| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The clause begins with the subject phrase hoi hepta angeloi {οἱ ἑπτὰ ἄγγελοι | hoi heptà ángeloi} 'the seven angels,' followed immediately by the adjectival participial clause hoi echontes tas hepta plegas {οἱ ἔχοντες τὰς ἑπτὰ πληγὰς | hoi échontes tàs heptà plēgás} 'who had the seven plagues,' which specifies these angels as the bearers of judgment. The aorist verb exelthon {ἐξῆλθον | exêlthon} 'came out' functions as the main finite verb, while the prepositional phrase ek tou naou {ἐκ τοῦ ναοῦ | ek tou naoû} 'from the temple' marks the origin of their movement, emphasizing that their mission issues from the heavenly sanctuary. The perfect participles endedumenoi {ἐνδεδυμένοι | endedyménoi} 'clothed' and periezosmenoi {περιεζωσμένοι | periezōsménoi} 'girded' stand in nominative agreement with the angels and depict their attire as a settled, completed state that continues in the present. The object linon {λίνον | línon} 'linen' is modified by the paired adjectives katharon {καθαρόν | katharón} 'pure' and lampron {λαμπρόν | lamprón} 'bright,' combining ethical and visual connotations of holiness and radiance. The final prepositional phrase peri ta stethe zonas chrusas {περὶ τὰ στήθη ζώνας χρυσᾶς | perí tà stḗthē zṓnas chrysâs} 'with golden sashes around the chests' further characterizes the angels with priestly and royal dignity, with peri plus the accusative indicating encirclement. The English renderings preserve the central finite verb and recast the participial material into relative and descriptive clauses so that the sequence of action and the rich symbolic description remain clear and readable. |