| 42. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with legei {Λέγει | le-gei} ‘he says’, framing Jesus’ address to autois {αὐτοῖς | au-toîs} with personal engagement. A negative interrogative oudepote anegnōte {Οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε | ou-dé-po-te a-neg-nō-te} ‘Have you never read’ presumes shared knowledge of en tais graphais {ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς | en taîs gra-phaîs} ‘the Scriptures’. The relative clause lithon hon apedokimasan hoi oikodomountes {Λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες | Lí-thon hon a-pe-do-ki-ma-san hoi oi-ko-do-moûn-tes} ‘the stone which the builders rejected’ sets the scene of rejection. Houtos egenēthē eis kephalēn gōnías {οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας | hoûtos e-ge-nḗ-thē eis ke-pha-lḗn gō-ní-as} ‘this one became the head of the corner’ signals transformational result, while para kyriou {παρὰ κυρίου | pa-rà ku-rí-ou} ‘from the Lord’ marks divine agency. The summative clause e-gé-ne-to hautē kai é-stin thaumastē {ἐγένετο αὕτη καὶ ἔστιν θαυμαστὴ | e-gé-ne-to ha-útē kaì é-stin tha-u-mas-tḗ} ‘this came about, and it is marvelous’ paired with en ophthalmōis hēmōn {ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν | en o-phthal-moîs hē-môn} ‘in our eyes’ preserves the Greek’s climactic emphasis on divine reversal and resultant wonder. |