| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the circumstantial participle légōn {λέγων | légōn} ‘saying’, referencing the angelic messenger and introducing direct discourse. The dative of manner en phōnē megálē {ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ | en phōnē megálē} intensifies the proclamation’s urgency. Within the quotation, three aorist imperatives—phobḗthēte {φοβήθητε | phobḗthēte} ‘fear’, dóte {δότε | dóte} ‘give’, and proskynḗsate {προσκυνήσατε | proskynḗsate} ‘worship’—form a coordinated command sequence. The accusative tón theón {τὸν θεὸν | tón theón} singularly designates the true deity, and the dative autō with accusative dóxan conveys active bestowal of honor. The causal hóti clause introduces êlthen hē hṓra tês kríseōs autoû {ἦλθεν ἡ ὥρα τῆς κρίσεως αὐτοῦ | êlthen hē hṓra tês kríseōs autoû}, marking the eschatological moment as God’s judicial act. The substantival participle tō poiḗsanti {τῷ ποιήσαντι | tō poiḗsanti} ‘the One who made’ governs a series of accusative objects—tón ouranón, tḗn gēn, thálassan, pēgás hydátōn—listing cosmic realms to affirm divine creative sovereignty. |