| 34. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the noun phrase hoi de Pharisaioi {Οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι | hoî dè Pharisaîoi}, where the postpositive de signals contrast with the preceding narrative. The aorist participle akousantes {ἀκούσαντες | akoúsantes} introduces a circumstantial clause, “having heard that …,” with hoti {ὅτι | hóti} as the complementizer. Within that clause, ephimosen {ἐφίμωσεν | ephímōsen} is an aorist active indicative third person singular with an implicit subject (Jesus) and direct object tous Saddoukaious {τοὺς Σαδδουκαίους | toùs Saddoukaíous}, emphasizing His authoritative refutation. The main verb synechthesan {συνήχθησαν | synḗchthēsan}, an aorist passive indicative third person plural, conveys a collective response, and the idiomatic prepositional phrase epi to auto {ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό | epì tò autó} expresses unified gathering. In translation, the participle is rendered as a temporal-causal clause and the idiom as collective unity. |