| 43. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the nominative subject ho de hekatontarches {ὁ δὲ ἑκατοντάρχης | ho dè hekatontárchēs}, marking a contrastive action. The participial clause boulomenos diasosai ton Paulon {βουλόμενος διασῶσαι τὸν Παῦλον | boulómenos diasôsai tón Paûlon} combines a present middle participle of desire with an aorist infinitive of purpose. The main verb ekolusen {ἐκώλυσεν | ekólusen} “stopped” governs both autous {αὐτούς | autoús} as its direct object and the genitive boulēmatos {βουλήματος | bou-Lḗ-ma-tos} as a genitive of separation, indicating thwarted intent. The subsequent verb ekeleusen {ἐκέλευσέν | ekeleusén} “ordered” introduces the participial-infinite construction tous dunamenous kolymban {τοὺς δυναμένους κολυμβᾶν | toús dunaménous kolymbân}, characterizing those with the ability to swim, followed by the aorist participle aporipsantas protous {ἀπορίψαντας πρώτους | aporípsantas prṓtous} for the initial action, and the infinitive exienai {ἐξιέναι | exiénai} to express resultant movement, completed by the goal phrase epi ten gen {ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν | epì tḕn gēn}. The translation renders the Greek sequence of motive, prevention, command, and action in coherent English clauses. |