| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The opening phrase meta de to sigesai autous {μετὰ δὲ τὸ σιγῆσαι αὐτοὺς | me-tá dè tò si-gê-sai au-toús} forms a temporal clause using meta with an articular infinitive, a construction that expresses “after” with an action viewed as a complete event. The conjunction de {δὲ | dé} signals a transition in the narrative, moving from the preceding speeches to James’s contribution. The finite verb apekrithe {ἀπεκρίθη | a-pe-krí-thē} is an aorist middle indicative that regularly functions as a formula for responding in dialogue, here taking James {Ἰάκωβος | I-á-ko-bos} as its subject. The participle legon {λέγων | lé-gōn} is a supplementary present active participle that elaborates the manner of answering, essentially equivalent to English “responding and saying,” and it introduces the direct quotation. Within the quotation, the double vocative andres adelphoi {Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί | Án-dres a-del-foí} combines a formal address (“men”) with familial solidarity (“brothers”), heightening both respect and unity in the assembly. The aorist imperative akousate {ἀκούσατε | a-koú-sa-te} conveys a decisive command for focused hearing of what follows. The overall sentence structure moves from the completed hush of the audience to the authoritative response of James to the urgent call for attentive listening, guiding the choice of a temporally explicit clause for “when,” a nuanced verb “responded,” and a direct imperative “listen” in English. |