| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the interjection ouai {οὐαὶ | ouaì} ‘woe’, issuing a solemn judicial pronouncement. The dative phrase tō kosmō {τῷ κόσμῳ | tô kósmō} functions as the recipient of this declaration, encompassing humanity universally. The prepositional phrase apo tōn skandalōn {ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων | apó tôn skan-dálōn} expresses the cause of judgment. The construction anankē gar elthein ta skandala {ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἐλθεῖν τὰ σκάνδαλα} combines the noun anankē {ἀνάγκη | anánkē} ‘necessity’ with the infinitive elthein {ἐλθεῖν | eltheîn} to highlight the inevitability of offenses. The adversative plēn {πλὴν | plḗn} ‘but’ introduces a shift to personal accountability. A second ouai addresses tō anthrōpō {τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ | tô anthrōpō}, and the relative clause di’ hou to skandalon erchetai {δι’ οὗ τὸ σκάνδαλον ἔρχεται} specifies the individual through whom the stumbling-block arrives. The repetition of ouai and the parallel terms skandalon/skandala form a chiastic emphasis contrasting universal inevitability with individual culpability. The English renderings preserve this structure by maintaining parallel pronouncements of judgment and by distinguishing general necessity from personal responsibility. |