| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the emphatic prohibition medeni meden opheilete {Μηδενὶ μηδὲν ὀφείλετε | mê-de-nì mē-dèn o-pheí-le-te} ‘owe nothing to anyone’, combining a dative and an accusative indefinite with the present active verb. The exceptive idiom ei me {εἰ μὴ | ei mē} ‘except’ introduces the articular infinitive tò al-lḗ-lous a-ga-pân {τὸ ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν | tò al-lḗ-lous a-ga-pân} ‘to love one another’ as the sole permissible obligation. In the second clause, the substantival participle ho a-ga-pôn {ὁ ἀγαπῶν | ho a-ga-pôn} ‘the one who loves’ functions as the subject of the perfect verb pe-plḗ-rō-ken {πεπλήρωκεν | pe-plḗ-rō-ken} ‘has fulfilled’, taking tòn hé-te-ron nó-mon {τὸν ἕτερον νόμον | tòn hé-te-ron nó-mon} ‘the other law’ as its object. The perfect aspect underscores a completed action with continuing effect, portraying love as the true consummation of the law. |