| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The sentence begins with the historical present legei {λέγει | lé-gei} ‘says’, which keeps the scene immediate and confrontational. The subject is expanded by the partitive phrase heis ek tōn doulōn tou archiereōs {εἷς ἐκ τῶν δούλων τοῦ ἀρχιερέως | heîs ek tôn doúlōn tou ar-khee-ER-e-os} ‘one from the servants of the high priest’, narrowing the speaker to a member of the priestly household. The participial apposition syngenēs ōn {συγγενὴς ὢν | syn-ge-NES ôn} ‘being a relative’ further identifies him and gives the accusation added personal weight. The relative clause hou apekopsen Petros to ōtion {οὗ ἀπέκοψεν Πέτρος τὸ ὠτίον | hoû a-PEK-op-sen Pé-tros tò ō-tí-on} ties the speaker directly to the earlier injury, making the ear-cutting the backdrop for his challenge. In the quoted question, ouk egō se eidon {Οὐκ ἐγώ σε εἶδον | Oúk e-Gṓ se eî-don} fronting ouk {Οὐκ | Oúk} and egō {ἐγώ | e-Gṓ} creates a pointed rhetorical challenge rather than a neutral inquiry. The closing phrase en tō kēpō met’ autou {ἐν τῷ κήπῳ μετʼ αὐτοῦ | en tō̂ kḗ-pōi met au-toû} anchors the memory in a specific location and leaves the companion unnamed in Greek, letting the context supply the referent. |