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 II, 11, 17 — 'ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ' — 'en te hemera ekeine' - in that day; on that day
. When.
Isaiah II, 19 — 'εἰς τὰ σπήλαια καὶ εἰς τὰς σχισμὰς τῶν πετρῶν καὶ εἰς τὰς τρώγλας τῆς γῆς ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ φόβου κυρίου καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ' — 'eis ta spelaia kai eis tas skhismas ton petron kai eis tas troglas tes ges apo prosopou tou phobou kyriou kai apo tes doxes tes iskhyos autou' - into the caves and into the clefts of the rocks and into the pits of the earth from the face of the fear of the Lord and from the glory of His strength (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'eis' indicates whereto they will move (although that movement is in vain), while the preposition 'apo' indicates from what they will flee (again in vain), so as to have nothing in common. One may distance oneself from God, but it is impossible to do so fully and completely.
Isaiah II, 21 — 'εἰς τὰς τρώγλας τῆς στερεᾶς πέτρας καὶ εἰς τὰς σχισμὰς τῶν πετρῶν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ φόβου κυρίου καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ' — 'eis tas troglas tes stereas petras kai tas skhismas ton petron apo prosopou tou phobou kyriou kai apo tes doxes tes iskhyos autou' - into the hollows of the solid rocks and into the clefts of the rocks from the face of the fear of the Lord and from the glory of His strength (note: according to Strong)
. Analogously to the previous. See also:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/25022026.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/05032025.html
The key thought of today's reading is that the pride of people will be brought low, and the Lord exalted
at God's judgement. If one compares with the Gospel, in particular concerning what is written at the link:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
it becomes clear that now the Lord is long-suffering and with love awaits the drawing near of us (of all mankind) to Him, while at the same time people are inclined to overestimate their achievements. But this does not mean that all that is human is bad, or that every human value is illusory, fictitious, false, unreal, or exaggerated. Quite the contrary. But that which is truly fictitious, false, unreal, not from God — all of it will be judged and none of it will stand at the judgement. But all that is good will stand.
This passage is also important for at least one other reason — in order to better understand what the subject of people's pride and self-exaltation is. In truth it may be almost any created thing — only certain characteristics of it are needed for people to be able to consider that thing lofty
. Such reflections lead to the thought that idolatry is possible not only in overt paganism, but everywhere that the creature begins to replace
the Creator.
It is important again to see the many-layeredness of the prophecy — since the fact that people will cast away their idols concerns only this age and not the future eternal one — that is, it also speaks of the First Coming of Christ, which has already taken place in humility, but also in truth, and which also judges sin through the truth of the Gospel, through the gifts of grace, through the whole of God's divine economy.
On the readings from the Prophets see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/21032024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02032023.html
At Vespers:
Genesis II, 6 — 'ἐκ τῆς γῆς' — 'ek tes ges' - from the earth; out of the earth
. The preposition 'ek' indicates from whence that mist was.
Genesis II, 7 — 'ἔπλασεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς' — 'eplesen ho theos ton anthropon khoun apo tes ges' - God formed the person dust from the earth (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'apo' indicates that the dust was taken
from the earth, lost
its direct connection with it, the earth gave
the dust for the forming of the person (similarly to how in due course it gave a cave and a manger for the new-born Christ). 'καὶ ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς' - 'kai enephysesen eis to prosopon autou pnoen zoes' - and breathed (blew) within into its face the breath of life (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'en', which became a prefix, indicates that the breath of God (of the Father) was within the person, that is, it indicates the direct action of the Holy Spirit. 'καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν' - 'kai egeneto ho anthropos eis psyken zosan' - and the person became a living soul (note: according to Strong)
. Through this divine breath the person received a soul and life. See more on this passage in several profound poems, which are based primarily on the Masoretic text of this passage in Hebrew (the original language) and on New Testament texts at the links:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DT6X5acAk52/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUu8adRDfD0/?img_index=1
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/
Genesis II, 8 — 'ἐν Εδεμ' — 'en Edem' - in Eden
. Where.
Genesis II, 9 — 'ἐκ τῆς γῆς' — 'ek tes ges' - from the earth
. The preposition 'ek' indicates from whence those trees grow. 'ὡραῖον εἰς ὅρασιν καὶ καλὸν εἰς βρῶσιν' - 'horaion eis horasin kai kalon eis brosin' - beautiful to behold and excellent (exceedingly fair, good) for food (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'eis' indicates the purpose and aim — to gladden with beauty and to be nourishing. 'ἐν μέσῳ τῷ παραδείσῳ' - 'en meso to paradeiso' - in the midst of paradise (note: according to Strong)
(that is, where
).
Genesis II, 10 — 'ἐξ Εδεμ' — 'ex Edem' - from Eden
. The preposition 'ek' in its form before the following vowel indicates from whence those streams of water. 'εἰς τέσσαρας ἀρχάς' - 'eis tessaras arkhas' - into four principles (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'eis' indicates into what that river is transformed.
Genesis II, 15 — 'ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ' — 'en to paradeiso' - in paradise
. That is, where
.
Genesis II, 16 — 'ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ' — 'apo pantos xylou tou en to paradeiso' - from every tree that is in paradise
. The preposition 'apo' indicates that those fruits of the trees were for food and were a gift to the people — from God and from the trees.
Genesis II, 17 — 'ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν' — 'apo de tou xylou tou ginoskein kalon kai poneron' - but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (note: according to Strong)
. 'ἀπ' αὐτοῦ' - 'ap autou' - from it
. The preposition 'apo' here indicates that these fruits were also a gift to the people from God, but such as were not to be consumed at that time.
Genesis II, 19 — 'ἐκ τῆς γῆς' — 'ek tes ges' - from the earth
. The preposition 'ek' indicates from whence those animals come. See also a fine poem on this theme here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8K6h5NsWNE/
Today's reading describes Paradise, as well as the first steps
of the person in Paradise, before the creation of Eve. As already mentioned, the gradualness may be conditioned by the significance of relations and communication in general for the person, and in particular — with God.
Verses Genesis II, 4-6 are very similar to a geological description of the epochs that preceded the appearance of the person — if only one understands that in the times of Moses there was no real knowledge of the atmospheric mixture of various gases, among which oxygen and water vapour, and to describe the process of the changing composition of the atmosphere for the readers of that time was really and vividly possible only in connection with atmospheric phenomena, in particular rain, and also with changes beneath the earth — connected with springs.
The following verses — on the breath of life and the living soul — are extraordinarily profound, having no equally vivid parallels throughout all of Scripture, and are therefore all the more important. Into the face
— literally into the nostrils
, that is, the openings through which breathing takes place.
A very symbolic description of the appearance of the human eternal soul — as though the breath of God (which is not God Himself, but proceeds from Him), which is life, that is, the source of life as a value, as such, passing through the narrow bodily nostrils of the face of the person (a connection with the hypostasis, the personality), as it were becomes human
, takes the form
of the human respiratory passages and becomes their own source of life — their own soul. This is an immaterial breath, yet the description is entirely physical
, physiological
. One may say, therefore, that the text is a symbol pointing to the eternal rational soul, but also to the connection with God.
Also important is a poem in Ukrainian at the link, devoted to the theme of the soul (dedicated to a person I know, on the occasion of their birthday).
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
After the creation of the person (in today's text thus far only of Adam) — they are settled by God in Paradise, in Eden (translated as pleasant
).
Again the many-layeredness, the many-strandedness of the text is evident, since it is known that physical rivers never divide but can only merge. The fact that the single river of Paradise divided into 4 rivers again points to its being in a certain measure immaterial
; perhaps it is as God's care for the pure earth in general, watering it with waters
.
An interesting detail is that the rivers flow in lands that are distant neighbours of the territories of Israel — that is, in effect Moses includes
the lands of the neighbours in the composition of Paradise
. A kind of invitation and love towards guests, hospitality.
Names are given to the animals by the human being and not by God — also a very profound text (for example, according to ancient conceptions, to know the name of someone meant to have a certain power
, and therefore the naming of names might be said to have been a manifestation of the human being as the crown of creation). In another place of Scripture it is said that God knows every star by name (where star
may signify either a cosmic object, or an angel, or even more figuratively — all and everyone who may have a meaningful name).
Yet another interesting point — Adam had no need to learn the divine names for creation — that is, the process of natural cognition in Paradise was blessed by God, and the human being was called to it by God Himself. And it is also important that the human being had to till Paradise and tend it — that is, to live in harmony with nature, interacting with it fruitfully.
See also:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/16032023.html
For more on the readings from the Law see the links:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUu8adRDfD0/?img_index=1
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/uk/33.pdf
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/Cognition.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/21032024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02032023.html
Proverbs III, 5 — 'ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ' — 'en hole kardia' - in the whole heart; with the whole heart
. Both translation variants are possible. See in more detail on this passage at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/28012026.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/30112025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/05022025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/21022024.html
https://www.instagram.com/p/C-D8sZ6McBK/
Proverbs III, 6 — 'ἐν πάσαις ὁδοῖς' — 'en pasais hodois' - in all the ways
.
Proverbs III, 7 — 'φρόνιμος παρὰ σεαυτῷ' — 'phronimos para seauto' - wise (shrewd) in the vicinity of yourself (note: according to Strong)
. That is, do not consider yourself wise and shrewd deep in your own soul and mind. The preposition 'para' here with the dative case. 'ἔκκλινε ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ' - 'ekkline apo panton kakou' - turn aside (avoid) from all evil (note: according to Strong)
. The preposition 'apo' indicates that one must distance oneself from evil fully, wholly, resolutely and irreversibly.
Proverbs III, 9 — 'ἀπὸ σῶν δικαίων πόνων' — 'apo son dikaion ponon' - from your right (righteous) labour (note: according to Strong)
. 'ἀπὸ σῶν καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης' - 'apo son karpon dikaiosynes' - from the fruits of your righteousness (note: according to Strong)
. That is, from that which one does well and rightly. The preposition 'apo' indicates that this must be a gift to God, a selfless act of dedication to God.
Proverbs III, 11 — 'ὑπ' αὐτοῦ' — 'hyp autou' - from Him; by Him
. The preposition 'hypo' in its form before the following vowel here with the genitive case indicates that the chastisements may be from God, and then they must be received for instruction and correction.
Proverbs III, 16 — 'ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ' — 'en te dexia' - in the right hand
. 'ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀριστερᾷ' - 'en de te aristera' - in the left hand
. Common expressions. 'ἐκ τοῦ στόματος' - 'ek tou stomatos' - from the mouth
. The preposition 'ek' indicates from whence righteousness proceeds.
Proverbs III, 17 — 'ἐν εἰρήνῃ' — 'en eirene' - in peace
.
Many important and profound counsels.
I shall dwell only on Proverbs III, 11 — My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, and do not faint when you are rebuked by Him
. In effect:
1) do not make as though nothing has happened (do not belittle), do not be inattentive, indifferent; remember what is important — in particular learn the lessons of history, preserve the memory;
2) let no sorrowful events discourage or demotivate in the striving towards God, in the desire for good, truth and beauty; let them not cause despondency, the loss of hope and love.
Can every affliction and sorrowful event be regarded as God's chastisement?
If a person sees a direct connection between events and the transgression of God's will, His commandments, and spiritual decline — if they see that sorrowful events are caused by earlier sins — then in their eyes those events may indeed appear as the Lord's chastisement
. In order to give good counsel to such a person in their state, Solomon speaks to them with these words.
In the Gospel Christ reveals the theme more deeply; concerning part of this there is a fine work at the link:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
Many people understand it thus, that even God's permittance in the Old Testament is often called God's will, so that even that which God does not will but permits may in the Old Testament be called God's
.
More on this theme is at the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/DialogueOnWordsChristFear.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/15072023.html
He instructs… and chastens
— according to the understanding of education of that time, punishment was a necessary component of upbringing (in this people of that time differed from people today). The meaning in effect is that one must be able to draw a lesson
from everything, and be able to see the educative significance of various events.
For more on the readings from the Poetical Books see the links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/06032025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/21032024.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/02032023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!