Acts 15:20 — ExegesisTAB

The adversative conjunction alla {ἀλλὰ | allà} marks a contrast with the preceding context. The infinitive episteilai {ἐπιστεῖλαί | episteîlai} functions as the main verbal action “to write,” taking the dative autois {αὐτοῖς | autoîs} as its indirect object. The articular infinitive tou apekhesthai {τοῦ ἀπέχεσθαι | toû apékhesthai} substantivally conveys the directive “to abstain from,” and it governs a coordinated series of four genitive nouns—each with its own article and joined by kai {καὶ | kaí}. The first genitive, tōn alisgēmatōn tōn eidólōn {τῶν ἀλισγημάτων τῶν εἰδώλων | tōn alisgēmátōn tōn eidólōn}, denotes “the pollutions of idols” (genitive of relationship), while the subsequent genitives—tēs porneías {τῆς πορνείας | tês porneías}, tou pniktoû {τοῦ πνικτοῦ | toû pniktoû}, and tou haímatos {τοῦ αἵματος | toû haímatos}—specify objects of abstention. The repeated coordination creates a balanced tetrad, emphasising the equal binding force of each prohibition. In English, the articular infinitive is rendered with “to abstain from,” and each genitive appears as “from …” to capture the sense of separation implied by apekhesthai.