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 III, 1 — ‘ἀπὸ τῆς Ιουδαίας καὶ ἀπὸ Ιερουσαλημ’ - ‘apo tes Ioudaias kai apo Ierousalem’ - ‘from Judah and from Jerusalem’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that it will be taken away in its entirety.
Isaiah III, 6 — ‘ὑπὸ σὲ’ - ‘hypo se’ - ‘under you’. The preposition ‘hypo’ is with the accusative case here and indicates submission.
Isaiah III, 7 — ‘ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ’ - ‘en te hemera ekeine’ - ‘in that day; on that day’. Both translations are possible. ‘ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ’ - ‘en to oiko’ - ‘in the house’.
Isaiah III, 13, 14 — ‘εἰς κρίσιν’ - ‘eis krisin’ - ‘for judgement’. The preposition ‘eis’ indicates the purpose of the action here.
Isaiah III, 14 — ‘ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις’ - ‘en tois oikois’ - ‘in the houses’.
For more on the reading, please refer to the following:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22032024.html
At vespers:
Genesis II, 22 — ‘ἀπὸ τοῦ Αδαμ’ - ‘apo tou Adam’ - ‘out of Adam’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that it was taken entirely. ‘εἰς γυναῖκα’ - ‘eis gynaika’ - ‘into the woman’. The preposition ‘eis’ indicates into whom the Lord turned the rib. See also a nice verse on the subject here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8K6h5NsWNE/
Genesis II, 23 — ‘τοῦτο νῦν ὀστοῦν ἐκ τῶν ὀστέων μου καὶ σὰρξ ἐκ τῆς σαρκός μου’ - ‘touto nyn ostoun ek ton osteon mou kai sarx ek te sarkos mou’ - ‘this one is now bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh’. The preposition ‘ek’ here indicates the source of the woman's origin. ‘ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς’ - ‘ek tou andros’ - ‘from man’. Similar to the previous one here. These are Adam's words, not God's, i.e. this is how the first man recognised her as his wife. Human logic, not God's, but Adam was without sin at the time.
Genesis II, 24 — ‘ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν’ - ‘esontai hoi duo eis sarka mian’ - ‘the two will become (be) into one flesh'. These are not the words of Adam, but of the author of Genesis, and we can say that of God. They are repeated by Christ Himself. See, in particular, the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27062024.html
Genesis III, 1 — ‘ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ’ - ‘apo pantos xylou tou en to paradeiso’ - ‘from every tree that is in the Garden’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that the fruit is a gift from God and the trees to humans. See yesterday's commentaries:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06032025.html
Genesis III, 2 — ‘ἀπὸ καρποῦ ξύλου τοῦ παραδείσου’ - ‘apo karpou xylou tou paradeisou’ - ‘from the fruit of the tree of paradise’. Analogous to the previous one.
Genesis III, 3, 5, 11, 17 — ‘ἀπὸ δὲ καρποῦ τοῦ ξύλου ὅ ἐστιν ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ παραδείσου’ - ‘apo de karpou tou xylou ho estin en meso tou paradeisou’ - ‘from the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of paradise’. ‘ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ' - ap autou
- from it
. See the references above.
Genesis III, 5 — ‘ἐν ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ’ - ‘en he an hemera’ - ‘in that day; on that day’.
Genesis III, 6 — ‘καλὸν τὸ ξύλον εἰς βρῶσιν’ - ‘kalon to xylon eis brosin’ - ‘the beautiful (highly good) tree for food’. That is, it is quite suitable and looks fine.
Genesis III, 8, 10 — ‘ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ’ - ‘en to paradeiso’ - ‘in the paradise’. ‘ἀπὸ προσώπου κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ’ - ‘apo prosopou kyriou tou theou’ - ‘from the face of the Lord God’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that they wanted to hide themselves so that God would not ‘find them’. ‘ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ παραδείσου’ - ‘en meso tou xylou tou paradeisou’ - ’in the midst of the tree of paradise’. ‘Tree’ here is singular. Likely, near the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
... Genesis III, 11, 12, 17 — ‘ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου’ - ‘apo tou xylou’ - ‘from the tree’.
Genesis III, 14 — ‘ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν κτηνῶν καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῆς γῆς’ - ‘apo panton ton ktenon kai apo panton ton therion tes ges’ - ‘of all animals and of all dangerous animals’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that the serpent was thus set apart from all the animals mentioned because of his actions.
Genesis III, 16 — ‘ἐν λύπαις’ - ‘en lypais’ - ‘in griefs; in sorrows; in heavinesses; with sorrows; with griefs; with heavinesses’. There are different translations possible. The word does not emphasise the pains of birth, but rather the heaviness and anxiety of the condition. The woman has lost her firmness in life, her established position in life.
Genesis III, 17 — ‘ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις σου ἐν λύπαις’ - ‘en tois ergois sou en lypais’ - ‘in your works in griefs (in sorrows; in heavinesses; with sorrows; with griefs; with heavinesses - similar to the verse 16)’. The consequences of the fall are equally severe for both man and woman. We see the equality of the sexes. Sorrows and difficulties became part of human life because of sin.
Genesis III, 19 — ‘ἐν ἱδρῶτι τοῦ προσώπου σου’ - ‘en hidroti tou prosopou sou’ - ‘in the sweat of your face’. ‘εἰς τὴν γῆν ἐξ ἧς ἐλήμφθης’ - ‘eis ten gen ex hes elemphthes’ - ‘into the earth from which you were taken’. The preposition ‘ek’ in its form before the following vowel indicates that Adam was taken from the earth. ‘εἰς γῆν’ - ‘eis gen’ - ‘into earth’. There is no article here, which means that while just before it was important to know what kind of earth, here it is not. To a certain extent, bodily death erases distinctions.
For more on the reading, please refer to the following:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22032024.html
Proverbs III, 19 — ‘ἐν φρονήσει’ - ‘en phronesei’ - ‘in the mind; with the mind’. The second translation is more likely to be correct.
Proverbs III, 20 — ‘ἐν αἰσθήσει’ - ‘en aisthesei’ - ‘in perception; with perception’. The word has many meanings, but here I will highlight this meaning, since it indicates that ‘God perceives the abysses, the immense’. That is, He knows perfectly well even that which is immense and infinite.
Proverbs III, 23 — ‘ἐν εἰρήνῃ’ - ‘en eirene’ - ‘in peace’.
Proverbs III, 30 — ‘εἰς σὲ’ - ‘eis se’ - ‘to you’. That is, ‘concerning you’.
Proverbs III, 32 — ‘ἐν δὲ δικαίοις’ - ‘en de dikaiois’ - ’but with the righteous’. The context of the expression is not very clear.
Proverbs III, 33 — ‘ἐν οἴκοις’ - ‘en oikois’ - ‘in the houses’.
For more information about the reading, please refer to the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/03032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22032024.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!