| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the coordinating conjunction kai {καὶ | kaí} ‘and’, linking this event to the previous temptation narrative. The aorist participle nesteusas {νηστεύσας | nēsteúsas} ‘having fasted’ carries a completed-action sense, providing background to the main verb. The repeated accusative time expression hēmeras tesserákonta kai nýktas tesserákonta {ἡμέρας τεσσεράκοντα καὶ νύκτας τεσσεράκοντα | hēméras tesserákonta kai nýktas tesserákonta} marks an exact duration of testing, characteristic of biblical wilderness motifs. The adverb hýsteron {ὕστερον | hýsteron} ‘afterward’ signals the shift from the fasting period to its result. Finally, the aorist indicative epeínasen {ἐπείνασεν | epeínasen} ‘he became hungry’ states the outcome of the preceding abstinence, creating a cause‐and‐effect progression that emphasizes Jesus’s true humanity. |