| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the circumstantial participle eparantes {ἐπάραντες | epárantes} ‘having lifted up’, which is temporally prior to the main verb eîdon {εἶδον | eîdon} ‘they saw’. The postpositive conjunction de {δὲ | dé} links this clause to the preceding narrative, English rendering it with “when” for smoother flow. The object phrase tous ophthalmous auton {τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς αὐτῶν | toús ophthalmous autôn} combines article, noun, and genitive pronoun to denote “their eyes.” The negative-indefinite oudena {οὐδένα | oudéna} precedes the verb for emphasis, underscoring the total absence of any person. The idiomatic sequence ei mē {εἰ μὴ | ei mē} functions as “except,” introducing the exception. The focused object auton Iesoun {αὐτὸν Ἰησοῦν | autón Iēsoun} merges pronoun and name to spotlight Him. The concluding monon {μόνον | mónon}, used adverbially, intensifies exclusivity: “only.” English preserves the negation-plus-exception pattern and the climactic stress on Jesus as the sole figure seen. |