| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the narrative frame ho de Iesous erxato legein autois {ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἤρξατο λέγειν αὐτοῖς | ho dè Iē-soûs ḗr-xa-to lé-gein au-toîs}, where the conjunction de links this saying to the preceding discourse, and the aorist middle verb erxato with the infinitive legein forms a common idiom meaning “began to speak,” introducing a new, significant section of teaching. The dative autois functions as the indirect object, marking the disciples as the addressees of what follows. Direct discourse is then introduced with the present imperative Blepete {Βλέπετε | Blé-pe-te} ‘keep watching, be on guard,’ whose present aspect conveys ongoing, continuous vigilance rather than a momentary glance. The clause me tis hymas planesē {μή τις ὑμᾶς πλανήσῃ | mē tis hy-mâs pla-nḗ-sē} is a negative purpose or prevention clause, with me plus the aorist subjunctive planesē expressing the aim of the warning (“in order that no one may deceive you”). The indefinite pronoun tis broadens the scope to any potential deceiver, and hymas in the emphatic second person plural places the focus squarely on the hearers’ spiritual safety. In translation, the Greek verb–subject–object ordering in the narrative frame is rendered in a more natural subject–verb–object order in English (“Jesus began to say to them”), while preserving the force of the imperative (“Take heed” / “Watch out”) and the preventative nuance of the subjunctive clause (“lest anyone deceive you” / “so that no one misleads you”). |