Of
Of
OF.As already noted, under By, the prep, of is generally used in AV [Note: Authorized Version.] for the agent, as Mat 2:18 He was mocked of the wise men. But there are other obsolete or archaic uses of of, which should be carefully observed. Thus (1) it sometimes means from (the proper meaning of the A.S. of), as Mar 11:8 Others cut down branches of the trees, Joh 15:15 All things that I have heard of my Father, Joh 16:13 He shall not speak of himself; (2) concerning, as Act 5:24 They doubted of them, whereunto this would grow, Mat 18:13 He rejoiceth more of that sheep than of the ninety and nine, Joh 2:17 The zeal of thine house; (3) with, Son 2:5 I am sick of love.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
of
ov: (1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning from, away from (as the strengthened form off has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, of was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of of were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of of that are no longer familiar – most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities. (2) Of the uses where of signifies from, the most common obscure passages are those where of follows a verb of hearing. In modern English hear of signifies to gain information about, as it does frequently in the King James Version (Mar 7:25; Rom 10:14, etc.). But more commonly this use of of in the King James Version denotes the source from which the information is derived. So Joh 15:15, all things that I have heard of my Father; Act 10:22, to hear words of thee; Act 28:22, We desire to hear of thee; compare 1Th 2:13; 2Ti 1:13; 2Ti 2:2, etc. (similarly Mat 11:29, and learn of me; compare Joh 6:45). All of these are ambiguous and in modern English give a wrong meaning, so that in most cases (but not Mat 11:29 or Act 28:22) the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes from. A different example of the same use of of is 2Co 5:1, a building of God (the Revised Version (British and American) from). So Mar 9:21, of a child, means from childhood (from a child, the Revised Version (British and American), is dubious English). A still more obscure passage is Mat 23:25, full of extortion and excess. Full of elsewhere in the King James Version (and even in the immediate context, Mat 23:27, Mat 23:28) refers to the contents, but here the of represents the Greek , ek, out of, and denotes the source – The contents of your cup and platter have been purchased from the gains of extortion and excess. the Revised Version (British and American) again substitutes from, with rather awkward results, but the Greek itself is unduly compressed. In Mar 11:8, one of the changes made after the King James Version was printed has relieved an obscurity, for where the edition of 1611 read cut down branches of the trees, the modern editions have off (the Revised Version (British and American) from). For clear examples of this use of of, without the obscurities, compare Judith 2:21, they went forth of Nineveh; 2 Macc 4:34, forth of the sanctuary; and, especially, Mat 21:25, The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? Here from and of represent exactly the same Greek preposition, and the change in English is arbitrary (the Revised Version (British and American) writes from in both cases). (3) In a weakened sense this use of of as from was employed rather loosely to connect an act with its source or motive. Such uses are generally clear enough, but the English today seems sometimes rather curious: Mat 18:13, rejoiceth more of that sheep (the Revised Version (British and American) over); Psa 99:8, vengeance of their inventions (so the King James Version); 1Co 7:4, hath not power of her own body (the Revised Version (British and American) over), etc. (4) A very common use of of in the King James Version is to designate the agent – a use complicated by the fact that by is also employed for the same purpose and the two interchanged freely. So in Luk 9:7, all that was done by him … it was said of some…, the two words are used side by side for the same Greek preposition (the Revised Version (British and American) replaces of by by, but follows a different text in the first part of the verse). Again, most of the examples are clear enough, but there are some obscurities. So in Mat 19:12, which were made eunuchs of men, the of men is at first sight possessive (the Revised Version (British and American) by men). Similarly, 2 Esdras 16:30, There are left some clusters of them that diligently seek through the vineyard (the Revised Version (British and American) by them). So 1Co 14:24, He is convinced of all he is judged of all, is quite misleading (the Revised Version (British and American) by all in both cases). Phi 3:12, the King James Version I am apprehended of Christ Jesus, seems almost meaningless (the Revised Version (British and American) by). (5) In some cases the usage of the older English is not sufficient to explain of in the King James Version. So Mat 18:23, take account of his servants, is a very poor rendition of make a reckoning with his servants (so the Revised Version (British and American)). In Act 27:5, the sea of Cilicia may have been felt to be the sea which is off Cilicia (compare the Revised Version (British and American)), but there are no other instances of this use. In 2Co 2:12, A door was opened unto me of the Lord should be in the Lord (so the Revised Version (British and American)). 2Sa 21:4, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house, is very loose, and the Revised Version (British and American) rewrites the verse entirely. In all these cases, the King James Version seems to have looked solely for smooth English, without caring much for exactness. In 1Pe 1:11, however, sufferings of Christ probably yields a correct sense for a difficult phrase in the Greek (so the Revised Version (British and American), with unto in the margin), but a paraphrase is needed to give the precise meaning. And, finally, in Heb 11:18, the Greek itself is ambiguous and there is no way of deciding whether the preposition employed (, pros) means to (so the Revised Version (British and American)) or of (so the King James Version, the Revised Version margin; compare Heb 1:7, where of is necessary).
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Of
* Note: (1) In addition to the rendering of a number of prepositions, “of” translates the genitive case of nouns, with various shades of meaning. Of these the subjective and objective are mentioned here, which need careful distinction. Thus the phrase “the love of God,” e.g., in 1Jo 2:5; 1Jo 3:16, is subjective, signifying “God’s love;” in 1Jo 5:3, it is objective, signifying our love to God. Again, “the witness of God,” e.g., 1Jo 5:9, is subjective, signifying the witness which God Himself has given; in Rev 1:2, Rev 1:9; Rev 19:10, e.g., “the testimony of Jesus” is objective, signifying the testimony borne to Him. In the AV “the faith of” is sometimes ambiguous; with reference to Christ it is objective, i.e., faith in Him, not His own faith, in the following passages in which the RV, “in” gives the correct meaning; Rom 3:22; Gal 2:16 (twice), Gal 2:20, RV, “I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God;” Gal 3:22; Eph 3:12; Phi 3:9 (cp. Col 2:12, “faith in the working of God”). In Eph 2:20, “the foundation of the apostles and prophets” is subjective, i.e., the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets (“other foundation can no man lay than … Jesus Christ,” 1Co 3:11). (2) In the AV of Joh 16:13, “He shall not speak of Himself,” the preposition is apo, “from,” as in the RV; the Spirit of God often speaks of Himself in Scripture, the Lord’s assurance was that the Holy Spirit would not be the source of His utterances. So with regard to Christ’s utterances, Joh 7:17, RV, “I speak from (apo) Myself:” and Joh 14:10. (3) In Joh 6:46; Joh 15:15; Joh 17:7; Act 17:9, the RV, “from” is to be observed, as rightly translating para (AV, “of”). (4) The following are instances in which “of” translates ek, or ex, “out of, from,” Mat 21:25 (RV, “from”); 1Co 1:30; 1Co 15:6; 2Co 5:1 (RV, “from”); Jam 4:1. (5) In the following, peri, “concerning,” is so translated in the RV (for AV, “of”), e.g., Act 5:24; 1Co 1:11; 1Jo 1:1 (the RV is important); cp. Joh 16:8. (6) Epi, “over,” is so translated in Mat 18:13, RV; “concerning” in Act 4:9. (7) Huper, “on behalf of,” is so rendered in 2Co 7:4, RV (AV, “of”); (8) For hupo, “by,” see the RV of Mat 1:22; Mat 2:16; Mat 11:27; Luk 9:7; Act 15:4; 1Co 14:24; 2Co 8:19; Phi 3:12. (9) For other prepositions, etc., see +, p. 9.