| 24. Linguistic Exegesis The sentence begins with the comparative conjunction hosper gar {ὥσπερ γὰρ | hṓsper gár} ‘for just as,’ setting up an analogy for a future event. The nominative subject hē astrapē {ἡ ἀστραπὴ | hē astrapḕ} ‘the lightning’ is immediately expanded by the participle astraptousa {ἀστράπτουσα | astráptousa} ‘flashing,’ which functions attributively. Parallel prepositional phrases ek tēs hypò tón ouranón {ἐκ τῆς ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν | ek tēs hypò tón ouranón} ‘from under the sky’ and eis tēn hyp ouranón {εἰς τὴν ὑπ᾽ οὐρανὸν | eis tēn hyp ouranón} ‘into the sky under’ express the breadth of the phenomenon. The present indicative lámpei {λάμπει | lámpei} ‘shines’ forms the protasis of the comparison. The adverb hoútōs {οὕτως | hoútōs} ‘thus’ signals the correspondence, followed by the future middle éstai {ἔσται | éstai} ‘will be,’ whose subject is ho huiós tou anthrṓpou {ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου | ho huiós tou anthrṓpou} ‘the Son of Man,’ a titular expression. The temporal phrase en tē hēmérāi autoû {ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ αὐτοῦ | en tē hēmérāi autoû} ‘in His day’ specifies the eschatological moment of manifestation, framing the sudden, universal visibility of His appearing. |