| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with legei {λέγει | lé-gei} “he says,” a historical present that introduces Jesus’ ongoing response in narrative style. The indirect discourse is marked by hoti {ὅτι | hó-ti}, which here functions causally (“because”) rather than simply as a content marker, so that the focus falls on the reason for Moses’ action. The prepositional phrase pros tēn sklērokardian hymōn {πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ὑμῶν | prós tēn sklē-ro-kar-dí-an hy-môn} precedes the main verb epetrepsen {ἐπέτρεψεν | e-pé-trep-sen}, placing rhetorical emphasis on the cause (“because of your hardness of heart”) before the permission itself. The infinitive apolysai {ἀπολῦσαι | a-po-lý-sai} functions as the complement of epetrepsen, specifying the concrete action Moses allowed, while tas gynaikas hymōn {τὰς γυναῖκας ὑμῶν | tas gy-nái-kas hy-môn} is the direct object of the infinitive. The clause introduced by ap’ archēs de {ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς δὲ | ap ar-khēs de} is adversative: de {δὲ | de} sets a strong contrast between Mosaic concession and divine intention “from the beginning.” The prepositional phrase ap’ archēs {ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς | ap ar-khēs} temporally anchors the statement in creation, while the perfect gegonen {γέγονεν | gé-go-nen} with the negation ou {οὐ | ou} (“has not been”) expresses a state that has never come into existence in God’s design. In translation, the causal ordering is preserved by placing “because of your hardness of heart” before “Moses permitted,” and the adversative de is carried over with “but,” clearly contrasting human concession with original creation intent. |