| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the aorist verb eipen {εἶπεν | eî-pen} plus the postpositive conjunction de {δέ | dé}, which links this inquiry to the preceding context. The indefinite pronoun tis {τις | tis} introduces an unnamed questioner, and the dative autō {αὐτῷ | au-tô} identifies Jesus as the addressee. The vocative Kyrie {Κύριε | Ký-rie} conveys respectful address and frames the clause as an indirect deliberative question. The conditional particle ei {εἰ | ei} introduces ei oligoi hoi sōzomenoi {εἰ ὀλίγοι οἱ σῳζόμενοι | ei olí-goi hoi sōi-zó-me-noi}, where oligoi {ὀλίγοι | olí-goi} functions as a substantive with the article and the articular participle sōzomenoi {σῳζόμενοι | sōi-zó-me-noi} denotes an ongoing state of salvation. The narrative shifts in ho de eipen pros autous {ὁ δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς | ho dè eî-pen pròs autoús}, where ho {ὁ | ho} operates as a pronoun (“He”) and de {δέ | dé} signals contrast, while pros autous broadens the audience. Both reconstructions render this shift with “And He said to them,” and “Then He replied to them,” preserving narrative continuity. |