| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the imperfect verb en {ἦν | ēn} functioning as a past descriptive frame, introducing Barabbas as an already existing figure in the narrative. The connective particle de {δὲ | dè} marks a transition from the previous context to this specific character. The article plus participle construction ho legomenos {ὁ λεγόμενος | ho legómenos} forms a substantive phrase, literally “the one being called,” which is then specified by the proper name Barabbas {Βαραββᾶς | Barabbâs}; together they yield “the man called Barabbas.” The prepositional phrase meta tōn stasiastōn {μετὰ τῶν στασιαστῶν | metà tōn stasiastôn} with the participle dedemenos {δεδεμένος | dedeménos} presents Barabbas as “bound with the rebels,” emphasizing both his physical restraint and his association with a particular group. The relative pronoun hoitines {οἵτινες | hoítines} introduces a qualitative relative clause that further characterizes these men, not merely identifying them but describing the kind of people they were. Within this clause, the prepositional phrase en tē stasei {ἐν τῇ στάσει | en tē stásei} locates their action “in the uprising,” while phonon {φόνον | phó-non} stands as the object of the pluperfect verb pepoiēkeisan {πεποιήκεισαν | pepoiḗkeisan}, yielding “they had committed murder.” The pluperfect aspect underscores that the murder was a completed act prior to the narrative present, reinforcing the seriousness and established nature of their crime. In translation, the participles ho legomenos and dedemenos are rendered as finite or descriptive clauses to maintain natural English flow, and the qualitative force of hoitines is preserved by explicitly referring back to “these men,” maintaining coherence between Barabbas, the rebels, and their violent action. |