| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with two circumstantial participles, dierchomenos {διερχόμενος | di-er-khó-me-nos} ‘passing through’ and anatheoron {ἀναθεωρῶν | a-na-the-ō-rôn} ‘observing carefully’, which set the stage for the main verb heuron {εὗρον | heû-ron} ‘I found’. These participles frame Paul’s movement and methodical examination of the audience’s cultic artifacts, articulated by the accusative phrase ta sebasmata hymon {τὰ σεβάσματα ὑμῶν | tá se-bás-ma-ta hy-môn} ‘the objects of your worship’. The narrative then specifies a particular example with bomon {βωμὸν | bō-món} ‘altar’, further described by the relative clause en hō epegegrapto {ἐν ᾧ ἐπεγέγραπτο | en hōi e-pe-gé-grap-to} ‘on which had been inscribed’, where the pluperfect tense highlights the inscription’s prior placement. The dedication formula Agnōstō theō {Ἀγνώστῳ θεῷ | ag-nṓ-stōi the-ōi} ‘To an Unknown God’ introduces a thematic pivot: sincere devotion paired with ignorance. The phrase ho oun agnoountes eusebeite {ὃ οὖν ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε | hó oûn ag-no-ûn-tes eu-se-beî-te} ‘which therefore you worship without knowing’ contrasts the Athenians’ genuine reverence with their lack of true knowledge. Finally, the emphatic order of touto egō katangellō hymin {τοῦτο ἐγὼ καταγγέλλω ὑμῖν | toû-to e-gṓ ka-tang-gél-lō hy-mîn} ‘this I proclaim to you’ climactically shifts the focus from their quest to Paul’s proclamation, mirroring Greek emphasis in the English rendering. |