| 42. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the genitive construction ton de stratiotōn {τῶν δὲ στρατιωτῶν | tôn dè stratiōtôn} ‘the soldiers’’, where the article and noun modify the subject boule {βουλὴ | boulḗ} ‘plan’. The verb egeneto {ἐγένετο | egéneto} ‘became’ introduces the arising of their intention rather than a static condition. The conjunction hina {ἵνα | hína} ‘in order that’ marks the purpose clause, governing the subjunctive apokteinosin {ἀποκτείνωσιν | apokteínōsin} ‘they might kill’ with the object tous desmotas {τοὺς δεσμώτας | toús desmṓtas} ‘the prisoners’. The particle mē tis {μή τις | mē tis} ‘lest anyone’ introduces negative purpose. The participle ekkolymbesas {ἐκκολυμβήσας | ekkolymbḗsas} ‘having swum out’ expresses the means of possible escape, and the subjunctive diaphuge {διαφύγῃ | diaphýgē} ‘might escape’ states the feared result. English renders the hina purpose with “was to” or “decided to” and conveys the participial nuance explicitly or implicitly to maintain narrative flow. |