| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the adversative particle all’ ouchi {ἀλλ’ οὐχὶ | allá oukhì} ‘but surely not’, forming a rhetorical question that expects agreement from the hearer. The future indicative erei {ἐρεῖ | ereî} ‘he will say’ introduces the master’s anticipated response as a general pattern. Within the quotation, the aorist imperative hetoimason {Ἑτοίμασον | hetoî-mason} ‘prepare’ gives a single, definite command, while the interrogative object clause ti deipneso {τί δειπνήσω | tí deipnêsô} functions as “what I may dine,” with the aorist subjunctive expressing the master’s forthcoming meal. The aorist middle participle perizosamenos {περιζωσάμενος | perizô-samenos} precedes the present imperative diakonei {διάκονει | diakónei} in a participial construction, “having girded yourself, serve,” where the participle denotes prior, preparatory action and the present imperative portrays ongoing service. The temporal conjunction heos {ἕως | héôs} governs a clause with two coordinated aorist subjunctives, phago {φάγω | phágô} and pio {πίω | píô}, marking the duration of the servant’s duty “until I eat and drink.” The prepositional phrase meta tauta {μετὰ ταῦτα | metá taûta} “after these things” introduces a second temporal stage, followed by two aorist middle subjunctives, phagesai {φάγεσαι | phágesai} and piesai {πίεσαι | píesai}, which grant the servant permission to eat and drink only after the master is satisfied. The sentence thus creates a clear temporal and logical sequence—command, preparation, service, then delayed reward—that underlines the parable’s teaching about the normal, unremarkable obligations of a servant toward his master. |