| 37. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with a genitive absolute construction engizontos de autoû ḗdē {ἐγγίζοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἤδη | engízontos de autoû ḗdē} conveying “as He drew near.” The participle engizontos, the genitive pronoun autoû, and the adverb ḗdē set a temporal framework for the main action. The phrase prós tē̂ katabásei tou Órous tōn Elaïôn {πρὸς τῇ καταβάσει τοῦ Ὄρους τῶν Ἐλαιῶν | prós tē̂ katabásei tou Órous tōn Elaïôn} specifies movement toward the descent, with the genitive chain marking “the Mount of Olives.” The finite verb ḗrxanto {ἤρξαντο | ḗrxanto} “they began” takes as its subject the nominal phrase hápan to plḗthos tōn mathētōn {ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος τῶν μαθητῶν | hápan to plḗthos tōn mathētōn}, emphasizing the full scope of the disciples. The participle khaírontes {χαίροντες | khaírontes} “rejoicing” indicates manner, and the infinitive aineîn {αἰνεῖν | aineîn} “to praise” expresses their action directed at the direct object tón theón {τὸν θεὸν | tón theón}. The instrumental dative phōnē̂ megálē {φωνῇ μεγάλῃ | phōnē̂ megálē} “with a loud voice” denotes the manner of praise. Finally, the prepositional phrase perí pasôn hôn eîdon dynameōn {περὶ πασῶν ὧν εἶδον δυνάμεων | perí pasôn hôn eîdon dynameōn} “for all the mighty works they had seen” uses peri plus genitive in a causal sense, with the relative clause specifying the content. In translation, the genitive absolute is rendered as a temporal clause (“And as He drew near” in formal, “When He drew near” in dynamic), the location remains “the Mount of Olives,” and the causal force of peri is reflected by “for all the mighty works they had seen” in formal and “for all the miracles they had witnessed” in dynamic. |