Can I give gifts?

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) The first 9 verses of the 23rd chapter of the book of Exodus explain the ninth commandment (Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor; Exodus 20:16). The legislator forbids the judge to accept gifts from litigants, because in this case he becomes an interested person. This prohibition is repeated with explanations in Deuteronomy: "Do not pervert the law, do not look at persons, and do not take gifts, for gifts blind the eyes of the wise and turn the work of the righteous" (Deut. 16:19).

Is the water really Epiphany all week?

Archimandrite Ambrose (Yermakov)  

Epiphany water is such from the moment of its consecration for a year, or two or more, until its reserves at home run out. Taken in the temple on any day, it never loses its sanctity.

Why do the numbers of the Russian Psalms not correspond to the numbers of the English ones?

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)  

The numbering of the Psalms in the Psalter translated into Western European languages does not coincide with the numbering of the Psalms in Church Slavonic and in Russian because there are discrepancies in the numbering in the Hebrew (Masoretic) Bible and the Septuagint (Greek Bible). The translation of the Psalms into Western European languages was made from Hebrew, and into Church Slavonic from Greek. Although in the Synodal Bible (Russian text) the translation is made from Hebrew, the publishers decided to keep the numbering according to the Church Slavonic Psalter. This is what the discrepancies in numbering look like.

The Hebrew Book of Psalms: 1–8, 9–10, 11–113, 114–115, 116: 1–9, 116: 10–19, 117–146, 147: 1–11, 147: 12–20, 148–150.

Septuagint: 1–8, 9, 10–112, 113, 114, 115, 116–145, 146, 147, 148–150.

Why is there a difference in numbering in the two oldest texts (Hebrew and Greek)? Because the translators into Greek (80s of the third century B.C.) combined two Hebrew Psalms (the 9th and 10th) into one. The result is a difference in numbering: instead of two (9th and 10th), there is one 9th. Both psalms are alphabetical. Each verse begins with a specific letter of the Hebrew alphabet: the 9th is from aleph to kaf, and the 10th is from lamed to tav. There are 22 letters in total (11 + 11). As a result of the combination of these two psalms, the Septuagint from Psalm 10 to Psalm 113 became one psalm less. The 114th and 115th Psalms of the Hebrew text were also combined by the translators into Greek. There was a discrepancy of two numbers: in the Greek Psalter the 113th Psalm, and in the Hebrew – the 115th Psalm. In the Septuagint: 114 and 115. The discrepancy was reduced by one number. The Hebrew 147th was divided into Greek by the translators (in the Septuagint, 146 and 147). Therefore, from the 148th Psalm, the numbering coincides.

What do you mean by the phrase "the Lord's brothers in the flesh"?

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov)  

St. the Apostle Jude, the author of the Conciliar Epistle, like other children of the Holy Right. Joseph (the Holy Apostle James and others) were half-brothers of our Lord Jesus Christ. The expression brothers in the flesh simply indicates kinship. In the biblical language, the words according to the flesh mean according to humanity, and not according to the spirit: "In the likeness of Melchizedek there ariseth another Priest, who is such, not according to the law of the commandment of the flesh, but according to the power of life that does not cease" (Hebrews 7:15-16).