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 XIII, 5 — ‘ἐκ γῆς πόρρωθεν’ - ‘ek ges porrothen’ - ‘from a distant land’. That is, ‘from whence’. ‘ἀπ’ ἄκρου θεμελίου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ' - ap akrou themeliou tou ouranou
- from the edge of what belongs to the base of the sky
. The preposition ‘apo’ in its form before the next vowel indicates here that those people will leave the edge of what belongs to the foundation of the sky. Similar words are found in the Gospel of Mark, see more here:
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 is with the genitive case. Such a construction is used in reference to the proceeding of the Holy Spirit from the Father and in reference to the human nature of Jesus Christ. This indicates that the coming of the Lord's Day, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, is also the will of the Holy Spirit and is closely connected to the God Incarnation. See more about this at the following links:
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’ - ‘out of him’. This refers to the judgement of the ´oikoumena‘ (’universe' being understood as the human-inhabited part of the universe), but in the general context of the resurrection of the dead and the Kingdom of God, these words refer to the whole of creation, i.e. the whole Universe. The preposition ‘ek’ in its form before the next vowel indicates here that the condemned sinful humans and creatures (angels) will be ‘expelled’ from the earth, which will become the ‘land of the living’, the Kingdom of God, i.e. they will not enter 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 honourable (precious, valuable) than a stone from Ophir (i.e. gold)’. The preposition ‘ek’ indicates the origin of the gold.
Isaiah XIII, 13 — ‘ἐκ τῶν θεμελίων αὐτῆς’ - ‘ek ton themelion autes’ - ‘from that which relates to its foundation’. That is, the foundations of the earth will be shaken. See, in particular, the Gospels, especially Mark:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/12022025.html
The preposition ‘ek’ indicates that the earth (the visible world, the Universe) will change the fundamental laws of its existence.
For more on the reading, please refer to the following links:
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; and on the eleventh month’.
Genesis VIII, 7, 11, 13 — ‘ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς’ - ‘apo tes ges’ - ‘out of the earth; from the (surface of the) earth’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that the water has completely left the surface of the earth compared to the way it covered it at the time of the flood.
Genesis VIII, 8, 13 — ‘ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς’ - ‘apo prosopou tes ges’ - ‘out of the face of the earth’. Similarly to verse 7, here it is more emphasised that the earth has not dried up, but that the water has entered its good state of being present on the surface of the earth in the ponds 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 where the dove flew from.
Genesis VIII, 11 — ‘φύλλον ἐλαίας κάρφος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῆς’ - ‘phyllon elaias karphos en to stomati autes’ - ‘an olive leaf with a branch in its beak'. The Ancient Greek text here presents a leaf with a twig (stalk, petiole).
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 Noah's life’.
Genesis VIII, 14 — ‘ἐν δὲ τῷ μηνὶ τῷ δευτέρῳ’ - ‘en de to meni to deutero’ - ‘and in the second month; and on 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 birds to beasts of burden, and all creeping things that move on the earth'.
The preposition ‘apo’ indicates the beginning of the count.
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’ - ‘of all clean beasts of burden and of all clean birds’. The preposition ‘apo’ indicates that a selection was made from a group of animals and the chosen animals were separated from the others to be sacrificed to God.
Genesis VIII, 21 — ‘ἐκ νεότητος’ - ‘ek neotetos’ - ‘from youth’. The preposition ‘ek’ indicates that people learn many sins in their youth, and become adults already having experienced sinfulness. It also indicates that the Lord does not show only justice (for then almost no adult, with a few exceptions, could live, i.e. events like the flood would have to happen regularly, constantly), but the Lord shows mercy.
For more on the reading, please refer to the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/05042024.html
Proverbs XI, 8 — ‘δίκαιος ἐκ θήρας ἐκδύνει’ - ‘dikaios ek theras ekdynei’ - ‘the righteous escapes from the hunting for him; the righteous is delivered from the attempts to catch him in a snare’. The preposition ‘ek’ indicates that the righteous person emerges victorious from the situation.
Proverbs XI, 9 — ‘ἐν στόματι’ - ‘en stomati’ - ‘in the mouth; with the lips’.
Proverbs XI, 10 — ‘ἐν ἀγαθοῖς δικαίων’ - ‘en agathois dikaion’ - ‘in the good of the righteous; with the good of the righteous’. Both translations are possible, the first indicating that the goodness of righteous people creates a good environment for the city's inhabitants, and the second that their goodness is valuable as such.
For more on the reading, please refer to the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/17032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/05042024.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!