| 40. Linguistic Exegesis The circumstantial participle apokritheis {ἀποκριθεὶς | a-po-kri-theìs} ‘having answered’ precedes the main verb eipen {εἶπεν | eî-pen} ‘he said’, providing background for the subsequent declaration. The solemn introductory phrase Légo húmin {Λέγω ὑμῖν | Lé-gō hú-min} ‘I say to you’ adds emphatic force to the pronouncement. A third-class conditional is expressed by the protasis using the particle ean with a future indicative verb in ean hoûtoi siōpēsousin {ἐὰν οὗτοι σιωπήσουσιν | e-àn hoû-toi si-ō-pé-sou-sin}, presenting a potential future scenario of silence. The apodosis hoi lithoi kraxousin {οἱ λίθοι κράξουσιν | hoî lí-thoi krát-xou-sin} shifts to a simple future indicative, personifying stones as subjects that will inevitably voice praise. Greek’s parallelism between human silence and creation’s vocal response is maintained in English with the conditional “if … become silent … will cry out,” preserving the contrast and dramatic reversal. |