| 45. Linguistic Exegesis The verse places two aorist participles, elthon {ἐλθών | elthṓn} “having come” and proselthon {προσελθών | proselthṓn} “having approached,” before the main verb legei {λέγει | légei} “he says,” creating a temporal sequence in which preparatory actions lead up to the central speech act. The adverb euthys {εὐθύς | euthýs} “immediately” intensifies the pace by modifying the participial movement, highlighting the swift, deliberate approach. The dative pronoun auto {αὐτῷ | autō̂} marks the one to whom Judas comes, and the vocative rabbi {Ῥαββί | Rhabbí} signals direct address with a respectful title in form, which functions ironically in the narrative context of betrayal. The verb katephilesen {κατεφίλησεν | katephílesen}, with its intensive prefix kata-, portrays an emphatic or possibly repeated kiss, turning a conventional greeting into the very means of treachery. This progression—coming, approaching, speaking, and kissing—is mirrored in translation by temporal clauses and sequential main verbs, preserving both the rapid movement and the dramatic contrast between outward respect and inward betrayal. |