| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with kai {Καὶ | Kaí} linking this question to the preceding discourse, continuing a narrative sequence rather than starting a new episode. The participle proselthontes {προσελθόντες | proselthóntes} precedes the main verb eipan {εἶπαν | eîpan}, forming a circumstantial participial clause that is best taken temporally, “when they had approached, they said,” highlighting deliberate initiative on the part of the disciples. The subject is specified by the articular noun phrase hoi mathētai {οἱ μαθηταὶ | hoí mathētái}, “the disciples,” which clarifies that this inner circle is engaging Jesus privately. The indirect object autō {αὐτῷ | autô} points to Jesus as the recipient of the question, with the narrative assuming His presence as the primary teacher. The interrogative sequence dia ti {Διὰ τί | Diá tí} functions idiomatically as “why,” introducing a direct question whose focus is on purpose or reason. The prepositional phrase en parabolais {ἐν παραβολαῖς | en parabolâis}, using en with the dative, expresses the manner or medium of Jesus’ speech, while laleis {λαλεῖς | laleîs} in the second person singular directly addresses Him. The final pronoun autois {αὐτοῖς | autoîs} indicates the crowd or broader audience as the recipients of this parabolic teaching, creating a contrast between insiders who ask and outsiders who hear the parables. In translation, the participle is rendered as a simple past “came” for natural English flow, the direct question is maintained with quotation marks, and the idiomatic “why” for dia ti preserves the interrogative force of the Greek. |