| 29. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the fronted subject prophetai {προφῆται | prophêtai} ‘prophets’, creating topical focus on the group being regulated, followed by the connective de {δὲ | dé} ‘but/now’ that signals a new, yet related, instruction within the broader discussion of orderly worship. The quantified phrase dyo ē treis {δύο ἢ τρεῖς | dýo ē treîs} ‘two or three’ precedes the imperative verb laleitosan {λαλείτωσαν | laleítōsan} ‘let them speak’, so that the numeric limit is highlighted before the action, emphasizing order and restraint. The coordinating conjunction kai {καὶ | kaí} ‘and’ introduces a second, parallel imperative diakrinetosan {διακρινέτωσαν | diakrinétōsan} ‘let them discern’, with the articular subject hoi alloi {οἱ ἄλλοι | hoi álloi} ‘the others’ functioning substantively to denote a distinct group who respond to, rather than give, prophecy. The use of two present active imperatives in the third person plural presents ongoing patterns of behavior: some are to speak while others are to evaluate, indicating a shared responsibility within the assembly. In English this is represented by two coordinated clauses with “let … speak” and “let … discern / carefully judge,” preserving the directive force and the balanced structure between prophetic utterance and corporate evaluation. |