| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the fronted object touton {τοῦτον | toû-ton} “this one,” highlighting the individual Paul selects—in context, Timothy. The main verb ēthelēsen {ἠθέλησεν | ē-thé-lē-sen} “chose/wanted” governs the infinitive exelthein {ἐξελθεῖν | ex-el-theîn} “to accompany him,” forming an object–complement construction that introduces Paul’s intent. The prepositional phrase syn autō {σὺν αὐτῷ | syn au-tôi} “with him” specifies accompaniment. The participle labōn {λαβὼν | la-bṓn} “having-taken” coordinates with the finite verb perietemen {περιέτεμεν | pe-ri-É-te-men} “he-circumcised,” marking a sequential action: first he took him, then he circumcised him. The phrase dia tous Ioudaious {διὰ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους | di-Á toûs I-ou-DAI-ous} “because of the Jews” uses dia with the accusative to express causation, further specified by the participial clause tous ontas en tois topois ekeinōis {τοὺς ὄντας ἐν τοῖς τόποις ἐκείνοις | toûs Ón-tas en toîs TÓ-pois e-KEI-nois} “who were in those places,” identifying the local Jewish communities. The explanatory conjunction gar {γὰρ | gar} “for” introduces ēdeisan gar hapantes hoti Hellēn ho patēr autou hypērchen {ᾔδεισαν γὰρ ἅπαντες ὅτι Ἕλλην ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ὑπῆρχεν | Ē-dei-san gar HÁ-pan-tes HÓ-ti HÉl-lēn ho pa-TĒr au-TOû hy-PĒR-chen}, clarifying that “they all knew that his father was Greek.” Here hapantes is the subject of ēdeisan, and the content clause introduced by hoti presents the predicate nominative Hellēn linked by hypērchen, emphasizing Timothy’s ethnic background. In translation, the sequence of actions is rendered clearly, and the causal and explanatory markers dia and gar are maintained as “because” and “for.” |