| 19. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the aorist narrative verb eipen {εἶπεν | eî-pen} followed by the postpositive conjunction de {δὲ | de}, giving a mild adversative or continuative sense, and the indirect object autō {αὐτῷ | au-tō̂} that identifies the recipient of the speech. The subject is expressed by the articular proper name ho Iēsous {ὁ Ἰησοῦς | ho Iē-soûs}, a typical way in narrative to mark a known character. The direct discourse opens with the interrogative ti {Τί | Tí}, functioning adverbially with the verb legeis {λέγεις | lé-geis} and the object me {με | me}, forming the question “Why do you call Me…?” The adjective agathon {ἀγαθόν | a-ga-thón} is a predicate accusative complementing me, specifying the content of the address. The next clause, oudeis agathos {οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς | ou-deìs a-ga-thòs}, is a nominal sentence where the implied verb “is” must be supplied in translation, presenting an absolute statement about moral quality. The construction ei mē heis ho theos {εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός | ei mē heîs ho the-ós} is an exceptive clause: the conditional particle ei with the negative mē forms an “except” structure, with heis ho theos functioning appositionally as “one, namely God.” English is best served by rendering this as “except one, God” in a more literal register and “except God alone” in a more idiomatic register, both preserving the exclusivity of divine goodness that the Greek syntax emphasizes. |