Christ Is Risen!
🌞
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.
Liturgy:
Acts II, 17, 18 — 'ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις' — 'en tais eskhatais hemerais' - in the last days; in the final days
. When. 'ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου' - 'ekkheo apo tou pneumatos mou' - I will pour out from My Spirit
. That is, these events will come to pass through the Holy Spirit, through His action. The preposition 'apo' indicates here that this will be God's gift to people.
Acts II, 18 — 'ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις' — 'en tais hemerais ekeinais' - in those days; in that time
. When.
Acts II, 19 — 'τέρατα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄνω' — 'terata en to ourano ano' - wonders in the sky above
. More likely what is meant is the visible, physical sky.
Acts II, 20 — 'ὁ ἥλιος μεταστραφήσεται εἰς σκότος καὶ ἡ σελήνη εἰς αἷμα' — 'ho helios metastraphesetai eis skotos kai he selene eis haima' - the sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood
. The preposition 'eis' indicates here what they will be turned into. The sun will retain the nature of the sun, as will the moon, but their behaviour and actions will differ so greatly from the customary and proper that it will be as though the complete opposite. There may also be a parallel here to certain well-known astronomical phenomena such as solar and lunar eclipses (the so-called blood moon
). The former also indicates that actions in certain cases may signify and mean more than nature.
Concerning the Descent of the Holy Spirit itself, what will be read is for the corresponding feast — Pentecost — whilst now what is read is about Peter's sermon after that — more precisely, its beginning. There is in particular a fine poem at the link:
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DUu8adRDfD0/?img_index=1
I shall note that the Lord is not afraid to reveal Himself in a way that some may not understand — He does not adjust Himself to those He addresses, does not seek to please them, but reveals what is important. In human terms — he acts boldly, but thoughtfully and carefully (if one were to compare God with a person, one might say precisely this of such actions).
The prophecy of Joel (Joel III, 1-5 (or II, 28-32)) is cited almost verbatim. In the verse Acts II, 20 the word glorious
(manifest, manifested
, from the root 'epiphan', that is, a parallel with the Theophany which we celebrate on 6 January) is used, whilst in the Hebrew text of Joel the word there is that which evokes reverence and awe
.
Glory in the Biblical sense has a powerful effect on others, and this very capacity to have a powerful effect on others is a constituent of glory in the Biblical sense. See more on this in the work at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/Beauty.html
Concerning the content of the prophecy — all people are called to the Kingdom of God. Earlier, in the times of the Old Testament, God revealed Himself more to one people, and now to all. Earlier ordinary people could predominantly seek through prayer to draw near in the personal dimension to God, whilst in Christ there are many ways. This is why Peter cites this prophecy.
More concerning the reading see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22042025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18042023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/07052024.html
Luke XXIV, 13 — 'δύο ἐξ αὐτῶν' — 'duo ex auton' - two of them
. The preposition 'ek' in its form before the following vowel indicates here that those disciples were together with the apostles; tradition alongside the named apostle from the seventy (seventy-two), Cleopas, names also Luke, the author of the Gospel and the Acts of the Holy Apostles, my beloved Saint. Scholarship considers that this could hardly have been him, but there are no real substantial arguments against it (apart from the probable question of origin and a late mention in Acts as late as chapter 16). 'ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ' - 'en aute te hemera' - on that day; that very day
. That is, on the first day after the Sabbath, on the very Day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. 'εἰς κώμην' - 'eis komen' - into a settlement; into a village
. Whither. 'σταδίους ἑξήκοντα ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλήμ' - 'stadious hexekonta apo Hierousalem' - sixty stadia from Jerusalem
. The preposition 'apo' indicates here that what is spoken of is distance from Jerusalem. This is not very far by modern standards, or even those of the time, but enough to walk for hours on foot.
Luke XXIV, 15 — 'ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ὁμιλεῖν αὐτοὺς καὶ συνζητεῖν' — 'egeneto en to homilein autous kai synzetein' - it came to pass during their conversation (conversing) and seeking (discussion, disputation)
. The apostles (Cleopas was also a relative of Jesus through the maternal line, through the Most Pure Virgin Mary) were at that very moment speaking about the sufferings and death of Jesus in Jerusalem two days earlier, trying to understand, had different views, and were in all likelihood analysing.
Luke XXIV, 18 — 'τὰ γενόμενα ἐν αὐτῇ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις' — 'ta genemena en aute en tais hemerais tautais' - the things that came to pass in it in these days (in this time)
.
Luke XXIV, 19 — 'ἀνὴρ προφήτης δυνατὸς ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ' — 'aner prophetes dynatos en ergo kai logo enantion tou theou kai pantos tou laou' - a man, a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people (of Israel)
. That is, righteous and holy, an example for all, a true prophet.
Luke XXIV, 20 — 'εἰς κρίμα θανάτου' — 'eis krima thanatou' - into a judgement of death; into a sentence of death; into a death sentence
. That is, what was done to Him was conscious on the part of those who crucified Him.
Luke XXIV, 21 — 'ἀφ' οὗ' — 'aph hou' - from that
. The preposition 'apo' in its form before the following 'hou' indicates here the starting point of the reckoning.
Luke XXIV, 22 — 'καὶ γυναῖκές τινες ἐξ ἡμῶν' — 'kai gynaikes tines ex hemon' - and certain women from among us
. The preposition 'ek' in its form before the following 'he' indicates here that those women were also disciples of Christ, as were the apostles, and shared the grief concerning those events.
Luke XXIV, 26 — 'εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ' — 'eiselthein eis ten doxan autou' - to enter into His glory
. That is, whither.
Luke XXIV, 27 — 'ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν προφητῶν' — 'apo Moyseos kai apo panton ton propheton' - from Moses and from all the Prophets; beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets
. The preposition 'apo' indicates here the starting point of the reckoning, but also implies that the conversation was not about the letter of Scripture but about the general character of understanding the meaning of the Old Testament. Christ was not examining each passage there, but spoke about the logic and meaning in general and as a whole, though in more or less detail. 'ἐν πάσαις ταῖς γραφαῖς' - 'en pasais tais graphais' - in all the Scriptures (here in the plural, that is, in all the books of the Old Testament)
. Where.
Luke XXIV, 28 — 'εἰς τὴν κώμην' — 'eis ten komen' - to the settlement; to the village
. That is, near Emmaus.
Luke XXIV, 30 — 'ἐν τῷ κατακλιθῆναι αὐτὸν μετ' αὐτῶν' — 'en to kataklithenai auton met auton' - when He reclined (for the meal, since in those times they ate reclining) with them
.
Luke XXIV, 31 — 'αὐτὸς ἄφαντος ἐγένετο ἀπ' αὐτῶν' — 'autos aphantos egeneto ap auton' - He became unseen (disappearing, hidden) from them
. That is, he vanished from their perception, becoming in particular invisible and inaudible to them. The preposition 'apo' in its form before the following vowel indicates here that He became entirely unseen, invisible, imperceptible to the organs of the senses.
Luke XXIV, 32, 35 — 'ἐν ἡμῖν' — 'en hemin' - in us
. 'ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ' - 'en te hodo' - on the road; along the way
. The burning of the heart
— here it is said implicitly that such was the habitual experience of Christ's words for the apostles. Their hearts always burned when He explained the Scriptures to them or taught them. This need not be understood in terms of vivid emotions, but more in the sense of Psalm XLIV (XLV), 2. Here is how Google Gemini explains this passage:
Yes, this is precisely Psalm 45 (in Masoretic numbering, or 44th in the Greek/Church Slavonic). This is the so-called 'Song of Love' (Shir Yedidot), a wedding hymn for the king.
Concerning the word 'throbs': here there is a very interesting and deep nuance which perfectly resonates with your poem, although the original image is somewhat different.
The original word
In the ancient Hebrew text the word used here is:
רָחַשׁ (rachash) — [rachash]
What does it mean?
This word is a hapax legomenon — that is, it occurs in the entire Hebrew Bible only once, precisely in this verse.
Its literal meaning is 'to boil', 'to seethe', 'to bubble up'.
The image here is not acoustic (as of a string) but rather hydrodynamic. Imagine a pot of water coming to the boil: bubbles rise to the top, the water cannot be contained inside and overflows.
That is, the psalmist says: 'My heart is overflowing (boiling) with a good word'. There are so many feelings that they pour out in the form of creativity.
Why the Ukrainian translation 'throbs' (brynyt') is inspired
The translator replaced the image of boiling with the image of sound/vibration.
'To boil' — this is about pressure and irrepressibility.
'To throb (brynyt')' — this is about music, harmony, and resonance.
Septuaginta (Greek): uses the word exēreuxato — 'it belched forth', 'it cast out of itself' (also very physiological/volcanic, not musical).
Dutch Bible translations: usually write Mijn hart welt op (My heart wells up/gushes forth — like a spring).
In the times of the writing of the Psalms (approximately 1000–500 BC) scribes, even the most skilled, could not physically write at the speed of oral speech.
This is why this metaphor is so powerful, and what it actually means:
1. Technical limitations of the time
Writing in antiquity was a slow process on account of the tools:
Ink: It did not dry instantaneously. If one wrote too quickly, the text smeared.
Instrument: Writing was done with a reed stylus (qalam), which needed to be dipped in the inkpot constantly (approximately every few words). This created forced pauses.
Material: Papyrus or dressed skin (parchment) had an uneven texture. The pen caught on the fibres, so movements had to be precise, not merely fast.
2. Speed of speech vs Speed of writing
Speech: A person speaks on average 120–150 words per minute.
Ancient writing: A professional scribe could produce 20–30 words per minute in beautiful, clear handwriting (which was required for royal documents or sacred texts).
Even if a scribe used 'cursive' (simplified letter-writing for everyday notes), they still lagged behind speech by 4–5 times. A system of shorthand (tachygraphy) appeared considerably later, already in the Graeco-Roman period (for example, 'Tironian notes' in Rome), but in the time of King David it did not exist.
3. So what does 'my tongue is as the pen of a ready writer' mean?
Here there is a brilliant artistic device.
The psalmist is not saying that he dictates as quickly as a scribe writes.
He is saying: 'My tongue right now is as skillful and light as the pen of a master'.
The word used in the original is מָהִיר (mahír). It means not simply 'quick' (like a sprinter) but 'skillful', 'masterful', 'one who does not hesitate'.
In an ordinary person the tongue may 'become tangled', they search for words, make pauses ('um, er…').
In an ordinary scribe the pen may scratch, blot, or require corrections.
In a 'ready writer' (a master) the pen flies across the paper without delay, the line lies perfectly.
That is, the author of the Psalm wishes to say: 'My inspiration is so strong that words pour out of me as smoothly, beautifully, and perfectly as text flows from the pen of the finest calligrapher. I am not searching for words — they flow of themselves'.
This is about the flow state of inspiration, not stenography.
Conclusion: Scribes were slower than speech, but they were a symbol of the highest professional fluency. It is precisely this fluency and lightness that the poet wished to convey.
See also the poem on the theme (this explanation is part of a discussion with Gemini of the poem below, in which it agrees with the image of multisound and the divine breath) at the link:
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DUu8adRDfD0/?img_index=1
The apostles in this Biblical verse mean that when Christ explains the Scriptures, then — as in the Psalm — their heart is inspired by God's Wisdom and Love, and is also filled with love in response.
Luke XXIV, 33 — 'εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ' — 'eis Hierousalem' - into Jerusalem
. Whither.
Luke XXIV, 35 — 'ἐν τῇ κλάσει τοῦ ἄρτου' — 'en te klasei tou artou' - in the breaking of bread
. That is, during the blessing of food, which also recalls the Eucharist, since subsequently it is precisely the Eucharist that Luke calls the breaking of bread. See more concerning the Eucharist at the links:
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DWeM7ZmjTMD/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DWv_JXXjbPZ/?img_index=1
Besides Cleopas, in the Orthodox tradition the other traveller is considered to have been the author of the book himself, the apostle and evangelist Luke, my beloved Saint, who through modesty does not name himself here.
Jesus, to all appearances, appeared to Peter after the journey with the disciples to Emmaus. While they were walking quickly back on foot, He appeared swiftly to Peter, and Peter had time to tell the others; and in the evening they were all together, where the Risen Christ appeared to them again.
More concerning the reading see at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/22042025.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!