| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the emphatic subject su {Σὺ | sý} placed first, followed by the connective de {δὲ | dè}, marking a contrast with the preceding discussion about judging fellow believers. The interrogative particle ti {τί | tí} introduces a rhetorical question, and the present indicative krineis {κρίνεις | krí-neis} presents the judging as an ongoing or characteristic action. The object phrase ton adelphon sou {τὸν ἀδελφόν σου | tón adel-phón soû} identifies the target of this behavior as “your brother,” emphasizing an in-group, familial relationship within the community. The second clause, introduced by the disjunctive ḕ {ἢ | ḕ} plus kaí {καὶ | kaí} and a repeated su {σὺ | sý}, mirrors the first question syntactically: ti exoutheneis {τί ἐξουθενεῖς | tí ex-ou-the-neîs} “why do you despise,” again taking ton adelphon sou as its object. This parallelism heightens the contrast between the believer’s improper judging and despising and what follows. The explanatory gar {γὰρ | gár} introduces the reason clause: pantes gar parastēsómetha {πάντες γὰρ παραστησόμεθα | pán-tes gar pa-ra-stē-só-me-tha}, with pantes in the emphatic first position to stress that “all” are involved, not just the addressee. The future middle parastēsómetha conveys the certainty of a coming appearance, likely with a nuance of being presented before a superior. The dative phrase tō bēmati tou theou {τῷ βήματι τοῦ θεοῦ | tôi bḗ-ma-ti toû the-oû} identifies the locus of this future event as “the judgment seat of God,” drawing on judicial imagery where the bēma is a raised platform for legal decisions. In translation, the parallel questions are preserved with clear punctuation to retain the rhetorical force, and the causal gar clause is rendered as “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God,” making explicit the logical connection between refraining from judging others and the shared accountability before the divine tribunal. |