καὶ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 καὶ

   KAI

   and
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 πάντα οὖν ὅσα ⸀ἐὰν εἴπωσιν ὑμῖν ⸂ποιήσατε καὶ τηρεῖτε⸃,

   PAN-ta OON HO-sa e-AN EI-pô-sin hy-MEEN poi-Ê-sa-te KAI tê-REI-te

   therefore do and keep all things whatever if they may say to you
3. sentence🔊 πάντα οὖν ὅσα ⸀ἐὰν εἴπωσιν ὑμῖν ⸂ποιήσατε καὶ τηρεῖτε⸃, κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε, λέγουσιν γὰρ καὶ οὐ ποιοῦσιν.

   PAN-ta OON HO-sa e-AN EI-pô-sin hy-MEEN poi-Ê-sa-te KAI tê-REI-te ka-TA DE TA ER-ga au-TÔN MÊ poi-EI-te LE-goo-sin GAR KAI OO poi-OO-sin

   therefore do and keep all things whatever if they may say to you but not do according to the works their for they say and not they do

Exegesis

The main clause then presents a compound imperative, poiesate kai tereite {ποιήσατε καὶ τηρεῖτε | poi-ḗ-sa-te kaí tē-reî-te}, pairing an aorist imperative, which can emphasize decisive action (“do”), with a present imperative, which highlights ongoing conduct (“keep on observing”). This creates an instruction both to respond and to continue in what is taught.

The explanatory clause legousin gar kai ou poiousin {λέγουσιν γὰρ καὶ οὐ ποιοῦσιν | lé-gou-sin gár kaí poi-oû-sin} employs present indicative verbs to depict an ongoing habit: their constant saying is not matched by corresponding doing. In translation, the inferential oun is rendered as “therefore” or “so” to connect the statement to the preceding context, the conditional structure is smoothed into “whatever they tell you” while preserving the breadth indicated by panta and hosa, and the parallelism of “say / do” is maintained to keep the sharp contrast between profession and practice that is central to the verse’s rhetorical force.

Root and etymology

dike🔊 δίκηdelta–iota–kappa–eta

“right, justice, legal claim”

• 🔊 δικαιοσύνηdikaiosýnērighteousnessMatthew 5:6
• 🔊 δίκαιοςdíkaiosrighteous, justLuke 23:47