| 25. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the historic present legei {λέγει | lé-gei} ‘he says’, immediately followed by the affirmative particle Nai {Ναί | Naí} ‘yes’, which emphasizes Peter’s confirmation. The aorist participle elthonta {ἐλθόντα | el-thón-ta} ‘having come’ is temporally subordinate to the main verb proephthasen {προέφθασεν | pro-éph-tha-sen} ‘spoke before him’, indicating that Jesus addressed Peter as soon as he entered the house. The participle legon {λέγων | lé-gōn} ‘saying’ introduces the direct question, opened by the idiomatic ti soi dokei {Τί σοι δοκεῖ | Tí soi do-keî} ‘what does it seem to you’, here rendered as “what do you think” or “what is your view,” inviting Simon {Σίμων | Sí-mōn} to reflect. The phrase hoi basileis tēs gēs {οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς | hoí ba-si-leîs tês gês} ‘the kings of the earth’ establishes the analogy concerning royal taxation, while the interrogative prepositional phrase apo tinōn {ἀπὸ τίνων | apó tí-nōn} ‘from whom’ with lambanousin {λαμβάνουσιν | lam-bá-nou-sin} ‘do they receive’ forms the core inquiry. The coordinated genitives apo tōn huiōn autōn {ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῶν | apó tôn hui-ôn au-tōn} ‘from their sons’ and apo tōn allotriōn {ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων | apó tôn al-ló-tri-ōn} ‘from outsiders’ highlight the insider–outsider contrast that underlies Jesus’ subsequent teaching. Participles are rendered as temporal clauses (“when he entered,” “after he came”) and the idiomatic question is adapted into natural English without losing the original logical contrast. |