| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The sentence opens with hēste {ὥστε | hṓ-ste} ‘so then, therefore’, introducing a logical inference from the preceding discussion about intelligibility in the assembly. The subject of the first clause is hai glōssai {αἱ γλῶσσαι | hai glô-ssai} ‘the tongues’, with the prepositional phrase eis sēmeion {εἰς σημεῖόν | eis sē-meî-on} functioning as a predicate complement that describes their purpose or function “for a sign.” The finite verb eisin {εἰσιν | ei-sin} links subject and complement. The negated dative phrase ou tois pisteuousin {οὐ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν | ou toîs pis-teú-ou-sin} uses a substantival participle ‘the ones believing’ to mark the group for whom tongues are not intended, followed by the adversative alla tois apistois {ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀπίστοις | al-lá toîs a-pí-stois} ‘but for the unbelievers’, a parallel dative phrase indicating the actual target group. The second half of the verse mirrors this syntax with hē de prophēteia {ἡ δὲ προφητεία | hē de pro-phē-teí-a} ‘but prophecy’ as the new subject. The repetition of ou tois apistois … alla tois pisteuousin {οὐ τοῖς ἀπίστοις ἀλλὰ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν | ou toîs a-pí-stois al-lá toîs pis-teú-ou-sin} creates a chiastic contrast between tongues and prophecy regarding their respective audiences. The dative constructions are best rendered with English prepositional phrases “for …” and substantival participles as “those who believe / unbelievers” to maintain the distributive force and preserve the sharp rhetorical contrast. |