| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with a brief narrative introduction, ho de eipen {ὁ δὲ εἶπεν | ho de eipen}, which moves directly into Jesus’ warning speech. The first command, blepete {Βλέπετε | blepete} ‘keep watch,’ is a present imperative and therefore calls for continuous vigilance. It is paired with mē planēthēte {μὴ πλανηθῆτε | mē planēthēte} ‘do not be led astray,’ a prohibition that frames deception as a danger to be avoided as a decisive outcome. The explanation begins with gar {γὰρ | gar} ‘for,’ which grounds the warning in what follows: polloi {πολλοὶ | polloi} ‘many’ will arrive through eleusontai {ἐλεύσονται | eleusontai}, and the prepositional phrase epi tō onomati mou {ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου | epi tō onomati mou} shows that they claim Jesus’ authority and identity. The participle legontes {λέγοντες | legontes} introduces the content of their self-presentation in two short clauses, egō eimi {Ἐγώ εἰμι | egō eimi} and ho kairos ēngiken {Ὁ καιρὸς ἤγγικεν | ho kairos ēngiken}, the second using perfect aspect to present the expected time as already nearing completion. The verse closes with a second prohibition, mē poreuthēte opisō autōn {μὴ πορευθῆτε ὀπίσω αὐτῶν | mē poreuthēte opisō autōn}, where the aorist subjunctive forbids the decisive act of moving behind or following these claimants. The structure therefore proceeds from warning, to reason, to application, and the English rendering preserves that progression while keeping the two commands distinct. |