| 45. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the circumstantial participle eiselthon {εἰσελθὼν | eiselthṓn} ‘having entered’, which gives prior background action for the main finite verb. The prepositional phrase eis to hieron {εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν | eis tò hierón} ‘into the temple’ specifies the sacred location where the ensuing action unfolds. The aorist middle indicative erxato {ἤρξατο | ḗrxato} ‘he began’ combines with the complementary present infinitive ekballein {ἐκβάλλειν | ekbállein} ‘to drive out’, forming an inceptive construction that highlights the initiation of a decisive act. The accusative article tous {τοὺς | toús} together with the present participle polountas {πωλοῦντας | pōloûntas} ‘those selling’ creates a substantive participial phrase functioning as the direct object of ekballein, identifying the merchants who are expelled. The Greek word order progresses from entrance, to the beginning of the action, to the specific group driven out; the English renderings mirror this progression through temporal framing (“having entered” / “when He came”) and a forceful verb choice for ekballein (“drive out”). |