| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The clause begins with kai {καί | kaí} ‘and/then’, linking this promise to the preceding warning while giving the statement a reassuring turn in context. The noun thrix {θρὶξ | thríx} ‘hair’ is placed early so the smallest imaginable unit becomes the focus of the promise. The phrase ek tēs kephalēs hymōn {ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς ὑμῶν | ek tēs kephalēs hymōn} ‘from your head’ expresses source and location in a compact genitive construction that English naturally renders with possession. The sequence ou mē {οὐ μὴ | ou mē} with the aorist middle subjunctive apoletai {ἀπόληται | apolētai} ‘should perish’ is a strong emphatic negation, excluding the event as a real possibility rather than merely discouraging it. The final verb is postponed to the end of the clause, so the sentence closes with the rejected outcome and gives the promise rhetorical force. In English, the double negation is best conveyed by a forceful denial such as “will not perish” or “will ever be lost” rather than reproduced mechanically. |