ἤθελεν,

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 ἤθελεν,

   Ê-the-len

   was willing
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἤθελεν,

   HO DE ouk Ê-the-len

   but He not was willing
3. sentence🔊 ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἤθελεν, ἀλλὰ ἀπελθὼν ἔβαλεν αὐτὸν εἰς φυλακὴν, ἕως ⸀οὗ ἀποδῷ τὸ ὀφειλόμενον.

   HO DE ouk Ê-the-len al-LA a-pel-THÔN E-ba-len au-TON eis phy-la-KÊN HE-ôs HOO a-po-DÔI TO o-phei-LO-me-non

   but He not was willing rather having gone away he put him into prison until when he should repay the amount owed

Exegesis

The verse opens with ho de ouk ēthelen {ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἤθελεν | ho dè ouk ḗ-the-len}, where the article functions pronominally as “he,” and the postpositive de signals contrast with the prior appeal for mercy. The imperfect ēthelen conveys a sustained refusal, rendered in the formal as “was not willing” and in the dynamic as “refused to comply.”