| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with amen {ἀμήν | amḗn} functioning as a solemn introductory formula, marking what follows as a weighty declaration. The main clause uses lego {λέγω | légō} with the explicit first person subject “I,” creating a direct, authoritative address to the hearers indicated by hymin {ὑμῖν | hymîn}. The combination hopou ean {ὅπου ἐάν | hó-pou e-án} sets up a general conditional-relative clause, “wherever it may be that,” which introduces a gnomic or universal condition rather than a single event. Within this conditional clause, keruchthe {κηρυχθῇ | kē-rych-thḗ} appears as an aorist passive subjunctive, describing the act “is proclaimed” in a timeless, event-focused way. The subject of this clause is to euangelion {τὸ εὐαγγέλιον | tó eu-ag-gé-li-on}, and the prepositional phrase eis holon ton kosmon {εἰς ὅλον τὸν κόσμον | eis hó-lon tón kós-mon} intensifies the scope to “into the whole world,” emphasizing worldwide reach. The coordinated clause kai ho epoiesen haute {καὶ ὃ ἐποίησεν αὕτη | kaí hó e-poí-ē-sen haú-tē} uses the neuter relative ho {ὅ | hó} to create a substantive clause, “and what this woman did,” foregrounding her act as the topic of the following prediction. The future passive verb lalethesetai {λαληθήσεται | la-lē-thḗ-se-tai} guarantees that this act “will be spoken” repeatedly in the future. The final prepositional phrase eis mnemosynon autes {εἰς μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς | eis mnē-mó-sy-non au-tēs} expresses purpose or result, “for a memorial of her,” showing that the retelling functions as an ongoing remembrance in her honor. In English, the Greek word order—fronting the conditional clause and the relative clause—has been preserved in sequence but smoothed with standard subject–verb–object structure and explicit temporal and aspectual choices (“has done,” “will be spoken”) to convey the certainty and enduring scope implied by the Greek tenses and moods. |