| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the nominative participial phrase hoi men oun propempthentes {οἱ μὲν οὖν προπεμφθέντες | hoí mèn oûn propempthéntes} ‘so then, the ones having been sent forward’, functioning as circumstantial background. The genitive with hypo in hypo tēs ekklēsias {ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας | hypó tês ekklēsías} ‘by the assembly’ highlights corporate agency. The imperfect diērchonto {διήρχοντο | diḗrchonto} ‘they were passing through’ portrays the journey as ongoing. The correlative pair tēn te Phoinikēn kai Samareian {τὴν τε Φοινίκην καὶ Σαμάρειαν | tḕn te Phoiníkēn kaí Samáreian} unifies Phoenicia and Samaria as loci of travel. The second nominative participle ekdiēgoumenoi {ἐκδιηγούμενοι | ekdiēgoúmenoi} ‘describing in detail’ expresses manner, with its object tēn epistrophēn tōn ethnōn {τὴν ἐπιστροφὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν | tḕn epistrophḕn tôn ethnôn} ‘the conversion of the Gentiles’. The final imperfect epoioun {ἐποιοῦν | epoioûn} ‘they were making’ takes charan {χαρὰν | charàn} ‘joy’ with megalēi {μεγάλῃ | megálē} as a dative of measure, indicating the quality of joy. The dative recipient phrase pasi tois adelphois {πᾶσι τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς | pâsi toîs adelphoîs} ‘to all the brothers’ underlines the collective impact. English renders participial phrases as finite clauses to maintain narrative flow and sequence: commissioning, journey, detailed report, and resultant joy. |