| 16. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with kai {καὶ | kaí} ‘and’, linking this statement to the preceding plea and continuing the father’s speech. The finite verb prosenegka {προσήνεγκα | prosḗnenka} ‘I brought’ introduces the main action, with auton {αὐτόν | autón} ‘him’ as its direct object. The dative phrase tois mathetais sou {τοῖς μαθηταῖς σου | toîs mathētâis sou} ‘to your disciples’ marks the indirect object and possession. A second kai {καὶ | kaí} ‘and’ shifts to the contrastive inability clause introduced by ouk {οὐκ | ouk} ‘not’ and the deponent verb edynetheesan {ἠδυνήθησαν | ēdynḗthēsan} ‘they were able’, which takes the infinitive therapeusai {θεραπεῦσαι | therapeûsai} ‘to heal’ and auton {αὐτόν | autón} ‘him’ to express what the disciples could not accomplish. The coordinate structure moves from the father’s act of bringing to the disciples’ failure, heightening narrative tension and setting the stage for Jesus’ forthcoming intervention. |