| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The sentence opens with the nominative participle aitoumenoi {αἰτούμενοι | aitoúmenoi} ‘asking’, functioning as a circumstantial participle with an implied plural subject (“they”), and governing the object charin {χάριν | chárin} ‘favor’. The prepositional phrase kat autou {κατʼ αὐτοῦ | kat autoû} specifies that this favor is directed “against him,” using the genitive after the preposition. The purpose conjunction hopos {ὅπως | hópos} introduces the clause metapempsetai auton {μεταπέμψηται αὐτὸν | metapémpsētai autón}, where the aorist middle subjunctive expresses the intended action “that he might send for him.” The prepositional phrase eis Ierousalem {εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ | eis Ierousalḗm} marks Jerusalem as the destination of this requested transfer. A second circumstantial participial clause poiountes enedran {ποιοῦντες ἐνέδραν | poioûntes enédran} explains the real motive: “making an ambush.” The infinitive anelein {ἀνελεῖν | anelei͂n} functions as an infinitive of purpose, indicating the ultimate aim of the ambush, “to kill him,” with auton {αὐτὸν | autón} repeating the object. Finally, the prepositional phrase kata tēn hodon {κατὰ τὴν ὁδόν | katá tḗn hodón} describes the location and circumstance, “along the road,” adding a vivid spatial detail to the plot. The formal reconstruction closely mirrors the participial structure with “were asking” and “making,” while the dynamic version reshapes the participles into temporal and manner clauses (“hoping,” “secretly planning”) to clarify the sequence and covert nature of the scheme in contemporary English. |