| 25. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the conjunction kai {καὶ | kaí} “and,” linking this travel notice to the preceding narrative. The aorist participle lalēsantes {λαλήσαντες | lalḗ-san-tes} “having spoken” functions as a temporal participle, indicating an action completed prior to the main verb, katebēsan {κατέβησαν | ka-té-bē-san} “they went down.” The prepositional phrase en Pergē {ἐν Πέργῃ | en Pér-gē} “in Perga” specifies the location where the action of speaking occurred, while the object phrase ton logon {τὸν λόγον | tón ló-gon} “the word” refers to the proclaimed message that characterizes apostolic ministry in Acts. The main clause centers on katebēsan, whose lexical sense “go down” likely reflects the actual descent in elevation from inland Perga to the coast. The following prepositional phrase eis Attaleian {εἰς Ἀττάλειαν | eis At-tá-lei-an} “into Attalia” marks the destination and implies a purposeful movement toward a significant port city. In English, the participial construction is rendered as a temporal clause (“having spoken” / “after they preached”) to clarify the sequence, while preserving the narrative linkage and geographic orientation embedded in the Greek syntax. |