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.
Hebrews VI, 16 — ‘εἰς βεβαίωσιν ὁ ὅρκος’ - ‘eis bebaiosin ho horkos’ - ‘to confirm the oath; to establish the oath’. The preposition ‘eis’ indicates the purpose.
Hebrews VI, 17 — ‘ἐν ᾧ’ - ‘en ho’ - ‘in what; with what; in which’. That is, during the dispute, when people contradicted God by their sins, God showed with an oath what is true. A deeper look reveals that God's oath by Himself is an indication of the Incarnation and humility of the Son of God, and at the same time indicates that the Son of God is certainly God.
Hebrews VI, 18 — ‘ἐν οἷς ἀδύνατον ψεύσασθαι τὸν θεόν’ - ‘en hois adynaton pseusasthai ton theon’ - ‘in which God cannot tell a lie’. In other words, God shows the truth of the promise in an even clearer, ‘human’ way. Another reference to the Incarnation.
Hebrews VI, 19 — ‘εἰς τὸ ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος’ - ‘eis to esoteron tou katapetasmatos’ - ‘into the inner of the veil’. That is, inside what the veil covers.
Hebrews VI, 20 — ‘εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα’ - ‘eis ton aiona’ - ‘for ever and ever’. That is, forever, always. A common expression.
For more on the reading, please refer to the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/26032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/14042024.html
Mark IX, 17 — ‘εἷς ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου’ - ‘heis ek tou okhlou’ - ‘one of the crowd’. The preposition ‘ek’ indicates where the man came from, and also indicates that he was generally like the people in the crowd.
Mark IX, 21 — ‘ἐκ παιδιόθεν’ - ‘ek paidiothen’ - ‘from childhood’. A common expression.
Mark IX, 22 — ‘εἰς πῦρ αὐτὸν ἔβαλεν καὶ εἰς ὕδατα’ - ‘eis pyr auton ebalen kai eis hydata’ - ‘(he, the spirit) threw him into the fire and into the water’. That is, where to.
Mark IX, 25 — ‘ἔξελθε ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ μηκέτι εἰσέλθῃς εἰς αὐτόν’ - ‘exelthe ex autou kai meketi eiselthes eis auton’ - ‘come out of him and do not enter him anymore’. The preposition ‘ek’ in its form before the next vowel indicates that Christ is commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the young man, without emphasising whether it is completely or permanently, but to come out, indeed to come out. The continuation of the words shows that it would be possible for the unclean spirit to return under certain conditions. To prevent this from happening, Christ adds a continuation of the words.
Mark IX, 28 — ‘εἰς οἶκον’ - ‘eis oikon’ - ‘into the house’.
Mark IX, 29 — ‘ἐν οὐδενὶ’ - ‘en oudeni’ - ‘in nothing; with nothing’. This is the second translation. ‘ἐν προσευχῇ’ - ‘en proseukhe’ - ‘in high spiritual prayer; with high spiritual prayer’. Both translations are possible, the first indicating that high and spiritual prayer is a beneficial and necessary state for the exorcism of such unclean spirits, and the second that it is capable of casting them out.
Mark IX, 31 — ‘εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων’ - ‘eis kheiras anthropon’ - ‘into the hands of people’. The plural form of ‘hands’ indicates the diversity of the positions of those crucifying Christ, i.e. the diversity of all human sins.
For more on the reading, please refer to the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/26032023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/14042024.html
To the Reverend John of the Ladder:
Ephesians V, 8 — ‘φῶς ἐν κυρίῳ’ - ‘phos en kyrio’ - ‘light in the Lord; light with the Lord’. Both translations are possible, although the first seems clearer. The first implies that abiding in Christ, in the Holy Spirit, is necessary to be a spiritual light, to bring light to others, and the second implies that believers become light by the operation of God.
Ephesians V, 9 — ‘ἐν πάσῃ ἀγαθωσύνῃ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ’ - ‘en pase agathosyne kai dikaiosyne kai aletheia’ - ‘in all goodness, and righteousness (justice), and truth’.
Ephesians V, 12 — ‘τὰ γὰρ κρυφῇ γινόμενα ὑπ’ αὐτῶν' - ta gar kryphe ginomena hyp auton
- for the things that are secretly performed (done, realised) through them (by them)
. The preposition ‘hypo’ is with the genitive case here, indicating that this is the passive voice of the participle, and also to some extent that these people are themselves ‘instruments of sins’.
Ephesians V, 13 — ‘τὰ δὲ πάντα ἐλεγχόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς φανεροῦται’ - ‘ta de panta elenkhomena hypo tou photos phaneroutai’ - ‘all things, being illuminated through light (by light), become visible (manifest)’. This refers to the phenomenon of light reflection, about which I wrote more here:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
The preposition ‘hypo’ is with the genitive case here and indicates that this is the passive voice of the participle, and that light is the instrument for making something manifest, visible, apparent, instructive, etc.
Ephesians V, 14 — ‘ἀνάστα ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν’ - ‘anasta ek ton nekron’ - ‘rise from the dead (as a completed action)’. The preposition ‘ek’ indicates where the transition is from - from death to eternal life.
Ephesians V, 18 — ‘μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ, ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν ἀσωτία, ἀλλὰ πληροῦσθε ἐν πνεύματι’ - ‘me methyskesthe oino, en ho estin asotia, alla plerousthe en pneumati' - do not become drunk (do not get drunk) with wine, in which there is wantonness (excess, wastefulness), but be filled in the Spirit (with the Spirit)
. These words are very meaningful. When speaking of being filled, this means, first of all, the Holy Spirit Himself, but also what He gives.
For more on the reading from the Apostle, please refer to the following links:
https://www.facebook.com/Oleksandr.S.Zhabenko/posts/
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/05062023.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/24062024.html
For more on the Gospel reading, please refer to the following links:
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/13022025.html
https://oleksandr-zhabenko.github.io/en/commentaries/26032023.html
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!