| 29. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the aorist participle aitesas {αἰτήσας | aitḗsas} ‘having asked’, establishing a prior action relative to the main verbs. The coordinating particle de {δὲ | dè} links this clause to the preceding narrative. The accusative plural noun phota {φῶτα | phôta} ‘lights’ serves as the object of eisepedesen {εἰσεπήδησεν | eisepḗdēsen}, an aorist indicative verb ‘he leaped in’, depicting a swift movement into the inner cell. The participial phrase entromos genomenos {ἔντρομος γενόμενος | éntromos genómenos} ‘having become trembling’ supplies circumstantial detail about the jailer’s fearful state. The aorist indicative prosepesen {προσέπεσεν | prosépesen} ‘he fell down before’ is followed by the dative phrases tō Paulō kai tō Silā {τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ τῷ Σιλᾷ | tôi Paúlō kaí tôi Silâ}, indicating the recipients of his prostration. This sequence of aorist participles and indicatives compresses rapid actions, highlighting urgency and intense fear. English participles are rendered with temporal markers (“having asked,” “shaking with fear”) or as participial phrases to preserve the original relationships while ensuring readability. |