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 V, 16 — ‘ἐν κρίματι’ - ‘en krimati’ - ‘in the court; with the court’. Both translations are possible, with the second indicating that the Judgement of God itself will be a manifestation of God's majesty. ‘ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ’ - ‘en diaiosyne’ - ‘in justice; with justice’. Similar to the previous one.
Isaiah V, 21 — ‘ἐν ἑαυτοῖς’ - ‘en heautois’ - ‘in themselves’. A common expression.
Isaiah V, 24 — ‘ὑπὸ ἄνθρακος πυρὸς’ - ‘hypo anthrakos pyros’ - ‘through the coals of fire’. ‘ὑπὸ φλογὸς’ - ‘hypo phlogos’ - ‘through the flames’. The preposition ‘hypo’ is with the genitive case here and indicates what easily destroys the grass.
Isaiah V, 25 — ‘ἐν μέσῳ ὁδοῦ’ - ‘en meso hodou’ - ‘in the midst of the road’. ‘ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις’ - ‘en pasi toutois’ - ‘in all that’.
For more on the reading, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08032023.html
At vespers:
Genesis IV, 16 — ‘ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ’ - ‘apo prosopou tou theou’ - ‘from the face of God’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that Cain was trying to completely distance himself from God. ‘ἐν γῇ Ναιδ’ - ‘en ge Naid’ - ‘in the land of Nod’.
Genesis IV, 20 — ‘ἐν σκηναῖς’ - ‘en skenais’ - ‘in the tents’.
Genesis IV, 23 — ‘εἰς τραῦμα’ - ‘eis trauma’ - literally ‘into the wound’, in the sense of ‘because of the wound’. ‘εἰς μώλωπα’ - ‘eis molopa’ - literally ‘into a bruise’, in the sense of ‘because of a bruise'. Here the preposition ‘eis’ indicates the motive of the action - criminal revenge for a comparatively lesser evil.
Genesis IV, 24 — ‘ἐκ Καιν’ - ‘ek Kain’ - ‘of Cain; for (because of) Cain’. ‘ἐκ δὲ Λαμεχ’ - ‘ek de Lamekh’ - ’of Lamech; for (because of) Lamech’. The preposition ‘ek’ here indicates that the motive for revenge, in the opinion of Lamech (the murderer), comes from the victim, i.e. it is a reasoning that in a crime the victim is the cause, the justification for revenge, that revenge is justified by the fact that there is a victim. He does not think about justice, but only about private ‘interests’. In general, the situation shows that the evil of Cain's descendants has only worsened - Lamech, because a man had previously struck him, killed that man, and here he boasts that he is a ‘more prominent’ criminal, because someone will protect him incomparably better than God had preserved Cain's life.
For more on the reading, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08032023.html
Proverbs V, 15 — ‘ἀπὸ σῶν ἀγγείων καὶ ἀπὸ σῶν φρεάτων’ - ‘apo son angeion kai apo son phreaton’ - ‘from your vessel and from your well’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that these are gifts.
Proverbs V, 16 — ‘ἐκ τῆς σῆς πηγῆς’ - ‘ek tes ses peges’ - ‘from your spring’. The preposition ‘ek’ indicates where the waters are from. ‘εἰς δὲ σὰς πλατείας’ - ‘eis de sas plateias’ - ‘into your streets; on your streets’. That is, ‘where to’.
Proverbs V, 18 — ‘συνευφραίνου μετὰ γυναικὸς τῆς ἐκ νεότητός σου’ - ‘syneuphlainou meta gynaikos tes ek neotetos sou’ - ‘rejoice with your wife, who has been with you since your youth’. The preposition ‘ek’ indicates that that marriage union began in youth or adolescence.
Proverbs V, 19 — ‘ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ’ - ‘en panti kairo’ - ‘at all times; at all seasons’ (i.e., actually, when the ‘time’ comes). ‘ἐν γὰρ τῇ ταύτης φιλίᾳ’ - ‘en gar te tautes philia’ - ‘because in that love; because with that love’. Both translations are possible. The word ‘philia’ is used here to indicate emotional intimacy, i.e., here it refers to the deep love relationship between loving spouses.
For more information, please refer to the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27062024.html
Proverbs V, 21 — ‘εἰς δὲ πάσας τὰς τροχιὰς’ - ‘eis de pasas tas trokhias’ - ‘for all the rims of the wheel; for all the ways’. This may also imply the idea that even repetitive, frequent actions and events that seem to bring nothing (‘wheel’) can be made valuable by the Lord, filled with meaning (‘straight’).
Proverbs V, 23 — ‘ἐκ δὲ πλήθους τῆς ἑαυτοῦ βιότητος’ - ‘ek de plethous tes heautou biotetos’ - ‘out of the abundance (overflowing, maximum saturation) of his life’. That is, he will die, leaving his life.
... Proverbs VI, 3 — ‘εἰς χεῖρας κακῶν’ - ‘eis kheiras kakon’ - ‘into evil hands’. That is, into a bad situation.
For more, please refer to the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27062024.html
For more on the reading, please refer to the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08032023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!