αὐτῶν

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 αὐτῶν

   au-TÔN

   of them
2. sentence🔊 εὐδόκησαν γάρ καὶ ὀφειλέται εἰσὶν αὐτῶν εἰ γὰρ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς αὐτῶν ἐκοινώνησαν τὰ ἔθνη ὀφείλουσιν καὶ ἐν τοῖς σαρκικοῖς λειτουργῆσαι αὐτοῖς

   eu-DO-kê-san GAR KAI o-phei-LE-tai EI-sin au-TÔN ei gar tois pneu-ma-ti-KOIS au-TÔN e-koi-NÔ-nê-san ta E-thnê o-PHEI-lou-sin kai en tois sar-ki-KOIS lei-tour-GÊ-sai au-TOIS

   they were pleased for and debtors they are of them if for to the spiritual {things} of them they shared the nations {Gentiles} they owe also in the material {things} to serve to them

Exegesis

The verse begins with eudokesan gar kai opheiletai eisin auton {εὐδόκησαν γάρ καὶ ὀφειλέται εἰσὶν αὐτῶν | eu-dó-kē-san gár kaí o-phei-lé-tai ei-sín au-tôn}, where the aorist eudokesan ‘they were pleased’ states a completed, voluntary decision, and gar links this to the preceding discussion of the collection. The coordination kai opheiletai eisin creates a balance between willingness and obligation: they are not only willing but also “debtors” in an ongoing sense. The genitive auton marks those to whom the obligation is owed.

The dative phrase tois pneumatikois auton {τοῖς πνευματικοῖς αὐτῶν | toîs pneu-ma-ti-koîs au-tôn} functions as the realm or sphere in which participation has taken place, with ekoinonesan ta ethne {ἐκοινώνησαν τὰ ἔθνη | e-koi-nó-nē-san tá éth-nē} placing ta ethne ‘the Gentiles’ as the subject that has shared in “their spiritual things,” referring contextually to the benefits that flow from Jewish spiritual privileges.