| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The particle de {δὲ | dè} links back to Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, marking a shift in narration. The subject hoi okhloi {οἱ ὄχλοι | hoî ókhloi} “the crowds” governs the imperfect verb elegon {ἔλεγον | élegon}, which signals continuous or repeated utterance. The demonstrative houtos {Οὗτός | Hoûtos} “this” with the present verb estin {ἐστιν | estin} forms an identifying declaration. The phrase ho prophetes Iēsous {ὁ προφήτης Ἰησοῦς | ho prophḗtēs Iēsoûs} employs the definite article to single out Jesus’s prophetic role. The prepositional construction ho apo Nazareth tēs Galilaias {ὁ ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲθ τῆς Γαλιλαίας | ho apò Nazaréth tês Galilaíās} uses apo with the genitive to denote origin and a second genitive to specify place. In English, the formal retains the imperfect aspect as “were saying,” while the dynamic opts for “replied” to reflect a more immediate conversational tone. |