| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with kai {Καὶ | Kaì} ‘and’, linking this explanation to the preceding vision. The narrative verb legei {λέγει | lé-gei} is a historical present that vividifies the scene as the speaker continues addressing John, with moi {μοι | moi} marking the indirect object. The accusative neuter plural noun phrase Ta hydata {Τὰ ὕδατα | Tà hý-da-ta} ‘the waters’ functions as the topic of the explanation, further specified by the relative clause ha eides {ἃ εἶδες | ha ei-des} ‘which you saw’, anchoring the reference back to an earlier part of the vision. The genitive relative pronoun hou {οὗ | hou} ‘where’ introduces a locative genitive phrase—overtly a relative clause—within which the subject phrase he porne {ἡ πόρνη | hē pór-nē} ‘the prostitute’ occurs, followed by the present middle verb kathetai {κάθηται | ká-thē-tai} ‘she sits’, portraying her settled, ongoing position upon the waters. The core explanation is an equative clause: laoi kai ochloi eisin kai ethne kai glossai {λαοὶ καὶ ὄχλοι εἰσὶν καὶ ἔθνη καὶ γλῶσσαι | la-oí kaí óch-loi ei-sìn kaí éth-nē kaí glôs-sai}. Here laoi, ochloi, ethne, and glossai, all plural, stand in predicate nominative relation to Ta hydata, with eisin functioning as the copular verb ‘are’. The repeated kai coordinates the four groups, rhetorically broadening the scope to emphasize the comprehensive, worldwide character of the symbol. In translation, the symbolic equation is made explicit by retaining the copular structure (“are” / “represent”) while smoothing word order into natural English, yet preserving the cumulative series of “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues” to reflect the expansive emphasis of the Greek. |