| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the subject noun phrase he agape {ἡ ἀγάπη | agápē} ‘the love’, which establishes love as the agent. The dative qualified noun phrase to plesion {τῷ πλησίον | tō plēsíon} ‘to the neighbor’ identifies the recipient of love’s action. The negated verb clause kakon ouk ergazetai {κακόν οὐκ ἐργάζεται | kakón ouk ergázetai} uses the neuter accusative noun kakon ‘evil’ as the object, negated by ouk before the middle verb ergazetai ‘does work’, conveying that love does not produce harm. In the concluding nominal clause pleroma oun nomou he agape {πλήρωμα οὖν νόμου ἡ ἀγάπη | plḗrōma oun nómou hē agápē}, pleroma ‘fulfillment’ functions predicatively, with the genitive nomou specifying ‘of the law’ and the inferential conjunction oun marking the logical consequence: because love never yields harm, it thus accomplishes what the law requires. This structure preserves the subject focus and the inferential link when rendered in English. |