| 33. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the negative particle ouk {οὐκ | ouk} 'not' combined with the impersonal imperfect verb edei {ἔδει | é-dei} 'it was necessary' to form a rhetorical question conveying rebuke. The infinitive eleesai {ἐλεῆσαι | e-le-e-sai} 'to have mercy' expresses the obligation’s content, with se 'you' as its logical subject. The accusative noun phrase ton syndoulon sou {τὸν σύνδουλόν σου | tón sún-dou-lón sou} 'your fellow servant' designates the one owed mercy, where sou 'your' highlights their shared status. The comparative conjunction hos {ὡς | hōs} 'as' introduces the standard clause, followed by kago {κἀγώ | ka-gō} 'and I', contrasting the master’s prior act of mercy to se 'you', thus establishing the ethical expectation that one’s received mercy should prompt the same toward others. |