AGAINST

ISBE

a-genst' (kata; enantion; pros): Preposition expressing contrast. When used of direction, equivalent to "toward" ( Mt 10:35 ; 12:14 , etc.); when of position, meaning "opposite," "facing," "in front of" ( 1Ki 7:5 ; Ge 15:10 , Ro 8:31 ); when of action, "opposed to" ( Mt 5:11 ; 26:59 ; 1Co 4:6 ); "in resistance to" ( Heb 12:4 ); "provision for" (Greek eis, literally, "unto, toward" ( 1Ti 6:19 )). Sometimes also applied to what breaks an established order as "customs" ( Ac 28:17 ), "nature" ( Ro 1:26 ). Peculiar shades of meaning may be traced by careful examination of the variety of prepositions in Hebrew and Greek employed in the Scriptures, that are translated into English by this one word. H. E. Jacobs