| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the contrastive particle de {δὲ | dé} linking back to the previous narrative and introducing hoi alloi mathētai {οἱ ἄλλοι μαθηταὶ | hoí álloi mathḗ-tai} “the other disciples.” The dative of means tō ploiarion {τῷ πλοιαρίῳ | tō̂ plo-i-á-ri-ōn} specifies how they came. The explanatory clause ou gar ēsan makran apo tēs gēs {οὐ γὰρ ἦσαν μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς | ou gar ḗ-san mak-ràːn apò tês gêːs} gives the reason: they were not far from land. The adversative and approximation in alla hōs apo pēchōn diakosiōn {ἀλλὰ ὡς ἀπὸ πηχῶν διακοσίων | állà hō̂s apò pḗ-khōn di-a-ko-sí-ōn} refines the distance to about two hundred cubits. Finally, the participle surontes to diktuon tōn ichthyōn {σύροντες τὸ δίκτυον τῶν ἰχθύων | sú-ron-tes tò dík-tu-on tō̂n ikh-thý-ōn} describes their ongoing action of dragging the fishing net as they approached. |