John 21:3ExegesisTAB

John 21 : 3 Initiative | Solidarity | Futility
3. Linguistic Exegesis
The verse opens with the historic present legei {λέγει | lé-gei} and continues with legousin {λέγουσιν | lé-gou-sin}, keeping the exchange immediate and scene-like. The dative autois {αὐτοῖς | au-toîs} and auto {αὐτῷ | au-tō} mark the recipients of the speech on both sides of the exchange. Hypago {ὑπάγω | hy-pá-gō} followed by halieuein {ἁλιεύειν | ha-li-eú-ein} forms a compact purpose construction: Peter is not merely moving, he is moving in order to fish. The emphatic hemeis {ἡμεῖς | hē-meîs} and the phrase syn soi {σὺν σοί | syn soí} express solidarity and personal accompaniment in the reply. The narrative then shifts into a rapid aorist sequence with exelthon {ἐξῆλθον | ex-êl-thon} and enebesan {ἐνέβησαν | e-né-bē-san}, moving from departure to boarding in one tight chain. The destination eis to ploion {εἰς τὸ πλοῖον | eis to ploion} and the temporal frame en ekeine te nykti {ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ νυκτὶ | en e-keí-nē tē núk-ti} locate the action precisely, while epiasan ouden {ἐπίασαν οὐδέν | e-pí-a-san ou-dén} closes the verse with emphatic total failure. English is therefore rendered with natural past narration that preserves the Greek sequence, the intent structure, and the force of the final negation.

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