ἔγκλημα

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 ἔγκλημα

   EN-klê-ma

   a charge
2. sentence🔊 ὃν εὗρον ἐγκαλούμενον περὶ ζητημάτων τοῦ νόμου αὐτῶν μηδὲν δὲ ἄξιον θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν ἔχοντα ἔγκλημα

   hon HEU-ron en-ga-LOU-me-non pe-RI dzê-tê-MA-tôn tou NO-mou au-TÔN mê-DEN de AX-si-on tha-NA-tou ê des-MÔN E-khon-ta EN-klê-ma

   whom I found being accused concerning questions of the law of them nothing but worthy of death or of imprisonment having a charge

Exegesis

The following unit mēden de axion thanatou ē desmōn echonta enklēma {μηδὲν δὲ ἄξιον θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν ἔχοντα ἔγκλημα | mēdén de áxion thanátou ē desmōn échonta éngklēma} is coordinated by de “but,” contrasting the religious nature of the dispute with the absence of a serious criminal matter.

Here echonta {ἔχοντα | échonta} “having” is another participle agreeing with hon, with enklēma {ἔγκλημα | éngklēma} “charge” as its object; mēden “nothing” modifies enklēma, and axion “worthy” is further qualified by the genitives thanatou “of death” and desmōn “of bonds,” genitives of penalty. The whole structure asserts that, although there are accusations about religious-legal questions, there is no accusation that justifies the penalties of death or imprisonment. The English renderings preserve this contrast by separating the religious “questions about their law” from the legal conclusion “no charge worthy of death or imprisonment,” mirroring the Greek judicial tone and hierarchy of penalties.

Root and etymology

enkaleō🔊 ἐγκαλέωepsilon–nu–kappa–alpha–lambda–epsilon–omega

“to call in, bring charges”

• 🔊 ἐγκαλέωenkaleōto bring chargesActs 19:40
• 🔊 ἐγκαλέωenkaleōto accuseActs 19:38