| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the aorist verb ἦλθεν {elthen | ēlthen} “he came” followed by the postpositive conjunction γὰρ {gar | gàr} introducing an explanatory statement. The nominative phrase ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου {ho huios tou anthrōpou | ho huiós tou anthrṓpou} identifies the Son of Man, a title emphasizing both human solidarity and eschatological authority. A double purpose clause unfolds in the coordinated aorist infinitives ζητῆσαι {zētēsai | zētēsai} “to seek” and σῶσαι {sōsai | sōsai} “to save,” linked by καὶ {kai | kaì} “and.” Their object is the articular perfect participle τὸ ἀπολωλός {to apōlōlós | tò apōlōlós} rendered substantivally as “the lost,” denoting those in a settled state of being lost. This construction preserves the Greek infinitive purpose in English through explicit “to” infinitives and reflects the participle’s ongoing personal relevance. |