ - ‘from his house’. That is, from where.

Proverbs XVII, 15 — ‘ἀκάθαρτος καὶ βδελυκτὸς παρὰ θεῷ’ - ‘akathartos kai bdelyktos para theo’ - ‘unclean and abominable in the vicinity of God’. In other words, whoever makes an unjust judgement sins greatly and detaches himself from God completely.

Proverbs XVII, 16 — ‘ὁ δὲ σκολιάζων τοῦ μαθεῖν ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς κακά’ - ‘ho de skoliazon tou mathein empeseitai eis kaka’ - ‘he who distorts learning throws himself into evil things (misfortunes, disasters)’. In other words, whoever does not learn diligently and truly, brings themselves into bad things.

Proverbs XVII, 17 — ‘εἰς πάντα καιρὸν’ - ‘eis panta kairon’ - ‘for all time (at every significant change of state)’. ‘ἐν ἀνάγκαις’ - ‘en anankais’ - ‘in need’. That is, when needed.

For more on the reading, please refer to the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/30032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18042024.html

Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!