| 46. Linguistic Exegesis The participle zētountes {ζητοῦντες | zē-toun-tes} ‘seeking’ begins the clause, indicating their ongoing attempt, followed by the infinitive kratēsai {κρατῆσαι | kra-tē-sai} ‘to seize’ expressing purpose. The main verb ephobēthēsan {ἐφοβήθησαν | e-phob-ḗ-thē-san} ‘they were afraid’ shifts focus to their reaction, with the noun phrase tous ochlous {τοὺς ὄχλους | toùs ó-chlous} ‘the crowds’ as the object of fear. The conjunction epei {ἐπεὶ | e-peì} ‘because’ introduces the reason, and the prepositional phrase eis prophētēn {εἰς προφήτην | eis pro-phḗ-tēn} ‘as a prophet’ indicates popular opinion, completed by the verb eichon {εἶχον | eî-kon} ‘they held’. The formal translation uses a concessive structure for the participle (“And though they were seeking…”), while the dynamic employs coordination (“They wanted to arrest Him, but…”) to enhance readability and preserve the causal emphasis. |