| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The postpositive conjunction gar {γὰρ | gár} links this verse explanatorily to the previous statement, while eudokesan {εὐδόκησαν | eudókēsan} stands first in the clause, foregrounding the willing attitude of the givers. The coordinated proper nouns Makedonia {Μακεδονία | Makedonía} and Achaia {Ἀχαΐα | Achaḯa} function together as the compound subject of the verb. The object of their favorable decision is expressed by koinonian tina {κοινωνίαν τινὰ | koinōnían tiná}, an accusative noun with an indefinite pronoun, literally “a certain contribution,” which is further specified by the complementary infinitive poiesasthai {ποιήσασθαι | poiḗsasthai} “to make,” a middle-form that can suggest voluntary, personally involved action. The prepositional phrase eis tous ptochous {εἰς τοὺς πτωχοὺς | eis toús ptōchoús} indicates the direction and purpose of the contribution, focusing on “the poor” as a defined group. The double genitive phrase tōn hagiōn tōn en Ierousalēm {τῶν ἁγίων τῶν ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ | tōn hagíon tōn en Ierousalḗm} is appositional: first identifying them as “the saints” (the consecrated community), then narrowing it to those located “in Jerusalem.” This layered genitive construction guides the English rendering “the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem,” which preserves the specification of recipients while smoothing Greek word order into natural English syntax. |