| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with kai palin {καὶ πάλιν | kaí pá-lin} “and again,” which signals another scriptural citation in a chain of quotations. The present imperative aineite {Αἰνεῖτε | Aineî-te} “praise” introduces the command. In the sequence panta ta ethnē ton kyrion {πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τὸν κύριον | pán-ta tà éth-nē tón ký-ri-on}, the verb’s direct object is ton kyrion “the Lord,” while the accusative phrase panta ta ethnē “all the nations” functions in a vocative-like way, marking those being addressed. The second clause, introduced by kai {καὶ | kaí} “and,” employs epainesatosan {ἐπαινεσάτωσαν | epainesá-tō-san}, an aorist active imperative in the third person plural, creating an indirect imperative, “let them praise.” Its object is auton {αὐτὸν | autón} “him,” and its subject is the nominative phrase pantes hoi laoi {πάντες οἱ λαοί | pán-tes hoi la-oi} “all the peoples.” The parallel structure—“all the nations” and “all the peoples,” with corresponding imperatives—creates a poetic, universal summons to worship. In translation, the two imperatives are retained as explicit commands, and the two global groups are rendered as “nations” and “peoples” to preserve the inclusive, multi-ethnic scope of the verse. |