| 43. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with a genitive absolute construction, lytheises tēs synagoges {λυθείσης τῆς συναγωγῆς | lythḗsēs tēs synagōgēs}, literally “the synagogue having been dismissed,” which functions as a temporal setting for the main action. The aorist verb ēkolouthēsan {ἠκολούθησαν | ēkolouthēsan} “they followed” carries the main narrative event, with the subject expressed by the nominative polloi {πολλοὶ | polloí} “many,” further defined by the partitive genitives tōn Ioudaiōn {τῶν Ἰουδαίων | tōn Ioudaíōn} and tōn sebomenōn prosēlytōn {τῶν σεβομένων προσηλύτων | tōn seboménōn prosēlýtōn}, distinguishing native Jews and God-fearing Gentile converts. The datives tō Paulō kai tō Barnaba {τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ τῷ Βαρναβᾷ | tôi Paúlō kai tôi Barnabâ} mark Paul and Barnabas as the goal of this following. The relative pronoun hoitines {οἵτινες | hoítines} introduces a qualitative relative clause describing what kind of men Paul and Barnabas were in this moment: proslalountes autois {προσλαλοῦντες αὐτοῖς | proslaloûntes autoîs} “speaking with them” is a contemporaneous participle that depicts ongoing interaction, while the imperfect epeithon autous {ἔπειθον αὐτοὺς | épeithon autoús} “they were persuading them” portrays sustained exhortation rather than a single act. The present infinitive prosmenein {προσμένειν | prosménein} is a complementary infinitive that expresses the content or aim of their persuasion—continued steadfastness. The dative phrase tē chariti tou theou {τῇ χάριτι τοῦ θεοῦ | tē cháriti tou theoû} indicates the sphere or realm in which this perseverance is to occur: remaining within God’s gracious favor. The English renderings mirror this structure by preserving the temporal framing (“after the synagogue had been dismissed”), distinguishing the two groups who follow, and rendering the relative clause as an ongoing, pastoral engagement that urges perseverance in divine grace. |