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 XIV, 25 — 'ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τῆς ἐμῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀρέων μου' — 'apo tes ges tes emes kai apo ton oreon mou' - from my land and from my mountain (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'apo' indicates that the Lord will completely deliver Israel (the manifold character of the prophecy lies in the fact that it may also be understood allegorically, as deliverance from wrath, and also spiritually — as the fact that Christ is the Saviour). 'εἰς καταπάτημα' - 'eis katapatema' - for trampling; for treading underfoot (complete victory over) (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'eis' indicates the purpose. See what was written just previously. 'ἀπ' αὐτῶν' - 'ap auton' - from you
. 'ἀπὸ τῶν ὤμων' - 'apo ton omon' - from the shoulders (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'apo' indicates that the Lord will completely free from the burden and yoke of enslavement.
Isaiah XIV, 29 — 'ἐκ γὰρ σπέρματος ὄφεων' — 'ek gar spermatos opheon' - for from the seed (in the singular,
a single seed) of serpents (in the plural) (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'ek' indicates whence the venomous serpents (asps, vipers) will come forth.
Isaiah XIV, 31 — 'καπνὸς ἀπὸ βορρᾶ ἔρχεται' — 'kapnos apo borra erkhetai' - smoke from the north wind comes; smoke from the north will come (note: according to Strong)
. Various translations are possible.
The prophecies concerning other peoples continue — here concerning the Assyrians and the Philistines.
The Greek and Hebrew texts differ significantly for certain verses, in particular in Isaiah XIV, 24 the Hebrew text contains a negation. Many translations do not include it, so the meaning of the verse remains obscure and unclear.
The general meaning is that those peoples await God's judgement. Once again of manifold significance, as in the preceding chapters.
Isaiah emphasises that if God determines something, then so it will be, and no one will be able to cancel
God's word.
More concerning the readings from the Prophets see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/24032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/20032023.html
At Vespers:
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.
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.
Genesis IX, 2 — 'ὑπὸ χεῖρας ὑμῖν δέδωκα' — 'hypo kheiras hymin dedoka' - into your hands I give; into your hands I hand over; into your hands I offer (note: according to Strong)
. Various translations are possible. What is meant is that the dependence of nature upon the human being is becoming ever greater, and this is from God. God gives people ever greater dominion over nature. But this also presupposes ever greater care for nature, that is, people are in a certain measure to realise God's care for the world and for nature within it, being conformed to God's love and constant solicitude. The preposition 'hypo' here with the accusative indicates that people are higher than nature in the calling to divinisation. If nature changed as a result of the fall of people, then with the flood an even closer interconnection with the human person was revealed.
Genesis IX, 3 — 'εἰς βρῶσιν' — 'eis brosin' - for food; as food
.
Genesis IX, 4 — 'κρέας ἐν αἵματι ψυχῆς οὐ φάγεσθε' — 'kreas en haimati psykhes ou phagesthe' - flesh (meat in its varieties) in the blood of the soul you shall not eat
. That is, meat with blood. So that after the flood despair, despondency, and cynicism should not overcome people, God teaches them to preserve life, for it is precious. The blood of the soul
may also be understood as the blood of life
, and in general — what is spoken of is the mysterious connection of blood with the soul, with life. What is spoken of is something more than the biological significance of blood, for other tissues of the animal's body, which may be eaten, have a comparable biological significance. Blood is here somehow more closely connected with the soul and life than other tissues of the body. This may also be a prefiguration of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, of the Eucharist.
Genesis IX, 5 — 'ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν θηρίων' — 'ek kheiros panton ton therion' - from the hand (in the singular) of all (wild) beasts (animals) (note: according to Strong)
. 'ἐκ χειρὸς ἀνθρώπου ἀδελφοῦ' - 'ek kheiros anthropou adelphou' - from the hand of a fellow human being (note: according to Strong)
. The brotherhood of all people is emphasised. There is also a parallel with the story of Cain and Abel. The preposition 'ek' indicates that these hands
have a direct relation to blood, that is, what is spoken of is the infliction of wounds or murder by a human being or animal (not only a wild one). It is also interesting that the word hand
is used with respect to animals
. Here this is more a pointer to the fact that animals which enter into direct immediate relations with people (here — through assault) receive from people more qualities, and in particular may bear responsibility. Although animals do not act freely, they nevertheless bear responsibility in relation to people when entering into relations with them. One may think that similar responsibility is borne not only by animals but by all creation — including human inventions, legislative systems, states, and so on.
Genesis IX, 6 — 'ἐν εἰκόνι θεοῦ ἐποίησα τὸν ἄνθρωπον' — 'en eikoni theou epoiesa ton anthropon' - in the image of God I created (once and for all, definitively) the human person; with the image of God (by what means?) I created (once and for all) the human being (note: according to Strong)
. Both translations are possible, the first indicating that the human being is created in the Holy Spirit, and the second that the human being is created by Christ, who is the Image of God the Father. A pointer to the Trinity. See also:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06032025.html
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DT6X5acAk52/
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DUu8adRDfD0/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/DVnglGNjSaQ/
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/C8AN3CfikTS/
https://www.instagram.com/oleksandr_zhabenko/p/C7cEETLs_Qe/
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
God's blessing upon the saved people, as once upon Adam and Eve. But here the Lord adds the possibility of consuming animals as food, in addition to plants. A passage to which Paul referred, in particular, on questions of clean
and unclean
food, as also the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem in 51 AD.
Concerning the blood of the soul
— see the reflections in the post at the following link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12032026.html
In effect, researchers consider that here the Lord gives a brief Law
to people who lived before Moses. The Jews, for example, consider that these words of God concern all non-Jews.
Why will the animals fear people
? For it seems that not all animals, when alone with a person, fear
them (show caution, 'respect', fear
).
But if one imagines the human being in their power — modern people have very many means, including hunting, live in groups and communities, and possess such power that humanity is a geological force on our planet, in particular it is precisely through human activity (as is the case with no other animal) that climate change and the change of geographical zones and territories are connected. And even in those times people were able successfully to hunt in groups even animals that were inconvenient
for this purpose.
Therefore these words have meaning, and particularly so in our own time.
But this does not mean that God permits the destruction of nature. To put it briefly: in the Revelation it is said that God will judge those who destroy the earth
.
Love of nature flows organically from love of God, of people, and of oneself, since we too are all part of nature.
More concerning that is in the work at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/Beauty.html
In the verse Genesis IX, 6 we see that the Lord commands treating another person with no less love than oneself. This is indicated by the fact that through the image of God, of which every other person is a bearer, harm done to them receives a just and corresponding punishment. It calls us to see in another person the image of God. The threefold repetition of the word person
in different senses points to the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity (in the original Hebrew text there are even more repetitions, for blood
has the root 'dam' and person
has the root 'adam', so that if one reads the original roots, it sounds literally 'shaphak DAM ADAM ADAM DAM shaphak ki tselem elohim asah eth ADAM').
More concerning the readings from the Law see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/13032026.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/24032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/20032023.html
Proverbs XI, 19 — 'εἰς ζωήν' — 'eis zoen' - into life; for life
. That is, it both leads into life and is for life. 'εἰς θάνατον' - 'eis thanaton' - into death
. That is, it leads into death.
Proverbs XI, 20 — 'ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν' — 'en tais hodois auton' - in their ways
.
Proverbs XI, 22 — 'ἐν ῥινὶ ὑός' — 'en rhini hyos' - in the nose an earring (ring, ornament) (note: according to Strong)
.
Proverbs XI, 26 — 'εὐλογία δὲ εἰς κεφαλὴν' — 'eulogia de eis kephalen' - blessing (good words) however for the head; blessing however upon the head
. That is, whoever has the blessing (together with the head, the whole body, and with the body, the whole person) will prosper.
Proverbs XI, 30 — 'ἐκ καρποῦ δικαιοσύνης' — 'ek karpou dikaiosynes' - from the fruit of justice; from the fruit of righteousness; from the fruit of justification
. Various translations are possible; in general here too, alongside all the named variants, the thought is visible that eternal life is the fruit and consequence of the forgiveness of sins and justification by God (God's mercy).
Proverbs XII, 2 — 'κρείσσων ὁ εὑρὼν χάριν παρὰ κυρίῳ' — 'kreisson ho euron kharin para kyrio' - greater (better) is the one who has found grace in the vicinity of the Lord (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'para' here with the dative case indicates that such a person is close to God.
Proverbs XII, 3 — 'ἐξ ἀνόμου' — 'ex anomou' - from lawlessness; out of lawlessness
. The preposition 'ek' in its form before the following vowel indicates that what is spoken of is an essential characteristic of lawlessness — it does not give genuine strength, it does not truly strengthen.
Proverbs XII, 4 — 'ἐν ξύλῳ σκώληξ' — 'en xylo skoles' - in wood, a woodworm (note: according to Strong)
.
Here too the Greek and Hebrew texts differ for certain verses (but are generally similar).
There are many substantive verses that extend the preceding structure of thesis — comparison which, through negation, reinforces the thesis
, as I wrote about previously.
Given the considerable length, I shall dwell on only one verse — Proverbs XI, 23: in the Hebrew text too I see a richer meaning than in the Greek: The desire (longing) of the righteous is only good, the expectation (hope) of the unrighteous (the wicked, those who are morally wrong) is wrath (surges of passions).
What caught my attention was the meaning with respect to love: the love of a righteous person is good and pleasant, and only such a person's love is truly good. Whereas the attitude of a wicked person is called not desire
but expectation
, and it consists in (or provokes) surges of passions, including wrath, or something similar.
Someone might disagree, saying that love is good not only in a righteous person.
But let us look at it differently — if we see a story of genuine love, which naturally attracts attention by its beauty, then we truly value in it that goodness, beauty, genuineness, honesty, fidelity, and other qualities that together constitute the concept of righteousness and more broadly — virtue. A person may not be righteous in everything, but if their love is truly precious, it is because in it they resemble a righteous, virtuous person (not in the sense of the ostentatious righteousness
that people often imagine when the word is mentioned, but in the sense of genuine righteousness, which may not bear that name among people, yet bears it before the Lord).
And no one will seek as the reason why people value love the fact that it is founded upon vices and untruth, deception, dishonesty, faithlessness, and so on.
Therefore in this sense, the desires of the righteous are indeed good.
More concerning the readings from the Didactic and Poetic Books see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/24032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/20032023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!