Prepositions are notorious for their deceptive simplicity in meaning and usage. Simple spatial meanings can conceal the complexity of abstract ones. English speakers understand how the preposition ‘in’ refers to a spatial relationship between an object and a container: “The apple is in the basket.” But how does that sense relate to an abstract use as in the first sentence of this paragraph: “Prepositions are their deceptive simplicity in meaning and usage.” What does it mean for “deceptive simplicity” to be “in meaning and usage”? In this case, meaning and usage provide the context in which the simplicity of prepositions is deceptive. Greek Prepositions in the New Testament provides an accessible, linguistic account of these types of challenges for the Greek prepositions found in the New Testament.
A brief introduction familiarizes readers with the basic terminology and description alongside an accompanying glossary and bibliography. Each article lays out the basic usage and meaning of a preposition followed by how that usage is extended and adapted to take on more complex or abstract senses. The focus is on providing a representative sample of the most common usage patterns in the New Testament, rather than an exhaustive analysis of every instance of a preposition. Abstract uses of Greek prepositions provide some of the most difficult challenges to students of Biblical Greek. Greek Prepositions in the New Testament seeks to provide an up to date account of the meaning and usage of prepositions in the Biblical Greek.