| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The coordinating conjunction kai {καὶ | kaí} links this verse tightly to the preceding question, marking it as the direct narrative response. The aorist verb apekrithēsan {ἀπεκρίθησαν | ap-ek-RÍ-thē-san} introduces an indirect statement, a common pattern where a verb of speaking or answering governs a following infinitive. The sequence mē eidenai {μὴ εἰδέναι | mḗ ei-DÉ-nai} is an infinitival clause negated by mē, here functioning as the content of the response, effectively “that they did not know.” The interrogative adverb pothen {πόθεν | PÓ-then} supplies the unknown element within the clause, referring to the origin of the authority under discussion in the broader context. Because English typically prefers finite clauses for reported speech, the infinitive construction is rendered as “that they did not know where it came from,” preserving both the denial of knowledge and the question of origin while smoothing the Greek infinitive structure into natural English syntax. |