Matthew 23:4ExegesisTAB

Matthew 23 : 4 Burden | Hypocrisy | Unwillingness
4. Linguistic Exegesis
The sentence begins with desmeuousin {δεσμεύουσιν | desmeúousin} ‘they bind’ in the present active indicative third person plural, introducing the main action. The object phortia barea {φορτία βαρέα | phortía baréa} ‘heavy burdens’ is linked by kai {καὶ | kaí} ‘and’ to epititheasin {ἐπιτιθέασιν | epi-ti-thé-a-sin} ‘they place’. The prepositional phrase epi tous omous tōn anthrōpōn {ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους τῶν ἀνθρώπων | epì toùs ō̂mous tȏn anthrṓpōn} ‘upon the shoulders of the people’ identifies the recipients. The adversative clause autoi de tō daktulō autōn ou thelousin kinēsai auta {αὐτοὶ δὲ τῷ δακτύλῳ αὐτῶν οὐ θέλουσιν κινῆσαι αὐτά | autoì dè tȏ daktú-lōi autṓn oû thé-lou-sin kinê-sai autá} contrasts their refusal, with the dative tō daktulō autōn marking the minimal instrument. The parallel present tenses and the negation ou {οὐ | oû} underscore their hypocrisy.

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