| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conjunction kai {καὶ | kaì} paired with the interjection idou {ἰδοὺ | ì-doù} ‘behold,’ marking a narrative shift. The noun gynē {γυνὴ | gynḗ} ‘woman’ serves as the subject, followed by the participle echousa {ἔχουσα | é-khou-sa} ‘having,’ which takes the object phrase pneuma astheneias {πνεῦμα ἀσθενείας | pneû-ma as-the-neí-as} ‘a spirit of infirmity.’ The temporal accusative etē dekaoktō {ἔτη δεκαοκτὼ | étē de-ka-ok-tṓ} ‘eighteen years’ specifies duration. The imperfect ēn {ἦν | ê-n} ‘was’ with the participle sygkyptousa {συγκύπτουσα | sug-kyp-toû-sa} ‘being bent over’ forms a periphrastic that stresses ongoing posture. The clause kai mē dynamenē anakypsai eis to panteles {καὶ μὴ δυναμένη ἀνακύψαι εἰς τὸ παντελές | kaì mē dy-na-mé-nē a-na-kýp-sai eis tò pan-te-lḗs} presents an infinitival inability, where panteles in the accusative conveys totality. The sequence of participles and the imperfect plus infinitive highlights her chronic condition and total incapacity. |