| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The negative particle ou {οὐ | ou} at the outset negates the initial clause. The neuter substantival participles eiserchomenon {τὸ εἰσερχόμενον | tò ei-ser-khó-me-non} “the thing entering” and ekporeuomenon {τὸ ἐκπορευόμενον | tò ek-po-reu-ó-me-non} “the thing coming out” function as subjects of the verb koinoi {κοινοῖ | koi-noî} “defiles.” Each is accompanied by a prepositional phrase, eis to stoma {εἰς τὸ στόμα | eis tò stó-ma} “into the mouth” and ek tou stomatos {ἐκ τοῦ στόματος | ek toû stó-ma-tos} “out of the mouth,” indicating direction and location. The direct object in both clauses is ton anthropon {τὸν ἄνθρωπον | tón án-thrō-pon} “the person,” and the clauses are contrasted by the adversative conjunction alla {ἀλλὰ | al-là} “but.” The demonstrative touto {τοῦτο | toû-to} “this” in the second clause provides emphasis to the preceding participial phrase. In English, the participles are rendered with finite verbs (“enters,” “emerges”) and the contrast is maintained to highlight the moral significance of what proceeds from within. |