| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse is structured around the contrastive pair of particles men…de {μὲν…δὲ | men…de} ‘on the one hand…but on the other’, which sets the beliefs of the Saddoukaioi {Σαδδουκαῖοι | Sad-dou-kaî-oi} and the Pharisaiōi {Φαρισαῖοι | Pha-ri-saî-oi} in opposition. The main verb in the first clause is legousin {λέγουσιν | lé-gou-sin} ‘they say’, followed by the negative particle mē {μὴ | mē} plus the infinitive einai {εἶναι | eî-nai} ‘to be, to exist’, forming a construction that asserts nonexistence: “that there is not.” This infinitival clause governs a series of accusative objects anastasin {ἀνάστασιν | a-ná-sta-sin} ‘resurrection’, angelon {ἄγγελον | án-ge-lon} ‘angel’, and pneuma {πνεῦμα | pneû-ma} ‘spirit’, coordinated by repeated mēte {μήτε | mḗ-te} ‘neither/nor’, creating a rhythmic list of denied realities. The second clause, introduced by de {δὲ | de} ‘but’, parallels the first, with homologousin {ὁμολογοῦσιν | ho-mo-lo-goû-sin} ‘they acknowledge, confess’ as its main verb and ta amphotera {τὰ ἀμφότερα | ta am-phó-te-ra} ‘the both’ as its object. The neuter plural adjective amphotera used substantivally sums up the preceding items as two opposed camps of belief (the denial and the affirmation). English rendering preserves the contrast by using “for… but” and by keeping the negative series for the Sadducees distinct from the affirmative summary for the Pharisees, while turning the infinitival clause into a finite clause (“there is no…”) for natural idiom. |