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 XXXVII, 33 — 'εἰς τὴν πόλιν ταύτην' — 'eis ten polin tauten' - into this city
. Whither.
Isaiah XXXVII, 34 — 'ἐν αὐτῇ' — 'en aute' - in it
. That is, by the road
. When and where.
Isaiah XXXVII, 36 — 'ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς τῶν Ἀσσυρίων' — 'ek tes paremboles ton Assyrion' - from the camp of the Assyrians
. The preposition 'ek' indicates here whence those soldiers slain by the angel were, and may also indicate here that they were of the same disposition as the Assyrian ruler, that is, they were boasting against Israel and against God.
Isaiah XXXVII, 38 — 'ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν' — 'en to auton' - and then
. It is a clarification of what happened next as part of the story. 'ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Νασαραχ τὸν παταχρον αὐτοῦ' - 'en to oiko Nasarakh ton patakhron autou' - in the house (sanctuary) of his idol Nisroch
. 'εἰς Ἀρμενίαν' - 'eis Armenian' - into Armenia
. Whither.
Isaiah XXXVIII, 1 — 'ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ' — 'en to kairo ekeino' - in that time; in that period; in that era
. That is, not necessarily simultaneously with what preceded, but following it without other significant events between these events.
Isaiah XXXVIII, 3 — 'μετὰ ἀληθείας ἐν καρδίᾳ ἀληθινῇ' — 'meta aletheias en kardia alethine' - with truth in a sincere heart; with truth with a sincere heart
. Both translations are possible, both pointing not only to the sincerity of Hezekiah, but also to the truthfulness of his faith and devoutness, his piety.
Isaiah XXXVIII, 6 — 'ἐκ χειρὸς βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων σώσω σε' — 'ek kheiros basileos Assyrion soso se' - from the hand of the king of the Assyrians I will save you
. The preposition 'ek' indicates here that the Lord will deliver Hezekiah, even when the Assyrians will be planning an assault.
The omitted part, where the Assyrians in their arrogance and pride exalt themselves above all peoples, and ultimately above the God of Israel, above the Most High, through contempt and war against His people. The rulers of the Assyrians were expressing the convictions of their insolent and brazen soldiers, who would not have repented, and therefore the subsequent actions on God's part, as I wrote previously, are understandable.
The Lord answers them in a miraculous manner through prophecy, and then through an angel who destroys 185,000 soldiers in a single night. It must be said this is a huge number — it would be necessary to destroy (kill) approximately ten people per second (one person in approximately the twinkling of an eye). But it is shown what power angels possess when the need arises.
This is a warning for all who act as fighters against God.
At the same time, here we see that the Lord protects His people even from great human power, which is worth nothing in comparison with God (or more precisely, with one of the vast multitude of God's angels).
Further the theme continues — the Lord shows that prayer is capable of changing
God's judgements. Here one must pause in greater detail. King Hezekiah was righteous, though not blameless. His prayer was heard
, but as New Testament people we understand and know that before Hezekiah prayed, the Lord prompted him to such prayer. For all good that a person has, they receive from the Lord, from the Father of lights
, as the Apostle James writes.
And the whole story serves as both instruction and sign for Hezekiah himself and for others, that the Lord's will is not something static
, motionless
, immovable
, but the Lord always cares for people. He permits them this or that so that they should turn to him with a sincere heart, wholly.
Therefore the Lord knew that Hezekiah would pray sincerely, with tears; knew that He would heal him and grant him still a long life thereafter (by the standards of that time, to live 15 years after recovery from a fatal illness was a very long time); knew that the example of Hezekiah would serve many; and therefore prompted him (though he was somewhat reluctant
) to prayer through solemn words.
This also shows that the Lord is not a tyrant, and is also a protector and deliverer.
More concerning the readings from the Prophets see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/31032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27032023.html
At Vespers:
Genesis XIII, 12, 13 — 'ἐν γῇ Χανααν' — 'en ge Khanaan' - in the land of Canaan
. 'ἐν πόλει τῶν περιχώρων' - 'en polei ton perikhoron' - in the city of the surrounding peoples
. That is, Sodom was not part of the lands of Canaan. The plural surrounding peoples
may indicate that the inhabitants of those places were unfriendly and very diverse, which is why it was not appropriate to use the singular. 'ἐν Σοδομοις' - 'en Sodomois' - in Sodom
.
Genesis XIII, 14 — 'ἀπ' αὐτοῦ' — 'ap autou' - from him
. That is, when Lot separated from Abram and began to live entirely apart. 'ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου οὗ νῦν σὺ' - 'apo tou topou hou nyn sy' - from the place where you are now
. The preposition 'apo' indicates here that what is spoken of is a gaze towards other lands
, that is, Abram was to realise that the prophecy would be fulfilled not here and not now, but in the future with his descendants, all of whom he would not know personally — that is, he needed in his heart and mind to transport himself into a future remote from him and from the situation in which he found himself.
Genesis XIII, 17 — 'ἀναστὰς διόδευσον τὴν γῆν εἴς τε τὸ μῆκος αὐτῆς καὶ εἰς τὸ πλάτος' — 'anastas diodeuson ten gen eis te to mekos autes kai eis to platos' - arise and pass through the land both in its length and in its breadth
. The preposition 'eis' indicates here that what is spoken of is movement.
Genesis XIII, 18 — 'παρὰ τὴν δρῦν τὴν Μαμβρη' — 'para ten dryn ten Mambre' - to the proximity with the oak of Mamre; alongside the oak of Mamre
. The preposition 'para' here with the accusative indicates that Abram settled near that oak.
Abram and Lot parted ways and began to live separately, in different localities, on account of a dispute between their herdsmen. There were many people and not all of them were distinguished by virtues, and therefore quarrels arose among the servants.
Abram, out of love as Lot's uncle, arranged with him that they should dwell separately.
It is worth noting that Abram cared also for his servants (as did Lot similarly). Both were righteous and fulfilled God's will.
I shall also draw attention to the fact that Lot chose his place of residence not according to the character of the people of that land, but from geographical
considerations — it was a fine region, rich and fertile, so that his farming could prosper. He did not foresee what would happen next — he was therefore short-sighted (and perhaps a little naive, too trusting of people, since being himself righteous and good, he wished to see the same in others).
Here in the reading it is emphasised that the people of that region were wicked and very sinful. Subsequent readings are to concern this theme more fully.
Abram received a new promise from the Lord concerning his descendants.
The sand of the earth
— generally speaking, this is rather the dust of the earth
, not sand as such. Incidentally, even in the time of Archimedes (still before the birth of Christ) the latter wrote a mathematical treatise on the number of grains of sea sand. But the Lord speaks not of sand but of dust, the loose portion of the soil. It is indeed difficult to count
for the reason that it is hard to distinguish as separate elements.
Dust consists of particles which in a wondrous manner are joined to one another in such a way as to form a loose mixture of bound elements that are difficult to separate individually.
These words of God concern the Church of Christ and are a prophecy concerning the mystical Body of Christ, where the faithful are united with one another in a mysterious manner in One Body. This is also a prophecy that it is difficult to determine the destiny (the final divine decision concerning its future at the Last Judgement of God), and therefore among the children of Abraham
there will be even those who did not expect it at all. See also the mathematically profound pointers at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/18072025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/20122025.html
I shall cite the first of these in full here.
Matthew XIII, 49 — 'ἐκ μέσου' — 'ek mesou' - from the midst
. Common expression. An interesting image mathematically — if the wicked are removed from the midst (from among) the righteous, then the multitude of the righteous must be such that beside every wicked person there is a righteous one. That is, the multitude of the righteous in the topological space of the Kingdom of God
is dense:
Dense set. Encyclopedia of Mathematics
This does not mean that there are approximately as many righteous as wicked, but that in one's surroundings there is complete hope of finding a righteous person, at least one (possibly more). This gives the world hope, since it does not matter what time or country, but these words of Christ are eternal.
I shall also add that dust (or sand) is difficult to count because it can be in very different conditions. That is, the saved will be people in entirely different circumstances. And this is also indirect confirmation of Christ's words that in my Father's house there are many rooms
.
The oak of Abraham (the oak of Mamre, for it belonged to a man named Mamre) near Hebron — exists to this day. Concerning it, God willing, I shall write in due course.
More concerning the readings from the Law see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/31032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27032023.html
Proverbs XIV, 27 — 'ἐκ παγίδος θανάτου' — 'ek pagidos thanatou' - from the snare of death
. That is, whence to turn aside.
Proverbs XIV, 28 — 'ἐν πολλῷ ἔθνει' — 'en pollo ethnei' - in the multitude of people
. 'ἐν δὲ ἐκλείψει λαοῦ' - 'en de ekleipsei laou' - but in the lack of people
.
Proverbs XIV, 29 — 'πολὺς ἐν φρονήσει' — 'polys en phronesei' - rich in understanding; rich with understanding
. An epithet.
Proverbs XIV, 32 — 'ἐν κακίᾳ αὐτοῦ' — 'en kakia autou' - in their own evil
.
Proverbs XIV, 33 — 'ἐν καρδίᾳ ἀγαθῇ' — 'en kardia agathe' - in a good heart (that is, in the heart of a generally good man, person)
. 'ἐν δὲ καρδίᾳ ἀφρόνων' - 'en de kardia aphronon' - in the heart of the senseless; in the heart of the foolish
. Heart is in the singular, whilst the foolish are in the plural — this indicates that what is spoken of is a common characteristic, a trait of the foolish, however many of them there may be.
Proverbs XV, 3 — 'ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ' — 'en panti topo' - in every place
. That is, everywhere.
Once again the Greek and Hebrew texts differ greatly.
The general theme of the reading is similar to the preceding ones — concerning the significance of wisdom and righteousness, concerning the downfall of sinners, concerning how to conduct oneself.
I shall draw attention to the verse Proverbs XV, 1 — even intelligent people, but who do not possess the virtue of gentleness and restraint, are sometimes overcome by anger. And then their understanding disappears. A soft (tender
) answer to provocation reduces the tension, whilst sharpness in response raises
(increases) indignation, anger, and so on.
In one recent commentary on social media (8 February) I wrote that Christ says that love for enemies has its grounds — the example of the heavenly Father and his perfection (Matthew V, 44-48 ). That is, the cause and incentive for love of enemies must be the example of the heavenly Father and His perfection. And the sun and rain can help us to love. I came to this thought during a discussion of the translation of my commentary with Google Gemini. Also, Proverbs XV, 3 — a parallel with the New Testament words about love for enemies — the heavenly Father makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good
. Concerning the latter there is a fine work at the link:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06022026.html
One may also add that Christ speaks not simply of love for enemies, but of such love as resembles the perfect love of the perfect heavenly Father. This connection is often forgotten when people seek to understand love for enemies outside of the resemblance to the perfect Father. If a person cannot manifest love for enemies resembling the love of the perfect heavenly Father, then they cannot claim that their love is precisely the fulfilment of this commandment of Christ. But the sun and rain help to build bridges
between the highest divine perfection and imperfect people. If a person can manifest love in a similar manner, then even in this imperfect love they are conformed to God, to the Father.
More concerning the readings from the Didactic and Poetic Books see at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/31032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/27032023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!