| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The Greek sentence begins with kai {καὶ | kaí} linking this warning to the preceding context, followed by the conditional clause introduced by ei {εἰ | eí} ‘if’. The phrase ho ophthalmos sou {ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου | ho oph-thal-mós soú} ‘your eye’ is the subject of skandalizei {σκανδαλίζει | skan-da-lí-zei} ‘causes to stumble’, with se {σε | se} ‘you’ as its object. The aorist imperatives exele {ἔξελε | é-xe-le} ‘tear out’ and bale {βάλε | bá-le} ‘throw’ demand decisive removal of the source of sin, emphasized by the prepositional phrase apo sou {ἀπὸ σοῦ | apó soû} ‘away from you’. The evaluative clause kalon soi estin {καλὸν σοί ἐστίν | ka-lón soí e-stín} ‘it is better for you’ introduces a contrast between the infinitival constructions monophthalmon eis ten zoen eiselthein {μονόφθαλμον εἰς τὴν ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν} ‘to enter life with one eye’ and echonta duo ophthalmous blethenai {ἔχοντα δύο ὀφθαλμούς βληθῆναι} ‘having two eyes to be thrown’, where the passive infinitive blethenai {βληθῆναι | blē-thê-nai} ‘to be thrown’ describes the dire consequence. The final prepositional phrase eis ten geennan tou puros {εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός | eis tḕn gé-en-na tou py-rós} ‘into Gehenna of fire’ conveys the ultimate judgment imagery. The conditional structure, imperatival force, and contrasting infinitives are maintained to reflect the urgency and theological severity in the Greek. |