| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with kai {καί | kaí}, linking this judgment scene to the preceding bowl sequence. The aorist passive verb ekaumatisthesan {ἐκαυματίσθησαν | ekaumatísthēsan} “were scorched” takes hoi anthropoi {οἱ ἄνθρωποι | hoí ánthrōpoi} as its subject, while the nominative phrase kauma mega {καῦμα μέγα | kaûma méga} stands in apposition, functioning semantically as the means or manner (“by great heat”). The second main verb eblasphemesan {ἐβλασφήμησαν | eblasphḗmēsan} “they blasphemed” introduces a new coordinated action, with to onoma {τὸ ὄνομα | tó ónoma} “the name” as its direct object, further defined by the genitive tou theou {τοῦ θεοῦ | toû theoû} “of God.” The articular participial phrase tou echontos {τοῦ ἔχοντος | toû échontos} with its object ten exousian {τὴν ἐξουσίαν | tḗn exousíān} and the prepositional phrase epi tas plegas tautas {ἐπὶ τὰς πληγὰς ταύτας | epì tàs plēgàs taútas} functions attributively, portraying God as the One who possesses jurisdiction “over these plagues.” In the final clause, kai {καί | kaí} introduces a further coordinated action, while the negative ou {οὐ | ou} with metenoesan {μετενόησαν | metenoḗsan} creates a strong denial: “they did not repent.” The infinitive dounai {δοῦναι | doûnai} “to give” is complementary, expressing the intended result or purpose of repentance, governing the dative autō {αὐτῷ | autō̂} “to Him” and the object doxan {δόξαν | dóxan} “glory.” English word order rearranges these elements slightly—using “by great heat” for the appositional kauma mega and an explicit relative clause for tou echontos—to make the causal and result relationships clear while preserving the progression from judgment, to hardened response, to the withheld glory due to God. |