'Εκ has the force (not merely of “out of” but) of “from,” as well as ἀπό. The difference, however, is according to the meaning of the words: ἐκ, out of, i.e., from going into; ἀπό, aloof or away from. Thus, ἐκ, in John 12:27; Heb. 5:7; James 5:20, &c. It is a question of saving from, or from going into, this hour, death, &c. Again, ἀπὀ: in Matt. 1:21; 6:13; Luke 11:4; Acts 2:40; Rom. 5:9. The former supposes a state of circumstances, a condition, into which the person might come, but into which he did not come; while the latter supposes some persons or circumstances adverse to their interest, not allowed to act upon them or produce the effects of their malice, or which took them away from them. With ἀπὀ they are looked at as hostile existences; with ἐκ it is a state, as even ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστ., from among the dead. They are not hostile persons or things; being among them is a state. So (ἀπὀ τοῦ πονηποῦ is a hostile power. Luke 1:74 is a state in which they were or might be. So Rom. 7:24 is the state in which he was: not a hostile power apart from himself. Rom. 15 means hostile persons. In 2 Cor. 1:10 ἐκ is used again because it is evidently a state: so Col. 1:18, though “out of” the power of darkness might be better here. In 1 Thess. 1:10 it is ἀπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς, as wrath is not a condition but a hostile power of another. In 2 Thess. 3:2 it is from unreasonable and wicked men. This is evident. In 2 Tim. 4:17, I believe it would have been ἀπὸ τοῦ λέοντος., but ἐκ στόματος, into which he seemed to be getting—a state be would have been in. 2 Peter 2:9 is more directly out of it when they are in it; at any rate, it is a state of πειρασμοῦ. So in Rev. 3 the faithful are kept from getting into this state, preserved from getting into it, or, as we say, kept out of it. For the words here answer fully to the English “out of” and “from.” “From,” as to place, is the creation of distance from a distinct object, as they went from Jerusalem to Jericho; they put a distance between him and the city. “Out of” means ceasing to be inside and into. With ἀπό it is always a distinct object from the speaker or person spoken of; while ἐκ implies a state he is or might be in.