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En
, “in,” is the most common preposition. It has several meanings, e.g., “of place”
(e.g., Heb. 1:3, lit., “on the right hand,” i.e., in that position), and time, e.g., in 1 Thess.
2:19; 3:13; 1 John 2:28, in each of which the phrase “at His coming” (inadequately so
rendered, and lit., “in His Parousia”) combines place and time; the noun, while denoting a
period, also signifies a presence involving accompanying circumstances, e.g., 1 Thess.
4:15.
Further consideration must here be confined to the instrumental use, often rendered
“with” (though
en
in itself does not mean “with”), e.g., Matt. 5:13, “wherewith” (lit., ‘in
what,’ i.e., by what means) shall it be salted”; 7:2, “with what measure ye mete.”
Sometimes the instrumental is associated with the locative significance (which indeed
attaches to most of its uses), e.g., Luke 22:49, “shall we smite with the sword?” the
smiting being viewed as located in the sword; so in Matt. 26:52, “shall perish with the
sword”; cf. Rev. 2:16; 6:8; 13:10. In Matt. 12:24, “by (marg., ‘in’) Beelzebub,” indicates
that the casting out is located in Beelzebub. Cf. Luke 1:51, “with His arm.” In Heb.
11:37, the statement “they were slain with the sword” is lit., “they died by (
en
) slaughter
of the sword.” There is a noticeable change in Rom. 12:21, from
hupo
, “by,” to
en
,
“with,” in this instrumental and locative sense; the lit. rendering is “be not overcome by
(
hupo
) evil, but overcome evil with (
en
) good,”
en
expressing both means and
circumstances. A very important instance of the instrumental
en
is in Rom. 3:25, where
the
RV
, “faith, by His blood,” corrects the
KJV
, “faith in His blood,” and the commas
which the
RV
inserts are necessary. Thus the statement reads “whom God set forth to be a
propitiation, through faith, by His blood.” Christ is a propitiation, by means of His blood,
i.e., His expiatory death. Faith is exercised in the living God, not in the blood, which
provides the basis of faith.
The End of
Vines Expositary Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words.