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 XIII, 5 — 'ἐκ γῆς πόρρωθεν' — 'ek ges porrothen' - from a distant land; from a distant region (note: according to Strong)
. That is, whence
. 'ἀπ' ἄκρου θεμελίου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ' - 'ap akrou themeliou tou ouranou' - from the edge of that which pertains to the foundation of heaven (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'apo' in its form before the following vowel indicates here that those people will depart from the regions of that which pertains to the foundation of heaven. Similar words are found in the Gospel of Mark, see more at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12032026.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12022025.html
Isaiah XIII, 6 — 'παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ' — 'para tou theou' - from beside God
. The preposition 'para' here with the genitive case. This construction is used concerning the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and concerning the human nature of Jesus Christ. This indicates that the coming of the Day of the Lord, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, is also the will of the Holy Spirit and is closely connected with the Incarnation of God. See more on that at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/commentaries/Pryjmennyky.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02082025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/14032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/08032025.html
Isaiah XIII, 9 — 'ἐξ αὐτῆς' — 'ex autes' - from it
. Here what is spoken of is judgement upon the Universe (the inhabited world
, understood as the part of the cosmos inhabited by people), but in the general context of the resurrection of the dead and the Kingdom of God these words concern all of creation, that is, the entire Universe. The preposition 'ek' in its form before the following vowel indicates here that the condemned sinful people and creation (angels) will be as it were expelled
from the earth, which will become the land of the living
, the Kingdom of God — that is, they will not enter into the Kingdom of God.
Isaiah XIII, 12 — 'ὁ ἄνθρωπος μᾶλλον ἔντιμος ἔσται ἢ ὁ λίθος ὁ ἐκ Σουφιρ' — 'ho anthropos mallon entimos estai e ho litho ho ek Souphir' - a human being will be more honoured (precious, valued) than the stone from Ophir (that is, gold) (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'ek' indicates the origin of that gold. Here there is a direct indication that most likely at the beginning of the reading what is spoken of is an allegorical image not of a struggle with people, but with demons, with evil spirits. And the Lord's forces coming from afar resemble angels more closely. The meaning of the Lord's struggle with evil is not the destruction of people, but that people should become honoured, precious.
Isaiah XIII, 13 — 'ἐκ τῶν θεμελίων αὐτῆς' — 'ek ton themelion autes' - from that which pertains to its foundation
. That is, the foundations of the earth will be shaken. See in particular concerning that in the Gospels, especially in Mark:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12032026.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12022025.html
The preposition 'ek' indicates that the earth (the visible world, the Universe) will change the foundational laws of its existence.
The prophecies concerning various peoples now begin. The first — concerning Babylon.
It must be borne in mind that a prophecy concerning a people, by virtue of the manifold character of prophecies, has universal significance in one aspect or another — for example, if God's judgement awaits the arrogant Babylonians, then no lesser a judgement from God awaits arrogant people of other nations as well, even though the prophecy may appear to say nothing about them.
In general, the passage today most of all calls to mind the Second Coming — when the Lord Himself with the holy angels will appear and conquer the Antichrist and the evil one and those who are with them.
Babylon, through the Revelation (Apocalypse), has become the universal symbol of evil in the world, and the chief cause of evil is self-exaltation, pride, arrogance.
I shall also draw attention to the words concerning the pregnant woman and the change in the faces of the elders — they point to profound inner changes in people at the time of the Second Coming — just as the pain of a woman in labour is internal. Whilst the faces point to profound outward changes in people.
More concerning the readings from the Prophets see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/21032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/05042024.html
At Vespers:
Genesis VIII, 4 — 'ἐν μηνὶ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ' — 'en meni to hebdomo' - in the seventh month; on the seventh month
.
Genesis VIII, 5 — 'ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑνδεκάτῳ μηνί' — 'en de to hendekato meni' - and in the eleventh month
.
Genesis VIII, 7, 11, 13 — 'ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς' — 'apo tes ges' - from the earth; from the surface of the earth
. The preposition 'apo' indicates that the water had completely left the surface of the earth in comparison with how it had covered it during the flood.
Genesis VIII, 8, 13 — 'ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς' — 'apo prosopou tes ges' - from the face of the earth
. Analogous to verse 7, here it is emphasised further that the earth had not dried out, but the water had returned to its proper state of being present on the surface of the earth in bodies of water and underground waters.
Genesis VIII, 9 — 'εἰς τὴν κιβωτόν' — 'eis ten kiboton' - into the ark
.
Genesis VIII, 10, 16, 19 — 'ἐκ τῆς κιβωτοῦ' — 'ek tes kibotou' - out of the ark
. The preposition 'ek' indicates here whence the dove flew out.
Genesis VIII, 11 — 'φύλλον ἐλαίας κάρφος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῆς' — 'phyllon elaias karphos en to stomati autes' - a leaf of an olive tree with a twig in her beak
. The ancient Greek text gives here a leaf with a small branch (stalk, petiole). See the detailed analysis of the text further in the commentaries.
Genesis VIII, 13 — 'ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ καὶ ἑξακοσιοστῷ ἔτει ἐν τῇ ζωῇ τοῦ Νωε' — 'en to heni kai hexakosiosto etei en te zoe tou Noe' - in the six hundred and first year of the life of Noah
.
Genesis VIII, 14 — 'ἐν δὲ τῷ μηνὶ τῷ δευτέρῳ' — 'en de to meni to deutero' - and in the second month; and in the second month
.
Genesis VIII, 17 — 'πᾶσα σὰρξ ἀπὸ πετεινῶν ἕως κτηνῶν καὶ πᾶν ἑρπετὸν κινούμενον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς' — 'pasa sarx apo peteinon heos ktenon kai pan herpeton kinoumenon epi tes ges' - all flesh from the birds even unto the draught animals and all the creeping things that move upon the earth
. The preposition 'apo' here indicates the starting point of a reckoning.
Genesis VIII, 20 — 'ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν κτηνῶν τῶν καθαρῶν καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν πετεινῶν τῶν καθαρῶν' — 'apo panton ton ktenon ton katharon kai apo panton ton peteinon ton katharon' - from all the clean draught animals and from all the clean birds
. The preposition 'apo' indicates that a selection was being made from among the animals and the chosen animals were set apart from the others in order to be offered as a sacrifice to God. 'εἰς ὁλοκάρπωσιν' - 'eis holokarposin' - for a whole burnt offering
. That is, the sacrifice entailed complete burning by fire.
Genesis VIII, 21 — 'ἐκ νεότητος' — 'ek neotetos' - from youth
. The preposition 'ek' indicates here that people even in youth learn many sins, and grow to adulthood already bearing the experience of sinfulness. This also indicates that the Lord does not manifest only justice (for then virtually no adult, with very rare exceptions, could survive, that is, events similar to the flood would have to occur regularly and continuously), but the Lord manifests mercy.
The end of the flood, the emergence of people upon the renewed earth, Noah's sacrifice, and God's decision not to destroy the earth on account of people.
Here the texts also differ somewhat, but not as markedly as in Proverbs.
They differ most notably in that some texts speak of God's repentance
, whilst others speak of God's decision. It must be borne in mind that whichever text one considers more correct, the idea of God's repentance
is an anthropomorphism — God knows all things beforehand and has no need truly to repent of anything, to change anything in his thoughts.
But if God's actions towards one state of affairs are one thing and towards another state are another, and moreover both occur one after the other in sequence, then a person applies to their own self the term change
— of which in God there is in reality none (see, for example, the Epistle of James).
God sent the flood upon the earth once, and will not do so again; people will live in the Universe until the Second Coming, but this is not God's repentance
.
Someone may be troubled by the fact that many people and animals perished in the flood.
But it must be remembered that in God all are alive
, that there will be a general resurrection of the dead. Whereas the state of that society was beyond correction — God knew this with certainty — and therefore could not leave it as it was, for after Noah no one else could have been saved.
Notice that people were perishing without even taking any notice of Noah and the ark — so completely indifferent to the righteous man and his life were they, both before the flood and during it.
This is a measure of the decay of that society and of each person within it.
On the other hand, the promises of Christ and the text of Genesis show that such a decay among people, among human society, will never occur again — people and the Church of Christ will exist until the end of the age, people will be saved, and history will have meaning.
Indeed, we, people taught by Christ to compassion and love, grieve for those who perished in the waters of the flood, but should have still greater grief for all those who would have lived in a society of decay similar to that. The Lord permitted them to perish in the flood, rather than for all to perish afterwards.
More concerning divine and human freedom is in the work at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/DialogueOnWordsChristFear.html
The various texts differ concerning what the dove brought to Noah the second time. Google Gemini Fast 3.1 writes that the Masoretic text in Hebrew says an olive leaf
, and many translations follow it. At the same time, in the Septuagint and Vulgate — a small olive branch with leaves. The latter has become a symbol of reconciliation (together with the dove). One may say generally — a small part of a growing olive
. As is well known, the dove became a prefiguration of the Holy Spirit, for he visibly descended upon Christ in the form of a dove at His baptism.
The dove knew what it had to bring to Noah — a small olive branch (the olive tree — masculine in gender in ancient Hebrew) — through the action of God's grace.
In general, the dove with the olive branch has become a symbol of peace, and also of the Holy Spirit. The image is taken from here.
There is also an indirect meaning here, a symbol — the small olive branch was brought on the second of three occasions. On the third occasion the dove did not return at all, having found good land. In effect, the first time it returned because it was compelled to, there being no place sufficiently good; the second time it brought the small olive branch, which already showed that things were good; and the third time it received full freedom and did not return, announcing the time of complete liberation
from the ark and from the flood. The image of the middle one among three shows that God often acts in a special manner in the state of creation between necessity and complete arbitrariness. This is also an image of productive, fruitful activity — if a person does something only out of necessity, it is not productive or fruitful; if out of complete arbitrariness, with no regard for the needs of others — likewise not productive; only activity that is directed towards others, that is not carried out from necessity, creative activity, is more blessed by God, like that small branch.
In general, one may also see here the struggle with evil and renewal in goodness. For the wicked and unrepentant perished in the waters of the flood, and the Lord saved the chosen. Concerning the Second Coming the apostles write of fire, whilst concerning baptism the Gospels speak of baptism (complete immersion
) with water, the Holy Spirit, and fire. Thus the Lord shows both the struggle with evil and renewal in the Holy Spirit for goodness. The waters of the flood are therefore a prefiguration of cleansing from sins in the Mystery of Baptism. The apostle says that we are to die to sin and live for God
. It is precisely to this thought that the sacrifice of Noah after the flood also points. In the dove with the olive branch one also sees a prefiguration of the Mystery of Chrismation.
I shall also draw attention to a very important question. Many people find the story of the flood difficult to accept, seeing the death of many people and even of animals. They think that to some degree God is responsible for it.
But let us look more deeply. When a person takes responsibility for their own life, words, and actions, and especially for others — for this too may be connected with hardship, with anxieties, with suffering and so on. But it is precisely responsibility that is one of the key constituents of the transformation of the form of good (a sincere desire for good) into content (genuinely enacted good), one of the key conditions for filling the form of good with its genuine content. In a similar way, the thought that we are responsible before God leads people to a deeper, more conscious, and more richly filled life. Whereas an attempt to cast off responsibility leads to the predominance of the desire for good over good itself. A person then does not allow the olive branch of good to take root and grow
in their life, in their reality, and thereby greatly impoverishes themselves, and even exposes themselves to hardship and sins. Therefore it is important, when looking upon the flood, to be not among the judges of those who perished, but among those who take responsibility in their own life.
More concerning the readings from the Law see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/21032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17032023.html
Proverbs XI, 8 — 'δίκαιος ἐκ θήρας ἐκδύνει' — 'dikaios ek theras ekdynei' - the righteous one escapes from the hunt against them; the righteous one is delivered from attempts to catch them in a snare (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'ek' indicates that the righteous one emerges from the situation as a victor.
Proverbs XI, 9 — 'ἐν στόματι' — 'en stomati' - in the mouth; with the mouth
.
Proverbs XI, 10 — 'ἐν ἀγαθοῖς δικαίων' — 'en agathois dikaion' - in the good of the righteous; through the good of the righteous
. Both translations are possible, the first indicating that the goodness of righteous people creates a good environment for the inhabitants of the city, and the second that this goodness is precious as such.
The Greek and Hebrew texts differ, but in general convey the advantages of righteousness over unrighteousness in this life.
Righteousness has its final advantage in eternity, in the Kingdom of God, but also has advantages in the present life. Solomon speaks here of some of them.
It must be said that unrighteousness attempts to imitate righteousness, and therefore strives in every way to create conditions whereby these differences are not apparent, so as to level
them, to render them imperceptible
— this occurs openly, and often also covertly.
From unrighteousness the Lord cautions us, and to righteousness he calls us, so that each verse is in effect a twofold motivation.
More concerning the readings from the Didactic and Poetic Books see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/21032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17032023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!