| 35. Linguistic Exegesis hote {ὅτε | hó-te} ‘when’ introduces a temporal clause setting the scene. The particle de {δὲ | dé} provides a mild contrast to the previous narrative. The impersonal verb egeneto {ἐγένετο | e-gé-ne-to} ‘it happened’ is followed by the prepositional phrase epi tous anabathmous {ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀναβαθμούς | e-pí toûs a-na-ba-thmoús} ‘on the steps,’ marking Paul’s arrival point. The second impersonal verb sunebe {συνέβη | sy-né-bē} ‘it happened’ governs the infinitive bastazesthai {βαστάζεσθαι | bas-tá-ze-sthai} ‘to be carried,’ forming a periphrastic necessity construction. The object auton {αὐτὸν | au-tón} ‘him’ and the agent hupo ton stratioton {ὑπὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν | hy-pó tôn stra-ti-ō-tôn} ‘by the soldiers’ clarify who is carried and who carries. The causal phrase dia ten bian tou ochlou {διὰ τὴν βίαν τοῦ ὄχλου | di-á tēn ví-an toû óch-lou} ‘because of the violence of the crowd’ explains the soldiers’ intervention, with dia plus the accusative indicating cause. The syntax moves from time to place to necessity, emphasizing the urgency of the protective action in response to the crowd’s hostility. |