Matthew 14:17 — ExegesisTAB

The verse opens with the nominative plural article and verb phrase hoi de legousin {οἱ δὲ λέγουσιν | hoi dè légousin}, which functions as an inexact subject reference (“but they said”), contextually identifying the disciples as the speakers. The dative pronoun autō {αὐτῷ | autō} specifies the indirect object and marks Jesus as the addressee of the reported speech. The clause Ouk echomen hōde {Οὐκ ἔχομεν ὧδε | Ouk échomen hōde} combines a verbal expression of possession with a negation and an adverb of place, giving the basic assertion “we do not have here.” This is immediately restricted by the idiomatic combination ei mē {εἰ μὴ | ei mḗ}, which forms an exceptive construction meaning “except,” introducing the limited resources that follow. The direct object phrase pente artous kai duo ichthyas {πέντε ἄρτους καὶ δύο ἰχθύας | pénte ártous kaí dýo ichthýas} lists the precise quantity of loaves and fish in simple parataxis with kai. Syntactically, the movement runs from a generalized negated possession to a sharply defined exception, highlighting scarcity in contrast to the need implied by the broader narrative. In translation, the formal rendering preserves the negative-plus-exception sequence (“We have nothing here except...”), while the dynamic version reshapes it into more idiomatic English (“All we have here are...”) yet retains the same limitation introduced by the Greek exceptive structure.