| 39. Linguistic Exegesis The verse is composed of three coordinated copular clauses, each framed by the article and postpositive particle ho de or hoi de, creating a series of parallel identifications. In the first clause, ho de ekhthros ho speiras auta estin ho diabolos {ὁ δὲ ἐχθρὸς ὁ σπείρας αὐτά ἐστιν ὁ διάβολος | ho dè ekhthròs ho speíras autá estin ho diábolos}, the participial phrase ho speiras {ὁ σπείρας | ho speíras} functions attributively to define the enemy as “the one who has sown” the weeds, and the copula estin {ἐστιν | éstin} equates this specific enemy with ho diabolos. The second clause, ho de therismos sunteleia aionos estin {ὁ δὲ θερισμὸς συντέλεια αἰῶνός ἐστιν | ho dè therismòs syntéleia aiōnós estin}, uses a predicate nominative, with sunteleia aionos {συντέλεια αἰῶνός | syntéleia aiōnós} presenting the harvest as the consummation of the present age. The third clause, hoi de theristai angeloi eisin {οἱ δὲ θερισταὶ ἄγγελοί εἰσιν | hoi dè theristaì ángeloi eisin}, again employs a simple copular structure in which eisin {εἰσιν | eisin} links the reapers directly with the angeloi. The tight parallelism and repeated copulas clarify the symbolic elements of the parable by matching each image (enemy, harvest, reapers) with its eschatological referent in a succinct explanatory style. |