| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the dative phrase didachais poikilais kai xenais {διδαχαῖς ποικίλαις καὶ ξέναις | didakhaîs poikílais kaì xénais}, which functions as a dative of respect or means, indicating the sphere in which the danger lies: “in connection with various and strange teachings.” The main exhortation is the negative present passive imperative mē parapheresthe {μὴ παραφέρεσθε | mḕ paraphéresthe} “do not be carried away,” portraying the readers as in danger of being passively swept along by such teachings. The following clause kalon gar chariti bebaiousthai ten kardian {καλὸν γὰρ χάριτι βεβαιοῦσθαι τὴν καρδίαν | kalón gár chári-ti bebaioûsthai tḕn kardían} is explanatory, introduced by gar {γάρ | gár} “for,” and uses the predicate adjective kalon with an infinitival clause “to be established the heart” to state what is good. The dative chariti serves as a dative of means “by grace,” while bebaiousthai is a present middle or passive infinitive taking ten kardian as its object, emphasizing an ongoing strengthening of the inner person. The sharp contrast ou bromasin {οὐ βρώμασιν | ou brṓ-masin} “not by foods” sets ritual or ceremonial food practices over against grace as the basis for stability. The relative clause en hois ouk ophelethesan hoi peripatountes {ἐν οἷς οὐκ ὠφελήθησαν οἱ περιπατοῦντες | en hoîs ouk ōphelḗthēsan hoi peripatoûntes} modifies bromasin; en hois indicates the sphere of activity (“in which practices”), and the aorist passive ophelethesan with the substantival participle hoi peripatountes (“those who walk, those conducting themselves”) states a general negative outcome: those who ordered their conduct around such food regulations did not in fact benefit. In English, the word order is adjusted to standard subject–verb–object clauses while preserving the contrastive structure between “by grace” and “not by foods,” and the relative clause is rendered as “by which those who walk in them were not benefited” or “which have never really helped those who keep living by them” to keep the connection to the preceding noun clear. |