| 37. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with ho de {ὃ δὲ | ho de} ‘but what’, where the relative pronoun ho links back to the preceding teaching and the particle de marks a mild contrast or transition. The dative phrase hymin legō {ὑμῖν λέγω | hymîn légō} ‘to you I say’ places emphasis on the immediate audience through dative pronoun fronting, highlighting the disciples as primary hearers. This is then mirrored by pasin legō {πᾶσιν λέγω | pâsin légō} ‘to all I say’, with pasin functioning substantivally to broaden the scope from the specific group to all people, creating a balanced parallelism: “to you I say / to all I say.” The repetition of legō {λέγω | légō} intensifies the solemnity and underscores the authority of the speaker. The imperative grēgoreite {γρηγορεῖτε | grēgorêite} stands at the end as a climactic command, its present imperative form conveying ongoing, continuous vigilance rather than a momentary action. In translation, this parallel structure and final-position imperative are preserved by repeating “I say” and placing “Be watchful / Stay alert” at the conclusion, thereby maintaining both the rhetorical emphasis and the universal application of the exhortation. |