| 17. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the circumstantial participle apokritheis {ἀποκριθεὶς | apokritheís} ‘having answered’, temporally subordinate to the main verb eipen {εἶπεν | eîpen} ‘he said’. The postpositive conjunction de {δὲ | dé} links this statement to the preceding dialogue. The articular name ho Iesous {ὁ Ἰησοῦς | ho Iēsous} serves as the subject, dropped in English. The dative pronoun auto {αὐτῷ | autō̂} marks Simon as the indirect object. Within the quotation, the adjective Makarios {μακάριος | makários} ‘blessed’ precedes the verb ei {εἶ | eî} ‘you are’ to emphasize divine favor. The vocative phrase Simon Bariona {Σίμων Βαριωνᾶ | Símōn Bariōnâ} addresses Simon by given name and patronymic. The conjunction hoti {ὅτι | hóti} introduces a causal clause: the coordinated nouns sarx kai haima {σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα | sárx kaí haîma} function as a hendiadys for mere human nature. The negation ouk {οὐκ | ouk} precedes apekalypsen {ἀπεκάλυψέν | apekálypsen} ‘revealed’, underscoring that the insight did not originate from human means (soi {σοι | soi}). The adversative all’ {ἀλλʼ | all’} shifts agency to the articular noun phrase ho pater mou {ὁ πατήρ μου | ho patḗr mou} ‘My Father’, underlining the unique filial relationship. The attributive clause ho en tois ouranois {ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς | ho en toîs ouranoîs} ‘who is in the heavens’ specifies the Father’s heavenly location, preserving both the contrastive logic and the theological emphasis on divine initiative. |