| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The sentence begins with apekrithe {ἀπεκρίθη | a-pe-krí-thē} ‘answered’, an aorist passive indicative deponent that emphasizes the completed response to an objection. The conjunction de {δὲ | dè} links this reply to the preceding narrative, and ho kyrios {ὁ κύριος | ho kú-ri-os} identifies the speaker. The coordination kai eipen {καὶ εἶπεν | kaì eî-pen} introduces direct address through the vocative hupokritai {Ὑποκριταί | hu-po-krī-tái} ‘hypocrites’, setting a confrontational tone. The phrase hekastos humon {ἕκαστος ὑμῶν | hé-ka-stos hu-mṓn} ‘each of you’ personalizes the critique, and the temporal dative tō sabbátō {τῷ σαββάτῳ | tō sab-bá-tō} ‘on the Sabbath’ marks the ritual occasion. The present indicative lúei {λύει | lú-ei} ‘unties’ governs two coordinated objects, tòn boûn autou {τὸν βοῦν αὐτοῦ | tòn boûn au-toû} and tòn ónon {τὸν ὄνον | tòn ó-non}, linked by ē {ἢ | ē} ‘or’. The prepositional phrase apó tēs phatnēs {ἀπὸ τῆς φάτνης | apó tēs phát-nēs} locates the animals, and the aorist participle apagagṓn {ἀπαγαγὼν | a-pa-ga-gṓn} ‘having led away’ is adverbial to the main verb potízei {ποτίζει | po-tí-zei} ‘gives to drink’, preserving action sequence. Framed as a rhetorical question with ou {οὐ | ou}, it argues from lesser to greater, implying that care for humans is even more permissible. |