| 39. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the coordinating conjunction kai {καὶ | kaí} linking this action to the prior scene. The articular participle hoi proagontes {οἱ προάγοντες | pro-Á-gon-tes} functions substantivally as the subject, “those who were going before.” This group is the agent of the imperfect verb epetimon {ἐπετίμων | e-pe-TÍ-mon} “were rebuking,” whose imperfect aspect portrays repeated or ongoing attempts to silence the blind man. The dative pronoun autō {αὐτῷ | au-TŌ} marks the recipient of the rebuke. The conjunction hina {ἵνα | HÍ-na} introduces a purpose clause, with the aorist subjunctive sigēsē {σιγήσῃ | si-GĒ-sē} expressing the intended outcome “that he might become silent.” The adversative de {δὲ | de} highlights contrast as autos {αὐτὸς | au-TÓS} “he himself” persists despite opposition. The dative of degree pollō {πολλῷ | pol-LŌ} combined with the comparative adverb mallon {μᾶλλον | MÂL-lon} forms pollō mallon “much more,” intensifying the subsequent imperfect ekrazen {ἔκραζεν | É-kra-zen} “he was crying out.” The vocative huios Dauid {Υἱὲ Δαυίδ | hu-IÉ Da-uÍd} “Son of David” serves as a messianic address, and the aorist imperative eleēson me {ἐλέησόν με | e-LÉ-e-son me} “have mercy on me” conveys an urgent plea for compassionate intervention. |