| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with legei {λέγει | lé-gei} introducing direct speech in the present tense, a narrative present that heightens vividness. The prepositional phrase ek tou stomatos sou {Ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου | ek toû stó-ma-tós sou} precedes the main verb krinō {κρίνω | krí-nō}, giving emphasis to the basis of judgment, which is the servant’s own speech. The direct object se {σε | se} follows krinō, and the vocative phrase ponēre doule {πονηρὲ δοῦλε | po-nē-ré doû-le} directly addresses the servant and characterizes him morally. The finite verb ēdeis {ᾔδεις | ē-deis} introduces a new clause, followed by hoti {ὅτι | hó-ti} marking an object clause that reports what the servant knew. Within this clause, egō anthrōpos austēros eimi {ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος αὐστηρός εἰμι | é-gō án-thrō-pos au-stē-rós ei-mí} forms a copular construction where egō is emphasized by explicit use, anthrōpos serves as the predicate nominative, and austēros further qualifies the subject. The participles airōn and therizōn {αἴρων ... θερίζων | ái-rōn ... the-rí-zōn} are circumstantial, describing characteristic actions of this “harsh man.” Each participle is expanded by a relative clause ho ouk ethēka / ho ouk espeira {ὃ οὐκ ἔθηκα / ὃ οὐκ ἔσπειρα | hó ouk é-thē-ka / hó ouk é-spei-ra}, with ho as the object of the participles and ethēka / espeira supplying first person singular verbal actions negated by ouk. The parallelism of “taking up what I did not lay down” and “reaping what I did not sow” reinforces the portrait of severity and accentuates the servant’s stated perception, which then serves as the standard for his own judgment. |