| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the narrative formula ho de apokritheis eipen {ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν | ho dè apokritheìs eîpen}, where the articular participle apokritheis functions with the finite verb eipen to form the idiomatic “answering, He said,” a common Semitic-style construction introducing direct speech. The indirect object autois {αὐτοῖς | autoîs} marks the disciples as the recipients of the reply. The conjunction hoti {Ὅτι | Hóti} introduces a causal clause that explains why He speaks in parables in the surrounding context. Within this clause, the dative pronouns hymin {ὑμῖν | hymîn} “to you” and ekeinois {ἐκείνοις | ekeínois} “to those” form a deliberate contrast, creating an inclusive versus exclusive pattern that is central to the verse’s meaning. The perfect passive verb dedotai {δέδοται | dédotai} combined with the aorist infinitive gnōnai {γνῶναι | gnônai} expresses a divine bestowal of capacity: “it has been given to know,” highlighting a completed act with continuing effect, where the implied giver is God. The object of this knowing is ta mysteria {τὰ μυστήρια | tà mystḗria}, further defined by the genitive phrase tēs basileias tōn ouranōn {τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν | tês basileías tôn ouranôn}, the distinctive Matthean expression “of the kingdom of the heavens.” The final clause ekeinois de ou dedotai {ἐκείνοις δὲ οὐ δέδοται | ekeínois dè ou dédotai} mirrors the earlier structure, repeating the same verb with explicit negation to create a sharp antithesis between “you” and “those.” In translation, this parallelism is maintained by using a causal “because” and by preserving the paired positive and negative clauses, while retaining key theological terms such as “mysteries” and “kingdom of the heavens” in a way that is clear in English. |