| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse is structured as a coordinated sequence bound together by repeated kai {καί | kaí} “and,” giving a cumulative sense of escalation. The initial clause, edothē autō poiēsai polemon meta tōn hagiōn {ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων | edó-thē autô poi-ḗ-sai pó-le-mon me-tá tô̄n ha-gí-ōn}, combines the aorist passive edothē “it was given” with the complementary infinitive poiēsai “to make,” forming a construction that expresses granted capability or permission “to make war with the saints.” The prepositional phrase meta tōn hagiōn with the genitive marks association in conflict, “with the holy ones” in the sense of “against them” in battle context. The coordinated infinitive nikēsai autous {νικῆσαι αὐτούς | ni-kḗ-sai au-toús} extends the purpose, indicating not only engaging in conflict but also conquering the saints as the intended or resultant outcome.
The second main segment repeats edothē autō {ἐδόθη αὐτῷ | edó-thē autô}, foregrounding that the figure’s power is derived rather than inherent. The subject exousia {ἐξουσία | ex-ou-sí-a} follows, with the prepositional phrase epi pasan phylēn kai laon kai glōssan kai ethnos {ἐπὶ πᾶσαν φυλὴν καὶ λαὸν καὶ γλῶσσαν καὶ ἔθνος | e-pí pâ-san phu-lḗn kaí la-ón kaí glô-s-san kaí éth-nos} specifying the scope of this authority. The preposition epi with the accusative signals jurisdiction “over” the entities listed. The fourfold series “tribe and people and language and nation,” joined by repeated kai, is an instance of polysyndeton, emphasizing exhaustive, global reach. In translation, the repeated “and” is largely maintained to mirror the rhythmic accumulation, while the passive “it was given” is rendered with both formal equivalence (“was given”) and more natural dynamic phrases (“was allowed,” “was granted”) to capture the nuance of bestowed permission without over-specifying the giver in this verse. |