Matthew 19:15 — ExegesisTAB

The verse begins with kai {καὶ | kaí} “and,” linking this action to the prior scene. The aorist participle epitheis {ἐπιθεὶς | e-pi-theìs} “having laid” functions as an adverbial temporal participle, indicating an action completed before the main verb. Its implicit subject is the same as that of the finite verb. The object of the participle is the noun phrase tas kheiras {τὰς χεῖρας | tàs kheî-ras} “the hands,” while the dative autois {αὐτοῖς | au-toîs} specifies the beneficiaries “on them,” referring to the children just mentioned in the context. The main clause centers on eporeuthe {ἐπορεύθη | e-po-reú-thē} “he went,” an aorist deponent verb portraying a completed movement away, followed by the adverb ekeithen {ἐκεῖθεν | e-keî-then} “from there,” which marks separation from the previous location. The Greek word order places the participial action first, highlighting that the blessing by touch precedes and completes Jesus’ interaction before His departure. In English, this temporal relationship is rendered with clauses such as “after laying” and “when He placed,” preserving both the sequence and the emphasis on His blessing before leaving.