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 started, 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 considering the first complete translation into Ancient Greek, the Septuagint.
At the 6th hour:
Isaiah II, 3 — ‘εἰς τὸ ὄρος κυρίου καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ Ιακωβ’ - ‘eis to oros kyriou kai eis ton oikon tou theou Iakob’ - ‘to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob’. That is, ‘where to’. ‘ἐν αὐτῇ’ - ‘en aute’ - ‘in it; on it (the road)’. ‘ἐκ γὰρ Σιων’ - ‘ek gar Sion’ - ‘because from Sion; because out of Sion’. ‘ἐξ Ιερουσαλημ’ - ‘ex Ierousalem’ - ‘from Jerusalem’. In both cases, the preposition ‘ek’ indicates where the Law and the Word of the Lord will come from.
Isaiah II, 4 — ‘τὰς μαχαίρας αὐτῶν εἰς ἄροτρα καὶ τὰς ζιβύνας αὐτῶν εἰς δρέπανα’ - ‘tas makhairas auton eis arotra kai tas zibyna auton eis drepana’ - ‘their swords into ploughshares and their spears into sickles’. The preposition ‘eis’ indicates what the weapons will be forged into.
Isaiah II, 6 — ‘ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς' - ap arkhes
- from the beginning
. The preposition ‘apo’ in its form before the next vowel indicates the beginning of the time count.
Isaiah II, 10 — ‘εἰσέλθετε εἰς τὰς πέτρας καὶ κρύπτεσθε εἰς τὴν γῆν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ φόβου κυρίου καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ’ - ‘eiselthete eis tas petras kai kryptesthe eis ten gen apo prosopou tou phobou kyriou kai apo tes doxes tes iskhyos autou’ - ‘go into the rocks and hide yourself in the earth from the face of the fear of the Lord and from the glory of His power’. The preposition ‘eis’ indicates where to go (although that movement is futile), and the preposition ‘apo’ indicates what to run away from (again, futile), so as to have nothing in common. It is possible to move away from God, but it is impossible to do so completely, entirely.
Isaiah II, 11 — ‘ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ’ - ‘en te hemera ekeine’ - ‘in that day; on that day’.
For more on the reading, please refer to the following:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/01032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/20032024.html
At vespers:
Genesis I, 29 — ‘ἐν ἑαυτῷ’ - ‘en heauto’ - ‘in itself’. ‘ἔσται εἰς βρῶσιν’ - ‘estai eis brosin’ - ‘it will (shall) be food’. This is not so much a commandment (because later people began to eat animal meat, which was not a violation of these words of God) as a description of what people will do. The Lord is teaching people to eat. This is important because it shows that He cares about their needs.
Genesis I, 30 — ‘ἐν ἑαυτῷ’ - ‘en heauto’ - ‘in itself’. ‘εἰς βρῶσιν’ - ‘eis brosin’ - ‘into (as) food’. See just above.
Genesis II, 2 — ‘ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἕκτῃ’ - ‘en te hemera te hekte’ - ‘in six days’. ‘ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων’ - ‘apo panton ton ergon’ - ‘from all the works’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that the Lord had stopped them completely, i.e. they were complete, finished, and lacked nothing else.
Genesis II, 3 — ‘ἐν αὐτῇ κατέπαυσεν ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ’ - ‘en aute katepausen apo panton ton ergon autou’ - ‘in it He stopped (rested) from all His works’. See above.
For more on the reading, please refer to the following:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/01032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/20032024.html
Proverbs II, 1 — ‘παρὰ σεαυτῷ’ - ‘para seauto’ - ‘at the vicinity of you (yourself)’. The preposition ‘para’ here is with the dative case and indicates that it is necessary to keep it near oneself, i.e. these are deeply personal commandments.
Proverbs II, 2 — ‘εἰς σύνεσιν’ - ‘eis synesin’ - ‘to the understanding; to the mind’. The preposition ‘eis’ indicates where the heart is directed and moved.
Proverbs II, 6 — ‘ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ’ - ‘apo prosopou autou’ - ‘from His face’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that it is a gift from God to people.
Proverbs II, 10 — ‘εἰς σὴν διάνοιαν’ - ‘eis sen dianoian’ - ‘into your deep thoughts; into your considerations; into your reasoning’. That is, it will enter ‘where to’....
Proverbs II, 12 — ‘ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ κακῆς καὶ ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς λαλοῦντος μηδὲν πιστόν’ - ‘apo hodou kakes kai apo andros lalountos meden piston’ - ‘from the evil way and from a man who says nothing trustworthy’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that the Lord, through Solomon's words, wants to save us from the evil and deception.
Proverbs II, 13 — ‘ἐν ὁδοῖς σκότους’ - ‘en hodois skotous’ - ‘in the ways of darkness; along the paths of darkness’.
Proverbs II, 16 — ‘τοῦ μακράν σε ποιῆσαι ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ εὐθείας’ - ‘tou makran se poiesai apo hodou eutheias’ - ‘you have been removed from the straight path’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that they want to distance you completely.
Proverbs II, 18 — ‘παρὰ τῷ θανάτῳ’ - ‘para to thanato’ - ‘’at the vicinity of the death‘’. ‘παρὰ τῷ ᾅδῃ’ - ‘para te hade’ - ‘at the vicinity of the hell’. The preposition ‘para’ is with the dative case here and indicates what the tempters are close to.
Proverbs II, 19 — ‘ἐν αὐτῇ’ - ‘en aute’ - ‘in her’. ‘οὐ γὰρ καταλαμβάνονται ὑπὸ ἐνιαυτῶν ζωῆς’ - ‘ou gar katalambanontai hypo eniauton zoes’ - ‘will not attain (have, see, find) the long years of life (longevity)’. The preposition ‘hypo’ is with the genitive case here and indicates that if one associates with tempters or temptresses, he or she will not be crowned with longevity.
Proverbs II, 21 — ‘ὑπολειφθήσονται ἐν αὐτῇ’ - ‘hypoleiphthesontai en aute’ - ‘will remain (survive) in it'.
Proverbs II, 22 — ‘ἐκ γῆς’ - ‘ek ges’ - ‘from the earth’. That is, ‘whence’. ‘ἀπ’ αὐτῆς' - ap autes
- from it
. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that the wicked will be completely deprived of the earth, i.e., they will be in torment.
For more information about the reading, please refer to the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/01032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/20032024.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!