| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the genitive absolute elthontos autou {ἐλθόντος αὐτοῦ | el-thón-tos au-toû} ‘after He had come,’ which situates the timing before Jesus’ entrance. The main narrative verb proselthon {προσῆλθον | pros-ēl-thon} ‘they came up’ is performed by hoi archiereis kai hoi presbyteroi {οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι | hoi ar-khi-e-reîs kai hoi pres-bú-te-roi}, identifying the Jewish officials. The dative participle didaskonti {διδάσκοντι | di-dás-kon-ti} ‘as He was teaching’ marks a simultaneous action, prompting their approach. The participle legontes {λέγοντες | lé-gon-tes} ‘saying’ introduces the twofold interrogative: en poia exousia {Ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ | en pó-i-a ex-ou-sí-á} ‘by what authority’ and tis soi edōken ten exousian tauten {τίς σοι ἔδωκεν τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην | tís soî é-dō-ken tḗn ex-ou-si-án taû-tēn} ‘who gave You this authority.’ The repeated placement of exousia at the start of each question enhances rhetorical emphasis, preserved in English by matching question structures. |