| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the conditional particle ei {Εἴ | Eí} ‘if’, introducing a protasis that describes a hypothetical approach. The indefinite pronoun tis {τις | tis} serves as the subject of the present middle verb erchetai {ἔρχεται | ér-khe-tai} ‘comes’, with the prepositional phrase pros me {πρός με | prós me} ‘to Me’ indicating directional motion toward Jesus. The conjunction kai {καὶ | kaí} links to the negated verb ou misei {οὐ μισεῖ | ou mi-seî} ‘does not hate’, which employs a Semitic comparative idiom to express preferential allegiance rather than literal animosity. This verb governs a series of coordinated accusatives—ton patera {τὸν πατέρα | tὸn pa-té-ra}, ten metera {τὴν μητέρα | tḕn mē-té-ra}, ten gunaika {τὴν γυναῖκα | tḕn gu-nâi-ka}, ta tekna {τὰ τέκνα | tà té-kna}, tous adelphous {τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς | toùs a-del-phoùs}, tas adelphas {τὰς ἀδελφάς | tàs a-del-phás}—culminating with the emphatic adverbial phrase eti te kai ten psuchēn heautou {ἔτι τε καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ | é-ti te kaí tḕn psu-khḕn he-au-toû} ‘yes, even the soul of himself’. The apodosis begins with ou dynatai {οὐ δύναται | ou dú-na-tai} ‘is not able’, followed by the infinitive einai {εἶναί | eî-naí} ‘to be’ and the genitival noun phrase mou mathetes {μου μαθητής | mou ma-thē-tḗs} ‘of Me disciple’, where the genitive mou indicates possession. The structure underscores that unconditional commitment to Jesus demands radical reprioritization of family ties and self. |