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 XI, 10, XII, 1 — ‘ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ’ - ‘en te hemera ekeine’ - ‘in that day; on that day’.
Isaiah XI, 11 — ‘ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων καὶ ἀπὸ Αἰγύπτου καὶ Βαβυλωνίας καὶ Αἰθιοπίας καὶ ἀπὸ Αιλαμιτῶν καὶ ἀπὸ ἡλίου ἀνατολῶν καὶ ἐξ Ἀραβίας’ - ‘apo ton Assyrion kai apo Aigyptou kai Babylonias kai Aithiopias kai apo Ailamiton kai apo heliou anatolon kai ex Arabias’ - ‘from Assyria, and from Egypt, and Babylon, and Ethiopia, and Elam, and from the (lands of) the rising of the sun, and from Arabia'. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that the Israelites (who are the prototype of the faithful) will be taken from various lands in their entirety, completely. The single preposition ‘ek’ in the verse indicates just that they will be taken from Arabia, without further details. This is a possible prophecy that eventually the Israelites and Arabs will draw closer together, which, as we can see now, has not yet happened.
Isaiah XI, 12 — ‘εἰς τὰ ἔθνη’ - ‘eis ta ethne’ - ‘to the nations’. In other words, the Lord promises to give a sign to the nations that indicates Christ. ‘ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων πτερύγων τῆς γῆς’ - ‘ek ton tessaron pterygon tes ges’ - ‘from (the) four wings of the earth’. That is, from everywhere. There is a similar prophecy in the Gospel. See more about it here:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12022025.html
Also, the use of the preposition ‘ek’ here indicates that those gathered will have characteristics that are common to the people around them, to the whole world. This indicates that this prophecy is not so much about the nation of Israel itself, but about the Church of the faithful, the New Testament times.
Isaiah XI, 14 — ‘πετασθήσονται ἐν πλοίοις’ - ‘petasthesontai en ploiois’ - ‘(they) will fly in a vessel; they will fly in a ship’. This is a little-understood prophecy. Perhaps it refers to the flights of people? ‘ἀφ’ ἡλίου ἀνατολῶν' - aph heliou anatolon
- from the rising of the sun
. The preposition ‘apo’ in its form before the following ‘he’ indicates that they will leave the eastern lands completely, entirely.
Isaiah XI, 15 — ‘ἐν ὑποδήμασιν’ - ‘en hypodemasin’ - ‘in sandals’.
Isaiah 11:16 — ‘ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ’ - ‘en Aigypto’ - ‘in Egypt’. ‘ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου’ - ‘ek ges Aigyptou’ - ‘from the land of Egypt’. The preposition ‘ek’ indicates here the exodus from the land of Egypt with Moses.
Isaiah XII, 2 — ‘ἐν αὐτῷ’ - ‘en auto’ - ‘in Him; by Him’. Both translations are possible, and it refers to salvation by the Lord, that is, the Lord is the Saviour, the One who saves (Jesus). ‘ἐγένετό μοι εἰς σωτηρίαν’ - ‘egeneto moi eis soterian’ - ‘became my salvation; became to me for salvation’. The preposition ‘eis’ has several meanings here and indicates that the Lord has become salvation (a prophecy of the future for Isaiah, but as if he had already seen it in power, as past and fulfilled), and that the Lord has revealed Himself for salvation.
For more on the reading, please refer to the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/04042024.html
At vespers:
Genesis VII, 11 — ‘ἐν τῷ ἑξακοσιοστῷ ἔτει ἐν τῇ ζωῇ τοῦ Νωε’ - ‘en to exakosiosto etei en te zoe tou Noe’ - ‘in the six hundredth year of Noah's life’.
Genesis VII, 13, 15 — ‘ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ’ - ‘en te hemera taute’ - ‘on the same day’. ‘εἰς τὴν κιβωτόν’ - ‘eis ten kiboton’ - ‘into the ark’.
Genesis VII, 15, 16 — ‘ἀπὸ πάσης σαρκός’ - ‘apo pases sarkos’ - ‘of every flesh’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that a choice was made among the groups and the chosen animals were selected and separated from the others because they had to survive. ‘ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν πνεῦμα ζωῆς’ - ‘en ho estin pneuma zoes’ - ‘in which is the spirit of life; in which is the breath of life’. That is, living beings. Later on in verse 22, another cognate word is used for ‘the breath of life’. I have written more about the breath of life in relation to humans at the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06032025.html
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8m2VbbsyXu/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8AN3CfikTS/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7cEETLs_Qe/
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16032023.html
One might think that in this context the ‘spirit of life’ is best translated as something that animates the body, a created vital force that gives life. And the ‘breath of life’ refers more to the very process of life, life activity, that is, the manifestation of the ‘spirit of life’ in interaction with the flesh. We can say that through the ‘breath of life’ God's actual bestowal of life to the creation, communion with God, as well as the creation of human beings and true prayer, take place, while the ‘spirit of life’ is a consequence of the fact that the creature is alive, gifted by God, rather describing the state of creation, that God's creation is alive. It should be remembered that while God creates all of creation with the word (Word), He creates human beings in a special way with His breath, calling them in person, personally, to communion with God and unity with Him, with the Holy Trinity. This is the first thing that distinguishes human beings as living beings from animals.
Genesis VII, 17 — ‘ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς’ - ‘apo tes ges’ - ‘from the ground’. The preposition ‘apo’ here indicates that the ark was detached from the earth and floated in the waters of the flood at a considerable distance from the bottom.
Genesis VII, 23, VIII, 1 — ‘ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπου ἕως κτήνους καὶ ἑρπετῶν καὶ τῶν πετεινῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ’ - ‘apo anthropou heos ktenous kai herpeton kai ton peteionon tou ouranou’ - ‘from human being to beasts of burden, and creeping things and birds of the sky’. The preposition ‘apo’ here indicates the beginning of the count. ‘ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς’ - ‘apo tes ges’ - ‘out of the earth’. The preposition ‘apo’ here indicates that they were completely wiped out, exterminated. ‘ἐν τῇ κιβωτῷ’ - ‘en to kiboto’ - ‘in the ark’.
Genesis VIII, 2 — ‘ὁ ὑετὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ’ - ‘ho hyetos apo tou ouranou’ - ‘rain from the sky’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that the rain left the sky, it was the physical rain.
Genesis VIII, 3 — ‘ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς’ - ‘apo tes ges’ - ‘from the earth’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that the water began to leave the earth, the surface.
For more on the reading, please refer to the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/04042024.html
Proverbs X, 2 — ‘ῥύσεται ἐκ θανάτου’ - ‘rysetai ek thanatou’ - ‘rescues from death’. The same word as in the Lord's Prayer. It means ‘protects, rescues, delivers’. The preposition ‘ek’ differs from the one used in the Lord's Prayer (‘apo’), which indicates that while the Lord's Prayer speaks of complete deliverance from evil, here it is only the fact of wisdom's saving ability against death, regardless of whether it is a final deliverance. Therefore, it also refers to human true wisdom, not just to God's Revelation. See also:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/01032025.html
Proverbs x, 5 — ‘ἀπὸ καύματος’ - ‘apo kaumatos’ - ‘from the heat’. This refers to avoiding the heat. ‘ἐν ἀμήτῳ’ - ‘en ameto’ - ‘in the harvest’.
Proverbs X, 11 — ‘ἐν χειρὶ δικαίου’ - ‘en kheiri dikaiou’ - ‘in the righteous hand’.
Proverbs X, 13 — ‘ἐκ χειλέων’ - ‘ek kheileon’ - ‘out of the mouth’. That is, ‘whence’.
Proverbs X, 19 — ‘ἐκ πολυλογίας οὐκ ἐκφεύξῃ ἁμαρτίαν’ - ‘ek polylogias ouk ekpheuxe hamartian’ - ‘you cannot avoid sin from many words’. The preposition ‘ek’ indicates that many words, wordiness cannot help escape sin. Sin cannot be ‘weared down with words’.
Proverbs X, 21 — ‘ἄφρονες ἐν ἐνδείᾳ τελευτῶσιν’ - ‘aphrones en endeia teleutosin’ - ‘the foolish in loosiness will end (die)’.
Proverbs X, 22 — ‘λύπη ἐν καρδίᾳ’ - ‘lype en kardia’ - ‘sorrow in the heart; grief in the heart’.
For more on the reading, please refer to the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/04042024.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!