| 36. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the imperfect verb elegen {ἔλεγεν | é-le-gen} “He was saying,” which depicts ongoing or repeated speech and thus portrays an extended time of prayer. This narrative verb introduces the direct discourse that follows. The double address Abba ho patēr {Αββα ὁ πατήρ | Ab-ba ho patḗr} combines the Aramaic “Abba” with the Greek “the Father,” a construction that maintains both intimate family language and a formally reverent title in a single vocative expression. The next clause, panta dynata soi {πάντα δυνατά σοι | pán-ta dy-na-tá soi}, places “all things” and “possible” before the indirect object “for You,” forming an emphatic affirmation of the Father’s unrestricted power. The aorist imperative parenegke {παρένεγκε | pa-ré-nen-ge} introduces Jesus’ specific request, governing the object to potērion touto ap’ emou {τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ | tò po-tḗ-ri-on toû-to ap’ e-moû}, where “this cup” functions metaphorically for the impending suffering and judgment He is about to endure, and the prepositional phrase “from Me” expresses desired removal of that fate from His experience. The closing structure all’ ou ti egō thelō alla ti sy {ἀλλʼ οὐ τί ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλὰ τί σύ | all’ ou tí egṑ thé-lō allà tí sý} forms a balanced contrast: two parallel clauses joined by adversative conjunctions, each with ti “what” as the object and egō/sy as the respective subjects. This parallelism highlights the tension between Jesus’ human desire and the Father’s will, while the negation “not what I will, but what You {will}” expresses decisive submission. In translation, this contrast is preserved by mirroring the Greek parallelism (“not what I will, but what You will”) in the formal rendering, while the dynamic version clarifies the sense by restating “My will” and “Your will,” making the relational and volitional contrast explicit for contemporary readers. |