| 40. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the contrastive particle de {δὲ | dè} ‘but/and’, which connects this action to the preceding account. The noun Paulos {Παῦλος | Paû-los} serves as the subject, immediately followed by the attendant circumstance participle epilexamenos {ἐπιλεξάμενος | e-pi-le-xá-me-nos} ‘having chosen’, which frames the ensuing action. The accusative Silan {Σιλᾶν | Si-lân} completes this participle. The main verb exelthen {ἐξῆλθεν | ex-ēl-then} ‘went out’ propels the narrative and is accompanied by the aorist passive participle paradotheis {παραδοθεὶς | pa-ra-do-theìs} ‘having been commended’ functioning adverbially to indicate communal entrustment. The dative prepositional phrase tei chariti tou kuriou {τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Κυρίου | têi khá-ri-ti toû ku-rí-ou} ‘to the grace of the Lord’ defines the sphere of the commendation, and the genitive phrase hypo ton adelphon {ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν | hy-pó tôn a-del-phôn} ‘by the brothers’ specifies the agents. This sequence of participial clauses surrounding the main verb tightly links Paul’s selection, his commendation to divine favor, and his departure. |