| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with hoti {ὅτι | hó-ti} ‘for/because’ to introduce the basis for divine praise. The adjectives alethinai {ἀληθιναί | a-le-thi-naí} and dikaiai {δίκαιαι | dí-kai-ai} precede the noun kriseis {κρίσεις | krí-seis}, forming an emphatic nominal clause “true and just are the judgments” with the genitive autou {αὐτοῦ | au-toû} attributing them to God. A second hoti introduces a causal explanation: the aorist ekrinen {ἔκρινεν | é-kri-nen} takes the accusative ten pornen ten megalen {τὴν πόρνην τὴν μεγάλην | tḕn pór-nēn tḕn me-gá-lēn} to emphasize her infamy. The relative clause with hetis {ἥτις | hḗ-tis} characterizes her action: ephtheiren {ἔφθειρεν | éph-thei-ren} governs ten gen {τὴν γῆν | tḕn gḗn}, and the prepositional en te porneia autes {ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς | en tê por-neí-a au-tês} denotes her sphere of corruption. The coordinating kai links the second aorist exedikesen {ἐξεδίκησεν | e-xe-dí-kē-sen}, pairing divine judgment and vindication. In the reconstructions, these aorists are rendered with English perfects (“has judged”/“has condemned” and “has avenged”/“has paid back”) to convey their completed, decisive nature. |