| 16. Linguistic Exegesis The coordinating conjunction kai {καὶ | kaì} links this verse to the preceding narrative, continuing the depiction of the younger son’s plight. The imperfect epethumei {ἐπεθύμει | epethúmei} signals a sustained, ongoing desire rather than a momentary impulse. The aorist infinitive gemisai {γεμίσαι | gemísai} serves as a complementary infinitive, specifying the content of that desire: “to fill.” The noun phrase ten koilian autou {τὴν κοιλίαν αὐτοῦ | tḕn koilián autoû} marks the object of filling, emphasizing his acute physical hunger and implied inner emptiness. The prepositional phrase apo ton keration {ἀπὸ τῶν κερατίων | apò tôn keratíōn} uses apo with the genitive to denote source, here the pods. The relative clause hon esthion hoi khoiroi {ὧν ἤσθιον οἱ χοῖροι | hṓn ḗsthion hoî khoîroi} portrays the ongoing action of the pods’ consumption by the pigs, with the relative pronoun as object and hoi khoiroi as subject, heightening the contrast between the son’s condition and the animals’ freedom. Finally, kai oudeis edidou autoi {καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδίδου αὐτῷ | kaì oudeìs edídou autôi} employs the imperfect to depict a persistent lack of provision, with the negative indefinite oudeis as subject and autoi as indirect object. This sequence of imperfect verbs (epethumei, esthion, edidou) underscores the protracted nature of his deprivation. |