Acts 14:21ExegesisTAB

Acts 14 : 21 Proclamation | Discipleship | Return
21. Linguistic Exegesis
The verse uses consecutive aorist participles euangelisamenoi {Εὐαγγελισάμενοι | Eu-an-ge-li-sá-me-noi} ‘having proclaimed good news’ and matheteusantes {μαθητεύσαντες | ma-thē-teú-san-tes} ‘having made disciples’ to frame events prior to the main verb hypestrepsan {ὑπέστρεψαν | hy-pé-strep-san} ‘they returned.’ The postpositive conjunction te {τε | te} ties these actions back into the narrative. The object ten polin ekeinēn {τὴν πόλιν ἐκείνην | tḕn pó-lin e-keí-nēn} refers to that city previously mentioned. The adjective hikanous {ἱκανούς | hi-ka-noús} modifies the implicit object from matheteusantes, indicating a significant number of new disciples. The main clause hypestrepsan eis ten Lystran kai eis Ikonion kai eis Antiocheian {ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς τὴν Λύστραν καὶ εἰς Ἰκόνιον καὶ εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν | hy-pé-strep-san eis tḕn Lý-stran kaí eis I-kó-ni-on kaí eis A-n-ti-ó-khei-an} lists the return route with repeated eis, creating a rhythmic itinerary through Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. English renders the temporal aorists as “after” clauses to preserve sequence and retains the city order to mirror the apostolic journey.

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