| 40. Linguistic Exegesis The verse is structured as a comparative analogy introduced by hōsper {ὥσπερ | hṓs-per} ‘just as’, followed by a main clause and then its eschatological application signaled by houtōs {οὕτως | hoú-tōs} ‘so, thus’. The initial clause has a subject expressed by the neuter plural ta zizania {τὰ ζιζάνια | tá zi-zá-ni-a} ‘the weeds’, with two present passive indicatives, sullegatai {συλλέγεται | syl-lé-ge-tai} ‘are gathered’ and kaietai {καίεται | kaí-e-tai} ‘are burned’, joined by kai {καὶ | kaí}. The passive voice leaves the agent implicit, a common feature in parabolic or judgment contexts where divine agency is understood without being named. The adverb houtōs then introduces the apodosis, with estai {ἔσται | és-tai} ‘it will be’ functioning as a future copula, summarizing the coming state of affairs. The prepositional phrase en tē sunteleia tou aiōnos {ἐν τῇ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος | en tē sun-te-leí-a tou ai-ṓ-nos} specifies the temporal setting, literally “in the consummation of the age,” where the genitive tou aiōnos depends on sunteleia and marks the age whose close is in view. The translation preserves the Greek comparative structure “just as … so it will be,” keeps the present passives in the illustrative clause to underscore ongoing process, and renders the temporal phrase with “at the end of the age” to reflect its eschatological nuance. |