| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the accusative participle ekhousan tēn doxan tou theou {ἔχουσαν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ | é-khou-san tḕn dó-xan toû the-oû} ‘having the glory of God’, attributing divine splendor to the implied feminine subject. The following nominative phrase ho phōstēr autēs {ὁ φωστὴρ αὐτῆς | ho phō-stḗr au-tês} ‘her light’ serves as the main subject. The comparative structure homoios lithō timiotatō {ὅμοιος λίθῳ τιμιωτάτῳ | hó-moi-os lí-thō ti-mi-ō-tá-tō} ‘like a most precious stone’ uses homoios with a dative complement to express likeness. A second simile, hōs lithō iaspidi krystallizonti {ὡς λίθῳ ἰάσπιδι κρυσταλλίζοντι | hōs lí-thō i-ás-pi-di kry-stal-lí-zon-ti}, intensifies the imagery by specifying jasper and describing it as crystal-like. In translation, formal renders these comparisons as “like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, shining like crystal,” while dynamic uses “like a priceless jewel—like jasper, clear as crystal,” preserving the original’s escalating vividness within smooth English flow. |