| 24. Linguistic Exegesis The sentence begins with kai {καὶ | kaí} “and,” linking this saying to the surrounding narrative as a continuation of Jesus’ words at the meal. The finite verb eipen {εἶπεν | eî-pen} “He said” introduces direct discourse, with autois {αὐτοῖς | au-toîs} “to them” marking the disciples as the indirect object. The demonstrative Touto {Τοῦτό | Toû-tó} “this” stands in the nominative neuter singular as the grammatical subject, creating a deictic focus on what Jesus has just taken and given. The copula estin {ἐστιν | é-stin} “is” links the subject to the predicate nominative phrase to haima mou {τὸ αἷμά μου | tó haî-ma mou} “My blood,” in which the article to {τὸ | tó} and noun haima {αἷμά | haî-ma} form the core, modified by the genitive pronoun mou {μου | mou} “My.” The following genitive phrase tēs diathēkēs {τῆς διαθήκης | tês di-a-thḗ-kēs} “of the covenant” functions as a genitive of relation or description, specifying the kind of blood in covenantal terms. The articular participle to ekchynnomenon {τὸ ἐκχυννόμενον | tó ek-khyn-NÓ-me-non} “the one being poured out” further qualifies “My blood,” with the present passive aspect portraying the outpouring as a vivid, impending sacrificial action. The prepositional phrase hyper pollōn {ὑπὲρ πολλῶν | hy-PÉR pol-LÔN} “for many” uses hyper with the genitive to express benefactive substitution, indicating on whose behalf the blood is poured out. In translation, the demonstrative subject is preserved with “This is My blood,” the genitive relation tēs diathēkēs with “of the covenant,” and the articular participle is most naturally rendered as a relative clause, “which is being poured out / which is poured out for many,” maintaining the sacrificial nuance and the benefactive scope. |