τὸν

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 τὸν

   ton

   the
2. clause🔊 ἐξῆλθον ⸀ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ ἐλήλυθα εἰς τὸν κόσμον·

   eks-ÊL-thon ek tou pa-TROS KAI e-LÊ-ly-tha eis ton KOS-mon

   I came out from the Father and I have come into the world
3. sentence🔊 ἐξῆλθον ⸀ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ ἐλήλυθα εἰς τὸν κόσμον· πάλιν ἀφίημι τὸν κόσμον καὶ πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα.

   eks-ÊL-thon ek tou pa-TROS KAI e-LÊ-ly-tha eis ton KOS-mon PA-lin a-PHÍ-ê-mi ton KOS-mon KAI po-REU-o-mai pros ton pa-TE-ra

   I came out from the Father and I have come into the world again I leave the world and I go to the Father

Exegesis

The next clause, `elelytha eis ton kosmon {ἐλήλυθα εἰς τὸν κόσμον | e-lḗ-ly-tha eis ton kós-mon} ‘I have come into the world’`, uses the perfect tense to present the coming as completed yet still effective in the present.

The parallel closing clauses, `aphiemi ton kosmon {ἀφίημι τὸν κόσμον | a-phí-e-mi ton kós-mon} ‘I leave the world’` and `poreuomai pros ton patera {πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα | po-reú-o-mai pros ton pa-té-ra} ‘I am going toward the Father’`, reverse the earlier motion and bring the statement to its theological destination. The three prepositions `ek`, `eis`, and `pros` create a deliberate from–into–toward arc, so the verse reads as a structured summary of preexistence, incarnation, departure, and return. The repetition of `ton kosmon` heightens the contrast between Jesus’ entry into the world and His departure from it.