| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the fronted accusative phrase hikanon khronon {ἱκανὸν χρόνον | hi-ka-nón khró-non} ‘a considerable time’ marked by the particles men oun {μὲν οὖν | men oun} that signal contrast and consequence from the prior events. The main verb dietripsan {διέτριψαν | di-é-trip-san} ‘they spent’ governs a circumstantial participle parrēsiazomenoi {παρρησιαζόμενοι | par-rē-si-a-zo-ME-noi} ‘speaking boldly’ which specifies how the time was spent. The prepositional phrase epi tô kuriō {ἐπὶ τῷ κυρίῳ | e-pí tô ku-rí-ō} functions as a dative of sphere, indicating activity performed under the Lord’s authority. Two dative participial clauses, martyrounti tô logō tēs charitos autou {μαρτυροῦντι τῷ λόγῳ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ | mar-tu-roún-ti tô ló-gō tês kha-rí-tos au-toû} and didonti sēmeia kai terata ginesthai {διδόντι σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα γίνεσθαι | di-dón-ti sē-meî-a kai té-ra-ta gí-nes-thai}, are both governed by the same dative reference to kuriō and present two concurrent divine actions: bearing witness to the message of grace and granting miraculous confirmation. The infinitival clause expresses what is granted—signs and wonders—while the prepositional phrase dia tōn cheirōn autōn {διὰ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν | di-á tôn kheir-ôn au-tôn} marks the apostles as the means through which these signs occur. |