1
ἐὰν δὲ γένηται ἀντιλογία ἀνὰ μέσον ἀνθρώπων καὶ προσέλθωσιν εἰς κρίσιν καὶ κρίνωσιν καὶ δικαιώσωσιν τὸν δίκαιον καὶ καταγνῶσιν τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς
Now if a dispute arises between men and they come to judgment, and the judges judge and justify the righteous and condemn the ungodly,
The chapter opens with the standard casuistic ἐάν + subjunctive ('if/when X happens') that frames Deuteronomic case-law; δέ links it loosely to the preceding statutes. The protasis sketches the proper functioning of justice — δικαιόω the innocent, καταγινώσκω the guilty — as the necessary backdrop for the limit that follows in vv. 2–3.
Word-by-word analysis· 21 words
ἐὰνifconditional conjunction (introducing casuistic protasis)→ discourse linkage or contrastἐάν: 'if / when'; with the subjunctive (γένηται) it forms the standard casuistic conditional of Deuteronomic legislation, rendering Hebrew כִּי / אִם; here it introduces the hypothetical legal scenario that the statute will regulate.
δὲnownarrative/transitional continuative (post-positive)→ discourse linkage or contrastδέ: post-positive particle; a mild transitional marker linking this statute to the surrounding legal miscellany without strong logical subordination.
γένηταιarises / happensAor Mid Subj 3 Sg · γίνομαιverb of conditional protasis→ ingressive aorist subjunctive (a dispute comes to be)γίνομαι: 'become / happen / arise'; renders הָיָה; the aorist subjunctive with ἐάν presents the dispute as a hypothetical, not-yet-actual occurrence whose handling the law now prescribes.
ἀντιλογίαdispute / controversyNominativesubject of γένηται→ participant prominenceἀντιλογία: 'dispute / contradiction / legal contention'; literally 'speaking-against'; renders רִיב ('legal quarrel / lawsuit'); the term denotes a formal controversy requiring adjudication, not mere disagreement (cf. its later use for Israel's 'strife' at the waters of Meribah, Num 20:13 LXX).
ἀνὰbetweenpreposition (with μέσον, distributive: 'between')→ spatial or relational framingἀνά: in the fixed phrase ἀνὰ μέσον ('in the midst of / between'), a Hebraism rendering בֵּין; the phrase marks a relation between two or more parties.
μέσονmidstAccusativesubstantive in the prepositional phrase ἀνὰ μέσον→ spatial or relational framingμέσος: 'middle / midst'; the accusative μέσον in ἀνὰ μέσον renders בֵּין; together the phrase locates the dispute 'between men.'
ἀνθρώπωνmenGenitivegenitive governed by ἀνὰ μέσον (the disputing parties)→ relational specificationἄνθρωπος: 'man / person'; the genitive plural specifies the parties to the controversy; renders אֲנָשִׁים.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (continuing the protasis)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
προσέλθωσινthey come forwardAor Act Subj 3 Pl · προσέρχομαιverb of conditional protasis (coordinate with γένηται)→ ingressive aorist subjunctive (the parties approach the court)προσέρχομαι: 'come / approach / draw near'; renders נָגַשׁ / קָרַב; here a quasi-technical sense of bringing a case before the tribunal — the litigants 'approach unto judgment.'
εἰςto / forpreposition + accusative (goal/purpose: 'unto judgment')→ spatial or relational framingεἰς: meaning 'to'; here it marks the relation signaled by preposition + accusative (goal/purpose: 'unto judgment').
κρίσινjudgmentAccusativeaccusative object of εἰς (the legal process / verdict)→ object specificationκρίσις: 'judgment / decision / legal process'; renders מִשְׁפָּט; here the formal act of adjudication before judges, not the eschatological 'judgment' of later usage.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
κρίνωσινthey judgeAor Act Subj 3 Pl · κρίνωverb of conditional protasis (the judges render a decision)→ constative aorist subjunctive (act of judging)κρίνω: 'judge / decide / pronounce sentence'; renders שָׁפַט; the implicit subject shifts here to the judges (made explicit as κριταί in v. 2); the verb governs the twin verdicts that follow — acquittal and condemnation.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
δικαιώσωσινthey justify / acquitAor Act Subj 3 Pl · δικαιόωverb of conditional protasis (declaring the innocent righteous)→ declarative aorist subjunctive (forensic acquittal)δικαιόω: 'justify / declare righteous / acquit'; renders הִצְדִּיק; the forensic sense here — to pronounce the innocent party in the right — is the OT background for the Pauline forensic use of the verb (Rom 3–4); the judge does not make righteous but declares the verdict of righteousness.
τὸνtheAccusativearticle (with δίκαιον)→ noun-phrase markingτὸν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
δίκαιονrighteous oneAccusativedirect object of δικαιώσωσιν (the innocent party)→ object specificationδίκαιος: 'righteous / just / in the right'; substantival, 'the one in the right' in the lawsuit; renders צַדִּיק; the just verdict requires the judge to align the declaration with the reality of innocence.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (antithetical pairing of verdicts)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
καταγνῶσινthey condemnAor Act Subj 3 Pl · καταγινώσκωverb of conditional protasis (condemning the guilty)→ declarative aorist subjunctive (forensic condemnation)καταγινώσκω: 'condemn / decide against / find guilty'; the compound κατα- ('against') marks the adverse verdict; governs the genitive τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς (genitive of the person condemned); the antithesis δικαιόω/καταγινώσκω mirrors the Hebrew pair הִצְדִּיק/הִרְשִׁיעַ ('justify the righteous and condemn the wicked').
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (with ἀσεβοῦς, genitive of the condemned)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀσεβοῦςungodly oneGenitivegenitive object of καταγνῶσιν (the guilty party condemned)→ relational specificationἀσεβής: 'ungodly / impious / wicked'; substantival, 'the guilty / impious party'; renders רָשָׁע ('wicked'); καταγινώσκω takes the genitive of the person against whom judgment is rendered; the ἀσεβής/δίκαιος antithesis frames justice as the right discrimination between the two.
2
καὶ ἔσται ἐὰν ἄξιος ᾖ πληγῶν ὁ ἀσεβῶν καὶ καθιεῖς αὐτὸν ἔναντι τῶν κριτῶν καὶ μαστιγώσουσιν αὐτὸν ἐναντίον αὐτῶν κατὰ τὴν ἀσέβειαν αὐτοῦ ἀριθμῷ
then it shall be, if the ungodly one is worthy of stripes, that you shall make him sit before the judges, and they shall flog him in their presence according to his ungodliness, by number;
καὶ ἔσται (rendering וְהָיָה) is the standard LXX apodotic formula introducing the consequence of v. 1's protasis, here itself opening a further condition (ἐὰν ἄξιος ᾖ πληγῶν). The procedure is specified with quasi-judicial precision: the offender is positioned, the flogging is supervised, and the number is regulated 'according to his impiety' — the qualifier ἀριθμῷ ('by number') sets up the cap of v. 3.
Word-by-word analysis· 24 words
καὶandapodotic καί (rendering Hebrew waw of the apodosis)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαί: here apodotic — introducing the consequence-clause after the condition of v. 1; with ἔσται it calques the Hebrew apodosis-formula וְהָיָה.
ἔσταιit shall beFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίapodotic formula verb ('and it shall come to pass')→ predictive future (introducing the legal consequence)εἰμί (fut. ἔσται): the impersonal καὶ ἔσται renders וְהָיָה, the formulaic Hebrew apodosis-marker; it does not predict a specific event but introduces the procedural consequence of the foregoing condition.
ἐὰνifconditional conjunction (embedded sub-condition)→ discourse linkage or contrastἐάν: introduces a second, narrower condition embedded within the apodosis — the flogging applies only if the guilty party is actually 'worthy of stripes.'
ἄξιοςworthy / deservingNominativepredicate adjective (with ᾖ: 'is deserving of')→ participant prominenceἄξιος: 'worthy / deserving'; governs the genitive πληγῶν ('deserving of stripes'); renders בִּן הַכּוֹת ('a son of beating', i.e. liable to flogging); the construction makes flogging conditional on genuine desert, not automatic.
ᾖisPres Act Subj 3 Sg · εἰμίverb of embedded conditional clause→ stative present subjunctive (condition of desert)εἰμί (pres. subj. ᾖ): the copula in the embedded ἐάν-clause; the present subjunctive presents the offender's liability to punishment as the standing condition for what follows.
πληγῶνof stripes / blowsGenitivegenitive governed by ἄξιος ('worthy of stripes')→ relational specificationπληγή: 'blow / stripe / lash'; renders מַכָּה / נֶגַע; here specifically the strokes of judicial flogging; the same noun used for the Egyptian 'plagues' (Exod 11:1) now denotes corrective lashes — the genitive of that which one deserves.
ὁtheNominativearticle (substantivizing the participle ἀσεβῶν)→ noun-phrase markingὁ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀσεβῶνungodly one / one acting impiouslyPres Act Part Nom Sg Masc · ἀσεβέωsubstantival participle (subject of the embedded condition)→ imperfective present participle (the one persisting in impiety)ἀσεβέω: 'act impiously / be ungodly'; the articular present participle ὁ ἀσεβῶν ('the one behaving impiously') is functionally equivalent to the adjective ὁ ἀσεβής of v. 1 but, as a participle of the cognate verb, faintly stresses the conduct rather than the status; renders the Hebrew רָשָׁע.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (apodosis continues)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
καθιεῖςyou shall make sit / lay downFut Act Indic 2 Sg · καθίζωmain verb of apodosis (judge's procedural act, 2nd sg.)→ predictive/jussive future (legal instruction to the official)καθίζω (Attic fut. καθιεῖς): 'cause to sit / set down / position'; renders הִפִּיל ('cause to fall/lie down') — the Hebrew has the offender made to lie prostrate for the beating, while the Greek renders 'make to sit/be set' before the judges; the abrupt second-person singular (the judge/magistrate) personalizes the law's address.
αὐτὸνhimAccusativedirect object of καθιεῖς (the condemned)→ participant referenceαὐτὸν: meaning 'him'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as direct object of καθιεῖς (the condemned).
ἔναντιbeforepreposition + genitive (in the presence of the judges)→ spatial or relational framingἔναντι: 'before / in the presence of'; Hebraism rendering לִפְנֵי; the punishment is judicially supervised — carried out 'before the judges,' not by private vengeance.
τῶνtheGenitivearticle (with κριτῶν)→ noun-phrase markingτῶν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
κριτῶνjudgesGenitivegenitive governed by ἔναντι (the supervising tribunal)→ relational specificationκριτής: 'judge'; renders שֹׁפֵט; the judges who rendered the verdict in v. 1 now oversee the sentence; their presence guarantees the proportionality and lawfulness of the flogging.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
μαστιγώσουσινthey shall flogFut Act Indic 3 Pl · μαστιγόωmain verb (the execution of the sentence by officials)→ predictive future (the prescribed flogging)μαστιγόω: 'whip / scourge / flog'; renders הִכָּה (Hiphil of נכה, 'strike'); the same verb describes the scourging predicted for the Son of Man (Matt 20:19) and inflicted in the Passion; here it is the regulated, court-supervised corporal punishment whose limit the next verse fixes.
αὐτὸνhimAccusativedirect object of μαστιγώσουσιν→ participant referenceαὐτὸν: meaning 'him'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as direct object of μαστιγώσουσιν.
ἐναντίονin the presence ofpreposition + genitive (under the judges' supervision)→ spatial or relational framingἐναντίον: 'before / in the sight of'; Hebraism rendering לִפְנֵי; reinforces the judicial oversight already marked by ἔναντι — the beating is administered openly before the court.
αὐτῶνthemGenitivegenitive governed by ἐναντίον (the judges)→ relational specificationαὐτῶν: meaning 'them'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive governed by ἐναντίον (the judges).
κατὰaccording topreposition + accusative (measure/standard: proportion to guilt)→ spatial or relational framingκατά + accusative: 'according to / in proportion to'; introduces the standard by which the number of stripes is set — the gravity of the offense.
τὴνtheAccusativearticle (with ἀσέβειαν)→ noun-phrase markingτὴν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀσέβειανungodlinessAccusativeaccusative object of κατά (the measure of punishment)→ object specificationἀσέβεια: 'impiety / ungodliness / wickedness'; renders רִשְׁעָה / cognate of רָשָׁע; the punishment is proportioned to the offense — κατὰ τὴν ἀσέβειαν αὐτοῦ — enshrining the principle of measured, fitting penalty rather than arbitrary severity.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (with ἀσέβειαν)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with ἀσέβειαν).
ἀριθμῷby numberDativedative of manner/respect ('by a counted number')→ sphere or referenceἀριθμός: 'number / count'; the dative of manner ἀριθμῷ ('by number') renders בְּמִסְפָּר; the stripes are to be counted, not laid on without measure — the lexical pivot to the explicit cap of forty in v. 3.
3
τεσσαράκοντα μαστιγώσουσιν αὐτόν οὐ προσθήσουσιν ἐὰν δὲ προσθῶσιν μαστιγῶσαι αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ ταύτας τὰς πληγὰς πλείους ἀσχημονήσει ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἐναντίον σου
with forty stripes they shall flog him; they shall not add more. But if they should add to flog him beyond these stripes, with more, your brother will be dishonoured before you.
The number is fronted for emphasis: 'forty — they shall flog him.' The absolute prohibition οὐ προσθήσουσιν is reinforced by a contrary-to-rule condition (ἐὰν … προσθῶσιν) whose apodosis supplies the humane rationale: excess would dishonour 'your brother.' The motive clause — even the punished offender remains ἀδελφός — is the ethical heart of vv. 1–3 and the textual root of Paul's 'forty less one' (2 Cor 11:24).
Word-by-word analysis· 21 words
τεσσαράκονταfortynumeral (object of μαστιγώσουσιν, fronted for emphasis)→ measure or countτεσσαράκοντα: 'forty'; indeclinable cardinal numeral; renders אַרְבָּעִים; the fixed upper limit of judicial flogging; its fronting stresses the cap. Later rabbinic practice reduced the count to thirty-nine (lest a miscount exceed the Torah's forty), which lies behind Paul's τεσσαράκοντα παρὰ μίαν, 'forty less one' (2 Cor 11:24).
μαστιγώσουσινthey shall flogFut Act Indic 3 Pl · μαστιγόωmain verb (the bounded act of flogging)→ predictive future (the prescribed maximum)μαστιγόω: 'flog / scourge'; the same verb as v. 2, now governed by the explicit numeral — the beating is permitted but numerically capped.
αὐτόνhimAccusativedirect object of μαστιγώσουσιν→ participant referenceαὐτόν: meaning 'him'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as direct object of μαστιγώσουσιν.
οὐnotnegative particle (absolute prohibition)→ discourse linkage or contrastοὐ: objective negation; with the future προσθήσουσιν it forms an emphatic legal prohibition ('they shall by no means add').
προσθήσουσινthey shall addFut Act Indic 3 Pl · προστίθημιmain verb of prohibition ('they shall not add')→ prohibitive future (legal injunction)προστίθημι: 'add / increase / do again'; renders יָסַף; the future with οὐ functions as a binding prohibition — not even one stripe beyond forty; the same root recurs immediately in the contrary condition προσθῶσιν.
ἐὰνifconditional conjunction (contrary-to-statute case)→ discourse linkage or contrastἐάν: introduces the hypothetical violation of the just-stated limit, whose consequence the apodosis names.
δὲbutadversative particle (post-positive)→ discourse linkage or contrastδέ: mild adversative contrasting the forbidden excess with the lawful limit.
προσθῶσινthey should addAor Act Subj 3 Pl · προστίθημιverb of conditional protasis (the hypothetical excess)→ ingressive aorist subjunctive (should they go beyond)προστίθημι (aor. subj.): the same verb as the prohibition, now in the protasis: 'if they should add' — i.e. exceed the forty; the lexical echo binds prohibition and consequence tightly.
μαστιγῶσαιto flogAor Act Inf · μαστιγόωcomplementary infinitive (with προσθῶσιν: 'add to flog')→ verbal action or stateμαστιγόω (aor. inf.): complementary infinitive after προστίθημι; the Hebraistic idiom 'add to do X' (יָסַף + inf.) means 'to do X further/again' — here 'to flog him more.'
αὐτὸνhimAccusativeobject of μαστιγῶσαι→ participant referenceαὐτὸν: meaning 'him'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as object of μαστιγῶσαι.
ὑπὲρbeyondpreposition + accusative (excess: 'beyond these')→ spatial or relational framingὑπέρ + accusative: 'beyond / over / more than'; marks the transgression of the fixed limit — strokes 'beyond these' forty.
ταύταςtheseAccusativedemonstrative adjective (with πληγάς)→ object specificationοὗτος: the demonstrative ταύτας points back to the forty stripes just enumerated; 'beyond these blows.'
τὰςtheAccusativearticle (with πληγάς)→ noun-phrase markingτὰς: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
πληγὰςstripes / blowsAccusativeaccusative governed by ὑπέρ (the capped blows)→ object specificationπληγή: 'blow / stripe'; the same noun as v. 2; the forty strokes are the fixed maximum beyond which lies dishonour.
πλείουςmoreAccusativecomparative adjective (adverbial/appositional: 'with more blows')→ object specificationπλείων (comp. of πολύς): 'more / greater in number'; the accusative plural πλείους intensifies ὑπὲρ ταύτας τὰς πληγάς — adding 'still more' stripes; underlines that any excess at all triggers the dishonour.
ἀσχημονήσειwill be dishonoured / shamedFut Act Indic 3 Sg · ἀσχημονέωmain verb of apodosis (consequence of excess)→ predictive future (the resulting disgrace)ἀσχημονέω: 'behave/appear shamefully, be disgraced, be made unseemly'; from ἀσχήμων ('shapeless, indecent'); renders נִקְלָה ('be dishonoured / made contemptible'); the same verb Paul uses of love that 'does not behave indecently' (1 Cor 13:5) and of bodily 'unseemliness' (1 Cor 12:23); here it names the disgrace inflicted on a brother flogged beyond measure — the humane rationale of the whole statute.
ὁtheNominativearticle (with ἀδελφός)→ noun-phrase markingὁ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀδελφόςbrotherNominativesubject of ἀσχημονήσει (the punished offender)→ participant prominenceἀδελφός: 'brother'; renders אָח; the decisive word of the verse — the man flogged remains 'your brother,' a fellow Israelite within the covenant; the punishment must not strip him of fraternal dignity. This is the ethical limit that bounds all penal justice in the statute.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of relationship (possessive pronoun with ἀδελφός)→ relational specificationσύ (gen. σου): 'your'; the second-person address makes the offender personally 'your brother' — the law speaks to the conscience of the one administering or witnessing the penalty.
ἐναντίονbeforepreposition + genitive (in your sight)→ spatial or relational framingἐναντίον: 'before / in the sight of'; the dishonour happens 'before you' — publicly visible, implicating the witness in the brother's shame and thereby motivating restraint.
σουyouGenitivegenitive governed by ἐναντίον→ relational specificationσου: meaning 'you'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive governed by ἐναντίον.
4
οὐ φιμώσεις βοῦν ἀλοῶντα
You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
An abrupt, free-standing apodictic law (οὐ + future = absolute prohibition) of just four words, with no conditional frame. Its terseness belies its later weight: Paul twice cites it (1 Cor 9:9; 1 Tim 5:18) to ground the right of the gospel labourer to material support, reading the agrarian statute as a divinely intended a fortiori for human workers — 'is it for oxen that God is concerned?'
Word-by-word analysis· 4 words
οὐnotnegative particle (apodictic prohibition)→ discourse linkage or contrastοὐ: objective negation; with the future indicative φιμώσεις it forms the standard apodictic prohibition of pentateuchal law (like the Decalogue's οὐ + future), rendering Hebrew לֹא + imperfect.
φιμώσειςyou shall muzzleFut Act Indic 2 Sg · φιμόωmain verb (apodictic prohibition, 2nd sg.)→ prohibitive future (binding statute)φιμόω: 'muzzle / put a φιμός (muzzle) on; (metaphorically) silence, gag'; renders חָסַם ('muzzle, stop the mouth'); the future-as-prohibition forbids preventing the working ox from eating. The verb's metaphorical range — to 'silence' — gives it striking afterlives: Jesus muzzles the unclean spirit (πεφίμωσο, Mark 1:25) and the sea (Mark 4:39), and the speechless wedding-guest is 'muzzled' (Matt 22:12). Paul lifts this very statute to assert the labourer's right to support (1 Cor 9:9; 1 Tim 5:18).
βοῦνoxAccusativedirect object of φιμώσεις→ object specificationβοῦς: 'ox / bull / head of cattle'; renders שׁוֹר; the threshing ox, driven over the grain on the threshing-floor to separate kernel from chaff, must be allowed to eat as it works — the picture of the labouring animal sharing in the fruit of its toil.
ἀλοῶνταtreading out grain / threshingPres Act Part Acc Sg Masc · ἀλοάωcircumstantial participle (modifying βοῦν: 'while it threshes')→ imperfective present participle (the ox engaged in threshing)ἀλοάω: 'thresh / tread out (grain)'; renders דּוּשׁ; the present participle is durative — the ox is muzzled precisely while it labours, which is the point: the worker is denied food in the midst of producing it. Paul quotes the clause in the form τὸν βοῦν ἀλοῶντα (1 Cor 9:9), making the participle's labour-context essential to his argument about the labourer's wage.
5
ἐὰν δὲ κατοικῶσιν ἀδελφοὶ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ ἀποθάνῃ εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν σπέρμα δὲ μὴ ᾖ αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔσται ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ τεθνηκότος ἔξω ἀνδρὶ μὴ ἐγγίζοντι ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς εἰσελεύσεται πρὸς αὐτὴν καὶ λήμψεται αὐτὴν ἑαυτῷ γυναῖκα καὶ συνοικήσει αὐτῇ
Now if brothers dwell together and one of them dies, and there is no seed to him, the wife of the dead man shall not marry outside to a man not of the family; her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her to himself as wife and cohabit with her.
A fresh ἐάν-statute opens the levirate law (vv. 5–10). The protasis stacks three conditions (brothers dwelling together, one dies, no offspring); the apodosis lays the obligation on the surviving brother. The institution's purpose — perpetuating the dead man's name and line — is the legal premise of Ruth 4 and of the Sadducees' resurrection-question (Matt 22:24 // Mark 12:19 // Luke 20:28).
Word-by-word analysis· 43 words
ἐὰνifconditional conjunction (casuistic protasis)→ discourse linkage or contrastἐάν: 'if / when'; with the subjunctive opens the levirate case-law; renders כִּי.
δὲnowtransitional continuative (post-positive)→ discourse linkage or contrastδέ: marks the shift to a new statute in the legal series.
κατοικῶσινdwell togetherPres Act Subj 3 Pl · κατοικέωverb of protasis (the condition of shared residence)→ imperfective present subjunctive (ongoing co-residence)κατοικέω: 'dwell / settle / reside'; renders יָשַׁב; the present subjunctive denotes the brothers' continuing common life — 'dwell together' (with ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό) implies undivided patrimony, the social setting that makes levirate succession workable.
ἀδελφοὶbrothersNominativesubject of κατοικῶσιν→ participant prominenceἀδελφός: 'brother'; renders אַחִים; the plural establishes the fraternal household within which the levirate duty operates.
ἐπὶin / atpreposition (in the idiom ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό: 'together')→ spatial or relational framingἐπί: in the fixed phrase ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό ('to/at the same place; together'), rendering יַחְדָּו; idiom for common dwelling.
τὸtheAccusativearticle (with αὐτό in the idiom)→ noun-phrase markingτὸ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
αὐτὸsame (place)Accusativesubstantive in ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό ('together')→ participant referenceαὐτός: in ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό 'the same (place)'; the whole phrase means 'together / in one household.'
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (second condition)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἀποθάνῃdiesAor Act Subj 3 Sg · ἀποθνῄσκωverb of protasis (the triggering death)→ constative aorist subjunctive (the death as completed event)ἀποθνῄσκω: 'die'; renders מוּת; the bare, blunt verb (contrast the gentler τελευτάω/θνῄσκω used of the same man as τεθνηκότος/τετελευτηκότος elsewhere in the unit) states the death that occasions the levirate duty.
εἷςoneNominativesubject of ἀποθάνῃ (numeral substantive)→ measure or countεἷς, μία, ἕν: 'one'; here substantival 'one (of them),' the brother who dies; renders אֶחָד.
ἐξof / frompreposition + genitive (partitive)→ spatial or relational framingἐκ: partitive 'one of them.'
αὐτῶνthemGenitivepartitive genitive (with εἷς)→ relational specificationαὐτῶν: meaning 'them'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as partitive genitive (with εἷς).
σπέρμαseed / offspringNominativesubject of ᾖ (the absent offspring)→ participant prominenceσπέρμα: 'seed / offspring / descendant'; renders זֶרַע; the absence of σπέρμα — male heir — is the precise condition triggering the levirate, since the institution exists to supply the dead man an heir to carry his name and inheritance.
δὲand / butconnective particle (post-positive, adding the third condition)→ discourse linkage or contrastδέ: links the third condition (childlessness) to the foregoing.
μὴnotnegative particle (with subjunctive ᾖ)→ discourse linkage or contrastμή: subjective negation appropriate to the subjunctive in the conditional clause — 'and there be no seed.'
ᾖis / there bePres Act Subj 3 Sg · εἰμίverb of protasis (existential: 'there is no seed')→ stative present subjunctive (the condition of childlessness)εἰμί (pres. subj.): existential 'there be'; with dative αὐτῷ ('to him') and negated, 'he has no offspring' — the decisive precondition for the levirate obligation.
αὐτῷto himDativedative of possession (with ᾖ: 'he has')→ participant reference or interestαὐτός (dat.): dative of possession — 'there is no seed to him' = 'he has no heir.'
οὐκnotnegative particle (apodosis prohibition)→ discourse linkage or contrastοὐ: with the future ἔσται forms the binding prohibition opening the apodosis.
ἔσταιshall beFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb of apodosis ('the wife shall not be [married] outside')→ prohibitive future (legal injunction)εἰμί (fut.): 'shall be'; with ἔξω ἀνδρί the sense is 'shall not become [the wife] of an outside man' — the widow is forbidden to marry outside the dead husband's family.
ἡtheNominativearticle (with γυνή)→ noun-phrase markingἡ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
γυνὴwifeNominativesubject of ἔσται (the widow)→ participant prominenceγυνή: 'woman / wife'; renders אִשָּׁה; here the childless widow whose remarriage the levirate law governs.
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (with τεθνηκότος)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
τεθνηκότοςdead man / one who has diedPerf Act Part Gen Sg Masc · θνῄσκωsubstantival participle (genitive of relationship: 'the dead man's wife')→ resultative perfect participle (the man in the abiding state of death)θνῄσκω (perf. ptcp. τεθνηκώς): 'have died, be dead'; the perfect denotes the abiding state — 'the deceased'; the genitive specifies whose widow she is. The gentler θνῄσκω/τελευτάω (cf. τετελευτηκότος, v. 6) is chosen for the man whose name is to be preserved, over against the blunt ἀποθάνῃ of the triggering event.
ἔξωoutsideadverb (predicative: married 'outside' the family)→ clausal contributionἔξω: 'outside / abroad'; renders הַחוּצָה; the widow is not to marry 'outside' — i.e. to a man outside the deceased's clan, which would alienate his name and inheritance.
ἀνδρὶto a manDativedative (the outside man she may not marry)→ sphere or referenceἀνήρ: 'man / husband'; renders אִישׁ; the dative of the man to whom she would be married; qualified by μὴ ἐγγίζοντι as one not belonging to the family.
μὴnotnegative particle (with participle ἐγγίζοντι)→ discourse linkage or contrastμή: negates the participle — 'a man not being near (of kin).'
ἐγγίζοντιbeing near / akinPres Act Part Dat Sg Masc · ἐγγίζωattributive participle (modifying ἀνδρί: 'a man not of kin')→ imperfective present participle (standing relation of kinship)ἐγγίζω: 'draw near / be near'; the participle ἐγγίζων here means 'one who is near (of kin), a relative'; μὴ ἐγγίζοντι = 'not a kinsman' — the LXX rendering glosses the Hebrew 'a strange man' (לְאִישׁ זָר) by the idiom of kinship-proximity, the same root that names the 'near kinsman' (ἀγχιστεύς/γοέλ) of Ruth 4.
ὁtheNominativearticle (with ἀδελφός)→ noun-phrase markingὁ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀδελφὸςbrotherNominativesubject of εἰσελεύσεται (the levir)→ participant prominenceἀδελφός: 'brother'; here the surviving brother — the levir (Latin 'husband's brother') — on whom the duty falls; renders יָבָם implicitly (the technical term for the brother-in-law).
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (with ἀνδρός)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀνδρὸςhusbandGenitivegenitive of relationship ('her husband's brother')→ relational specificationἀνήρ: 'husband'; the genitive identifies the levir as the brother 'of her husband' — the deceased.
αὐτῆςherGenitivegenitive of possession (with ἀνδρός)→ relational specificationαὐτῆς: meaning 'her'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with ἀνδρός).
εἰσελεύσεταιshall go inFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · εἰσέρχομαιmain verb of apodosis (the levir's obligation)→ predictive/jussive future (the duty imposed)εἰσέρχομαι: 'go in / enter'; the idiom εἰσέρχομαι πρός ('go in to') renders בּוֹא אֶל, a standard euphemism for marital union; here it commands the levir to take the widow conjugally to raise up seed for the dead brother.
πρὸςtopreposition + accusative (in the idiom εἰσέρχομαι πρός)→ spatial or relational framingπρός + acc.: in εἰσέρχομαι πρός, the marital idiom 'go in to.'
αὐτὴνherAccusativeobject of πρός (the widow)→ participant referenceαὐτὴν: meaning 'her'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as object of πρός (the widow).
καὶandcoordinate conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
λήμψεταιshall takeFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · λαμβάνωmain verb of apodosis (taking the widow as wife)→ predictive/jussive future (the obligation continued)λαμβάνω (fut. λήμψεται, Koine spelling with intrusive μ): 'take / receive'; λαμβάνω γυναῖκα ('take a wife') renders לָקַח אִשָּׁה, the standard idiom for marrying; the levir formally marries the widow.
αὐτὴνherAccusativedirect object of λήμψεται→ participant referenceαὐτὴν: meaning 'her'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as direct object of λήμψεται.
ἑαυτῷto himselfDativereflexive dative (advantage: 'as his own')→ sphere or referenceἑαυτοῦ: reflexive pronoun; the dative ἑαυτῷ ('for/to himself') marks the levir's taking her as his own wife — yet, by the law's logic, the firstborn will belong to the dead brother's name (v. 6).
γυναῖκαas wifeAccusativepredicate accusative (with λήμψεται: 'take her as wife')→ object specificationγυνή: 'wife'; predicate accusative — 'take her to himself as a wife'; completes the marrying idiom.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
συνοικήσειshall cohabitFut Act Indic 3 Sg · συνοικέωmain verb of apodosis (establishing the marital household)→ predictive/jussive future (the consummated levirate union)συνοικέω: 'dwell together (with), live as husband and wife, cohabit'; renders יָבַם (the denominative verb 'perform the levirate duty'); the compound συν- stresses the shared marital life that fulfils the obligation; the same verb in 1 Pet 3:7 governs the husband 'dwelling with' the wife.
αὐτῇwith herDativedative governed by συνοικήσει ('cohabit with her')→ participant reference or interestαὐτός (dat.): the dative complement of συνοικέω — 'live together with her.'
6
καὶ ἔσται τὸ παιδίον ὃ ἐὰν τέκῃ κατασταθήσεται ἐκ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ τετελευτηκότος καὶ οὐκ ἐξαλειφθήσεται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐξ Ισραηλ
And it shall be that the child whom she bears shall be established under the name of the deceased, and his name shall not be blotted out of Israel.
The apodotic καὶ ἔσται introduces the institution's rationale: the firstborn of the levirate union is reckoned to the dead brother's name, so that it 'shall not be blotted out of Israel.' The verb ἐξαλείφω ('blot out') here, applied to a name's erasure, is the precise lexical counterpart of the Amalek-mandate at v. 19 (ἐξαλείψεις τὸ ὄνομα Αμαληκ) — the same verb that preserves a brother's name commands the obliteration of an enemy's.
Word-by-word analysis· 21 words
καὶandapodotic καί (rendering Hebrew apodosis-waw)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαί: apodotic, with ἔσται introducing the consequence-clause.
ἔσταιit shall beFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίapodotic formula verb ('and it shall come to pass')→ predictive future (introducing the result)εἰμί (fut.): καὶ ἔσται renders וְהָיָה, the formulaic apodosis-marker introducing the rule about the child's status.
τὸtheNominativearticle (with παιδίον)→ noun-phrase markingτὸ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
παιδίονchildNominativesubject of κατασταθήσεται (the firstborn of the union)→ participant prominenceπαιδίον: 'little child / infant'; diminutive of παῖς; renders the implied firstborn (הַבְּכוֹר); the child born of the levirate union, legally assigned to the dead man.
ὃwhomAccusativerelative pronoun (object of τέκῃ)→ participant referenceὅς: relative pronoun, neuter accusative agreeing with παιδίον; 'the child whom she bears.'
ἐὰνeverparticle (with relative + subjunctive: 'whomever')→ discourse linkage or contrastἐάν: here the indefinite/generalizing particle (= ἄν) after the relative ὅ, giving 'whichever child she may bear.'
τέκῃshe bearsAor Act Subj 3 Sg · τίκτωverb of indefinite relative clause→ constative aorist subjunctive (the act of bearing)τίκτω: 'bear / give birth to'; renders יָלַד; the aorist subjunctive in the indefinite relative clause refers to whatever child the widow bears to the levir.
κατασταθήσεταιshall be established / appointedFut Pass Indic 3 Sg · καθίστημιmain verb of apodosis (the child's legal assignment)→ predictive future passive (divinely/legally ordained status)καθίστημι (fut. pass.): 'set / appoint / establish / install'; renders קוּם (Hiphil, 'raise up / establish'); the passive 'shall be established under the name of the deceased' makes the legal reckoning of the child to the dead man's lineage an ordained outcome — fulfilling 'raise up seed' (cf. ἀναστῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα, v. 7).
ἐκunder / frompreposition + genitive (source/reckoning: 'in the name of')→ spatial or relational framingἐκ: 'from / out of'; here in the idiom 'established ἐκ τοῦ ὀνόματος' — reckoned 'from/under the name of' the dead man, i.e. the child bears and continues the deceased's name and inheritance-line.
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (with ὀνόματος)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ὀνόματοςnameGenitivegenitive governed by ἐκ (the dead man's name continued)→ relational specificationὄνομα: 'name'; renders שֵׁם; in Hebrew thought a man's 'name' is his enduring identity, line, and memory; the levirate exists to keep that name alive — its preservation is the institution's whole purpose.
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (with τετελευτηκότος)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
τετελευτηκότοςthe deceasedPerf Act Part Gen Sg Masc · τελευτάωsubstantival participle (genitive of relationship: 'of the deceased')→ resultative perfect participle (abiding state of death)τελευτάω (perf. ptcp. τετελευτηκώς): 'have come to one's end, be deceased'; the gentle, dignified verb for the man whose name is to be honoured and continued (contrast the blunt ἀποθάνῃ of v. 5); the perfect marks his settled state of death whose memory the child perpetuates.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (result)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
οὐκnotnegative particle (with future ἐξαλειφθήσεται)→ discourse linkage or contrastοὐ: emphatic negation — the name shall by no means be blotted out.
ἐξαλειφθήσεταιshall be blotted outFut Pass Indic 3 Sg · ἐξαλείφωmain verb (the averted erasure of the name)→ predictive future passive (the outcome prevented by the law)ἐξαλείφω: 'wipe out / blot out / obliterate / erase'; renders מָחָה; used of erasing a name, a memory, or sins (cf. Exod 32:32–33; Ps 50:3 LXX; Col 2:14, the 'blotting out' of the bond). Its negated future here secures the dead brother's name in Israel; the same verb in its positive imperatival force (ἐξαλείψεις, v. 19) commands the erasure of Amalek's name — the chapter's two uses framing preservation and obliteration.
τὸtheNominativearticle (with ὄνομα)→ noun-phrase markingτὸ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ὄνομαnameNominativesubject of ἐξαλειφθήσεται (the dead man's name)→ participant prominenceὄνομα: 'name'; the dead brother's name/identity, which the levirate child preserves; its survival 'in Israel' is the covenant-people's guarantee of his continuance.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (with ὄνομα)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with ὄνομα).
ἐξout ofpreposition + genitive (separation: 'out of Israel')→ spatial or relational framingἐκ: 'out of'; marks the removal that the law prevents — the name is not to be erased 'out of Israel.'
ΙσραηλIsraelgenitive object of ἐξ (indeclinable proper noun)→ participant identificationΙσραηλ: transliteration of יִשְׂרָאֵל; indeclinable in the LXX; here the covenant community as the register of names — to be 'blotted out of Israel' is to vanish from the people of God; the levirate is the social mechanism resisting that erasure.
7
ἐὰν δὲ μὴ βούληται ὁ ἄνθρωπος λαβεῖν τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναβήσεται ἡ γυνὴ ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην ἐπὶ τὴν γερουσίαν καὶ ἐρεῖ οὐ θέλει ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ ἀνδρός μου ἀναστῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐν Ισραηλ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ ἀνδρός μου
But if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then the woman shall go up to the gate, to the council of elders, and shall say, 'My husband's brother refuses to raise up his brother's name in Israel; my husband's brother was unwilling.'
The δέ marks the contrary case — refusal of the duty. The procedure escalates to the public sphere: the widow 'goes up' to the gate, the seat of judicial authority (ἐπὶ τὴν γερουσίαν), and lodges a formal complaint. Her speech repeats the charge with emphatic doubling (οὐ θέλει … οὐκ ἠθέλησεν), framing the refusal as a public dereliction of the duty to 'raise up the name' (ἀναστῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα).
Word-by-word analysis· 46 words
ἐὰνifconditional conjunction (contrastive sub-case)→ discourse linkage or contrastἐάν: introduces the alternative scenario in which the levir refuses his duty.
δὲbutadversative particle (post-positive)→ discourse linkage or contrastδέ: adversative, contrasting the refusal with the obedient levir of vv. 5–6.
μὴnotnegative particle (with subjunctive βούληται)→ discourse linkage or contrastμή: subjective negation with the subjunctive — 'if he be unwilling.'
βούληταιwishes / is willingPres Mid Subj 3 Sg · βούλομαιverb of conditional protasis (the refusal)→ imperfective present subjunctive (settled unwillingness)βούλομαι: 'will / wish / be willing / purpose'; renders אָבָה / חָפֵץ; denotes deliberate volition — the levir's refusal is a choice, not incapacity; the present subjunctive presents his unwillingness as a standing disposition.
ὁtheNominativearticle (with ἄνθρωπος)→ noun-phrase markingὁ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἄνθρωποςmanNominativesubject of βούληται (the reluctant levir)→ participant prominenceἄνθρωπος: 'man / person'; renders אִישׁ; the surviving brother, now refusing the levirate obligation.
λαβεῖνto takeAor Act Inf · λαμβάνωcomplementary infinitive (with βούληται: 'wish to take')→ verbal action or stateλαμβάνω (aor. inf.): complementary infinitive; λαβεῖν γυναῖκα ('to take a wife') is the marrying idiom; the man does not wish to marry the widow.
τὴνtheAccusativearticle (with γυναῖκα)→ noun-phrase markingτὴν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
γυναῖκαwifeAccusativeobject of λαβεῖν (the widow)→ object specificationγυνή: 'wife / woman'; the deceased brother's widow whom the levir refuses to marry.
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (with ἀδελφοῦ)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀδελφοῦbrotherGenitivegenitive of relationship ('his brother's wife')→ relational specificationἀδελφός: 'brother'; the deceased, whose widow and name are at issue.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (with ἀδελφοῦ)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with ἀδελφοῦ).
καὶthen / andapodotic καί (introducing the widow's recourse)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαί: apodotic, introducing the consequence of the refusal — the widow's appeal to the elders.
ἀναβήσεταιshall go upFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · ἀναβαίνωmain verb of apodosis (the widow's approach to the court)→ predictive future (the prescribed legal recourse)ἀναβαίνω: 'go up / ascend'; renders עָלָה; the widow 'goes up' to the gate — the elevated public space where the elders sit in judgment; the verb marks her movement into the legal/public sphere to assert her right.
ἡtheNominativearticle (with γυνή)→ noun-phrase markingἡ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
γυνὴwomanNominativesubject of ἀναβήσεται (the widow as legal agent)→ participant prominenceγυνή: 'woman / wife'; notably the widow herself is the active legal agent who initiates the proceeding — a striking instance of a woman's standing before the elders in the Deuteronomic court.
ἐπὶtopreposition + accusative (goal: 'to the gate')→ spatial or relational framingἐπί + acc.: 'to / upon'; directional, marking the gate as her destination.
τὴνtheAccusativearticle (with πύλην)→ noun-phrase markingτὴν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
πύληνgateAccusativeobject of ἐπί (the city gate as court)→ object specificationπύλη: 'gate'; renders שַׁעַר; the city gate was the seat of legal proceedings and public business in Israel (cf. Ruth 4:1, where Boaz transacts the redemption 'at the gate'); the gate is the courtroom of the levirate dispute.
ἐπὶtopreposition + accusative (epexegetical: 'to the council')→ spatial or relational framingἐπί + acc.: repeated, now specifying the human authority at the gate — the elders' council.
τὴνtheAccusativearticle (with γερουσίαν)→ noun-phrase markingτὴν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
γερουσίανcouncil of eldersAccusativeobject of ἐπί (the eldership in session)→ object specificationγερουσία: 'council of elders / senate'; from γέρων ('old man'); renders זְקֵנִים ('elders'); the LXX's term for Israel's body of elders (cf. Exod 3:16; 12:21); the same word later names the Jewish 'senate' (Acts 5:21); here the local tribunal that adjudicates the widow's claim.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἐρεῖshall sayFut Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωmain verb (the widow's formal declaration)→ predictive future (the prescribed legal speech)λέγω (fut. ἐρεῖ, suppletive from ἐρῶ): 'will say'; introduces the widow's formal complaint before the elders — a quasi-legal accusation that triggers the public summons of v. 8.
οὐnotnegative particle (with θέλει)→ discourse linkage or contrastοὐ: negates θέλει — 'he is unwilling.'
θέλειwishes / is willingPres Act Indic 3 Sg · θέλωmain verb of the widow's quoted charge (present refusal)→ imperfective present (his standing refusal)θέλω: 'will / wish / be willing'; renders אָבָה; the widow's charge — 'he is not willing to raise up the name'; the present tense states his ongoing refusal, to be reinforced by the aorist ἠθέλησεν ('he was unwilling') at the verse's close.
ὁtheNominativearticle (with ἀδελφός)→ noun-phrase markingὁ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀδελφὸςbrotherNominativesubject of θέλει (the refusing levir)→ participant prominenceἀδελφός: 'brother'; the refusing brother-in-law, named in the widow's complaint as 'my husband's brother.'
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (with ἀνδρός)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀνδρόςhusbandGenitivegenitive of relationship ('my husband's brother')→ relational specificationἀνήρ: 'husband'; the deceased, identified from the widow's perspective.
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession (the widow's first-person reference)→ relational specificationἐγώ (gen. μου): 'my'; the widow speaks in the first person, personalizing the dereliction as a wrong against her dead husband's house.
ἀναστῆσαιto raise upAor Act Inf · ἀνίστημιcomplementary infinitive (with θέλει: 'unwilling to raise up')→ constative aorist infinitiveἀνίστημι (aor. inf.): 'raise up / set up / establish'; ἀναστῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα ('raise up the name') renders הָקִים שֵׁם — the technical levirate phrase for perpetuating the dead man's line; the same verb the Sadducees use in citing this law (ἀναστήσῃ σπέρμα, Mark 12:19), where its overlap with ἀνίστημι 'to rise (from the dead)' fuels their resurrection-trap.
τὸtheAccusativearticle (with ὄνομα)→ noun-phrase markingτὸ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ὄνομαnameAccusativeobject of ἀναστῆσαι (the name to be perpetuated)→ object specificationὄνομα: 'name'; the deceased brother's name/line, which the levir refuses to perpetuate.
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (with ἀδελφοῦ)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀδελφοῦbrotherGenitivegenitive of relationship ('his brother's name')→ relational specificationἀδελφός: 'brother'; the deceased, whose name the levir is obligated to raise up.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (with ἀδελφοῦ)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with ἀδελφοῦ).
ἐνinpreposition + dative (sphere: 'in Israel')→ spatial or relational framingἐν: 'in / among'; locating the name's perpetuation within the covenant community.
ΙσραηλIsraelobject of ἐν (indeclinable proper noun)→ participant identificationΙσραηλ: transliteration of יִשְׂרָאֵל; indeclinable; the covenant people among whom the name must endure.
οὐκnotnegative particle (with ἠθέλησεν)→ discourse linkage or contrastοὐ: negates the aorist — 'he was not willing.'
ἠθέλησενwas unwillingAor Act Indic 3 Sg · θέλωmain verb (emphatic restatement of the refusal)→ constative aorist (the refusal as an accomplished fact)θέλω (aor. ἠθέλησεν): 'was willing'; the negated aorist 'he was unwilling' restates and intensifies the present θέλει — the widow's doubled charge (present + aorist) underscores the settled, accomplished refusal before the elders, making it a matter of public record.
ὁtheNominativearticle (with ἀδελφός)→ noun-phrase markingὁ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀδελφὸςbrotherNominativesubject of ἠθέλησεν (the refusing levir, restated)→ participant prominenceἀδελφός: 'brother'; the refusing brother-in-law, named a second time for emphasis in the formal complaint.
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (with ἀνδρός)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀνδρόςhusbandGenitivegenitive of relationship ('my husband's brother')→ relational specificationἀνήρ: 'husband'; the deceased, repeated in the widow's emphatic closing phrase.
μουmyGenitivegenitive of possession (the widow's first-person reference)→ relational specificationἐγώ (gen. μου): 'my'; closes the complaint as it opened, on the widow's personal stake in her dead husband's name.
8
καὶ καλέσουσιν αὐτὸν ἡ γερουσία τῆς πόλεως αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐροῦσιν αὐτῷ καὶ στὰς εἴπῃ οὐ βούλομαι λαβεῖν αὐτήν
And the council of elders of his city shall summon him and speak to him; and standing, he shall say, 'I do not wish to take her.'
The elders take up the case: they summon the man and admonish him. His reply — 'standing' (στάς) to make a formal, deliberate declaration before the court — confirms the refusal in the very words of the law (οὐ βούλομαι λαβεῖν αὐτήν), echoing the widow's charge and sealing his liability to the shaming ritual of v. 9.
Word-by-word analysis· 18 words
καὶandnarrative conjunction (procedural continuation)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
καλέσουσινshall summon / callFut Act Indic 3 Pl · καλέωmain verb (the elders' summons)→ predictive future (the prescribed procedure)καλέω: 'call / summon / invite'; renders קָרָא; here the formal judicial summons — the elders call the recalcitrant brother to answer; the plural verb with the singular collective subject ἡ γερουσία is a constructio ad sensum.
αὐτὸνhimAccusativedirect object of καλέσουσιν (the summoned levir)→ participant referenceαὐτὸν: meaning 'him'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as direct object of καλέσουσιν (the summoned levir).
ἡtheNominativearticle (with γερουσία)→ noun-phrase markingἡ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
γερουσίαcouncil of eldersNominativesubject of καλέσουσιν (the tribunal, collective)→ participant prominenceγερουσία: 'council of elders'; the local eldership, here acting as the summoning and admonishing authority; the collective noun governs the plural verbs (καλέσουσιν, ἐροῦσιν).
τῆςtheGenitivearticle (with πόλεως)→ noun-phrase markingτῆς: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
πόλεωςcityGenitivegenitive of relationship ('the elders of his city')→ relational specificationπόλις: 'city / town'; renders עִיר; the jurisdiction is local — the elders of the man's own city, his community, before whom his refusal becomes a matter of civic shame.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (with πόλεως)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with πόλεως).
καὶandcoordinate conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἐροῦσινshall speak / sayFut Act Indic 3 Pl · λέγωmain verb (the elders' admonition)→ predictive future (the prescribed counsel)λέγω (fut. ἐροῦσιν): 'will speak / say'; the elders 'speak to him' — their words, unrecorded here, would be the formal admonition to fulfil his duty; his persistence after their counsel is what incurs the shame.
αὐτῷto himDativedative (indirect object of ἐροῦσιν)→ participant reference or interestαὐτῷ: meaning 'to him'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as dative (indirect object of ἐροῦσιν).
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (introducing his reply)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
στὰςstanding / having stoodAor Act Part Nom Sg Masc · ἵστημιcircumstantial participle (attendant: 'standing, he says')→ ingressive aorist participle (taking a formal stance to speak)ἵστημι (aor. ptcp. στάς, intransitive): 'stand / take one's stand'; the participle marks a formal, deliberate posture — the man rises/stands to make his declaration before the court, lending his refusal the solemnity of a sworn, public statement.
εἴπῃhe shall sayAor Act Subj 3 Sg · λέγωverb of the man's reply (subjunctive after the procedural καί)→ constative aorist subjunctive (the decisive declaration)λέγω (aor. subj. εἴπῃ): 'say'; the subjunctive (perhaps still under the conditional sweep of ἐάν, v. 7) presents his reply as the contingent but decisive utterance that locks in the refusal and triggers the ritual of v. 9.
οὐnotnegative particle (with βούλομαι)→ discourse linkage or contrastοὐ: emphatic negation of his quoted refusal.
βούλομαιI wishPres Mid Indic 1 Sg · βούλομαιmain verb of the man's quoted refusal (first person)→ imperfective present (settled, declared unwillingness)βούλομαι: 'will / wish'; the man's own first-person words 'I do not wish to take her' echo the widow's charge (οὐ θέλει, v. 7) and make the refusal his deliberate, public choice — βούλομαι (volition/purpose) underscoring that this is a willed dereliction.
λαβεῖνto takeAor Act Inf · λαμβάνωcomplementary infinitive (with βούλομαι: 'wish to take')→ verbal action or stateλαμβάνω (aor. inf.): complementary infinitive; λαβεῖν αὐτήν ('take her') is again the marrying idiom — he refuses to marry the widow.
αὐτήνherAccusativeobject of λαβεῖν (the widow he refuses)→ participant referenceαὐτήν: meaning 'her'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as object of λαβεῖν (the widow he refuses).
9
καὶ προσελθοῦσα ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ ἔναντι τῆς γερουσίας καὶ ὑπολύσει τὸ ὑπόδημα αὐτοῦ τὸ ἓν ἀπὸ τοῦ ποδὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐμπτύσεται εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀποκριθεῖσα ἐρεῖ οὕτως ποιήσουσιν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ὃς οὐκ οἰκοδομήσει τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ
Then the wife of his brother shall come forward before the council of elders and loose his sandal, the one, from his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, 'Thus shall it be done to the man who will not build up his brother's house.'
The widow enacts the ritual of shame before the assembled court: she loosens the sandal from his foot, spits in his face, and pronounces the formula of disgrace. Each gesture is symbolically charged — the sandal as a token of legal right (cf. Ruth 4:7), the spitting as public contempt, the formula 'thus shall it be done' as a permanent verdict. The man who would not 'build his brother's house' is himself dishonoured before the community.
Word-by-word analysis· 42 words
καὶand / thennarrative conjunction (ritual sequence)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
προσελθοῦσαcoming forwardAor Act Part Nom Sg Fem · προσέρχομαιcircumstantial participle (attendant: 'having approached')→ ingressive aorist participle (the widow's formal approach)προσέρχομαι: 'approach / come forward'; the feminine participle marks the widow's deliberate advance to perform the ritual before the elders; the same verb used of litigants approaching the court (v. 1).
ἡtheNominativearticle (with γυνή)→ noun-phrase markingἡ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
γυνὴwifeNominativesubject of ὑπολύσει / ἐμπτύσεται / ἐρεῖ (the widow as ritual agent)→ participant prominenceγυνή: 'wife / woman'; the widow remains the active agent, now performing the symbolic acts that publicly shame the refusing brother.
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (with ἀδελφοῦ)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀδελφοῦbrotherGenitivegenitive of relationship ('the wife of his brother')→ relational specificationἀδελφός: 'brother'; the deceased, so that she is named in relation to the dead husband — 'the wife of his [the levir's] brother.'
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (with ἀδελφοῦ)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with ἀδελφοῦ).
ἔναντιbeforepreposition + genitive (in the presence of the elders)→ spatial or relational framingἔναντι: 'before / in the presence of'; Hebraism rendering לִפְנֵי; the ritual is performed publicly, 'before the council,' giving it legal and communal force.
τῆςtheGenitivearticle (with γερουσίας)→ noun-phrase markingτῆς: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
γερουσίαςcouncil of eldersGenitivegenitive governed by ἔναντι (the witnessing tribunal)→ relational specificationγερουσία: 'council of elders'; the elders witness and ratify the shaming, making it a binding public verdict on the man's house.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (first ritual act)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ὑπολύσειshall loose / take offFut Act Indic 3 Sg · ὑπολύωmain verb (first ritual gesture: removing the sandal)→ predictive future (the prescribed act)ὑπολύω: 'loose from underneath, take off (a sandal)'; from ὑπό + λύω; renders חָלַץ ('draw off'); the removal of the sandal (the ḥalitzah ritual) is the central legal gesture — in Ruth 4:7 the sandal is the token of transferred redemption-right; here its forcible removal by the widow marks the levir's forfeiture of his brotherly claim and his public disgrace.
τὸtheAccusativearticle (with ὑπόδημα)→ noun-phrase markingτὸ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ὑπόδημαsandalAccusativedirect object of ὑπολύσει (the removed sandal)→ object specificationὑπόδημα: 'sandal / that bound under (the foot)'; from ὑπό + δέω; renders נַעַל; the sandal is the symbol of legal standing and possession (one 'set foot' on land to claim it; cf. Ps 59:10 LXX, 'over Edom I will cast my sandal'); its removal strips the man of his right and brands his house (v. 10). The same noun John the Baptist uses of the sandal he is unworthy to loose (Mark 1:7).
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (with ὑπόδημα)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with ὑπόδημα).
τὸtheAccusativearticle (with ἕν, in apposition: 'the one [sandal]')→ noun-phrase markingτὸ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἓνone / singleAccusativenumeral in apposition to ὑπόδημα ('the one sandal')→ measure or countεἷς, μία, ἕν: 'one'; the articular τὸ ἕν specifies 'the single' sandal — one foot is unshod, the visible mark of the ritual; renders the Hebrew emphasis on the one sandal drawn off.
ἀπὸfrompreposition + genitive (separation: 'from his foot')→ spatial or relational framingἀπό: 'from'; marks the removal of the sandal from the foot.
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (with ποδός)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ποδὸςfootGenitivegenitive governed by ἀπό (the foot unshod)→ relational specificationπούς: 'foot'; renders רֶגֶל; the unshod foot is the lasting public sign of the man's dereliction — hence the title 'house of the unsandalled' (v. 10).
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (with ποδός)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with ποδός).
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (second ritual act)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἐμπτύσεταιshall spitFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · ἐμπτύωmain verb (second ritual gesture: spitting)→ predictive future (the prescribed act of contempt)ἐμπτύω: 'spit upon / spit at'; from ἐν + πτύω; renders יָרַק ('spit'); spitting in the face is the gesture of utmost public contempt and humiliation (cf. Num 12:14; Job 30:10); the same verb describes the mockers spitting on Jesus (Matt 27:30; Mark 10:34) — here the community's repudiation of a man who shamed his brother's memory.
εἰςin / intopreposition + accusative (target: 'into the face')→ spatial or relational framingεἰς: 'into / at'; directional, marking the face as the target of the spitting.
τὸtheAccusativearticle (with πρόσωπον)→ noun-phrase markingτὸ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
πρόσωπονfaceAccusativeobject of εἰς (the face spat upon)→ object specificationπρόσωπον: 'face / countenance'; renders פָּנִים; the face is the seat of honour and identity; to be spat upon in the face is to be publicly stripped of dignity — the bodily counterpart of having one's house renamed in disgrace.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (with πρόσωπον)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with πρόσωπον).
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (third ritual act: the declaration)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἀποκριθεῖσαansweringAor Pass Part Nom Sg Fem · ἀποκρίνομαιcircumstantial participle (attendant: 'answering, she says')→ coincident aorist participle (Hebraistic 'answered and said')ἀποκρίνομαι: 'answer / respond'; the deponent aorist passive participle ἀποκριθεῖσα in the idiom ἀποκριθεῖσα ἐρεῖ ('answering, she will say') is a Hebraism rendering וַתַּעַן … וַתֹּאמֶר ('she answered and said'), a formulaic doubling introducing solemn pronouncement even where no question precedes.
ἐρεῖshall sayFut Act Indic 3 Sg · λέγωmain verb (the widow's formula of shame)→ predictive future (the prescribed pronouncement)λέγω (fut. ἐρεῖ): 'will say'; introduces the formula of disgrace, the verbal seal upon the ritual gestures.
οὕτωςthus / soadverb of manner (demonstrative: 'in this way')→ adverbial qualificationοὕτως: 'thus / in this manner'; renders כָּכָה; the demonstrative ('so shall it be done') points to the enacted ritual as the paradigm of how such a man is to be treated — a formula of communal precedent.
ποιήσουσινshall it be done / they shall doFut Act Indic 3 Pl · ποιέωmain verb of the formula (impersonal/indefinite 3rd plural)→ predictive/customary future (established communal practice)ποιέω: 'do / make'; the indefinite third-person plural ('they shall do') functions as an impersonal passive ('thus shall it be done') — the community at large enacts the disgrace; the formula establishes a standing custom for any such refusal.
τῷto theDativearticle (with ἀνθρώπῳ)→ noun-phrase markingτῷ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀνθρώπῳmanDativedative of disadvantage (the man so treated)→ sphere or referenceἄνθρωπος: 'man'; the dative names the recipient of the shaming — 'to the man who...'; generalized to any levir who refuses his duty.
ὃςwhoNominativerelative pronoun (subject of οἰκοδομήσει)→ participant referenceὅς: relative pronoun; introduces the defining clause — the man's identity is his refusal to build his brother's house.
οὐκnotnegative particle (with οἰκοδομήσει)→ discourse linkage or contrastοὐ: negates the relative clause — 'who will not build.'
οἰκοδομήσειwill buildFut Act Indic 3 Sg · οἰκοδομέωverb of the relative clause (the refused duty)→ predictive future (the obligation he declines)οἰκοδομέω: 'build / build up / edify'; from οἶκος + δέμω; renders בָּנָה; 'to build the house (of one's brother)' is the idiom for perpetuating a family line through offspring (cf. Gen 16:2; Ruth 4:11); the levirate exactly 'builds the house' of the dead man — the refuser is the one who lets it fall.
τὸνtheAccusativearticle (with οἶκον)→ noun-phrase markingτὸν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
οἶκονhouseAccusativedirect object of οἰκοδομήσει (the brother's lineage)→ object specificationοἶκος: 'house / household / lineage'; renders בַּיִת; 'house' here in the dynastic sense — the family line and its continuance; building it means furnishing the dead brother an heir.
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (with ἀδελφοῦ)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀδελφοῦbrotherGenitivegenitive of relationship ('his brother's house')→ relational specificationἀδελφός: 'brother'; the deceased, whose house the levir refuses to build.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (with ἀδελφοῦ)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with ἀδελφοῦ).
10
καὶ κληθήσεται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐν Ισραηλ οἶκος τοῦ ὑπολυθέντος τὸ ὑπόδημα
And his name shall be called in Israel 'the house of the one whose sandal was loosed.'
The refusal's lasting result: the man's house bears a name of disgrace in Israel — 'the house of the unsandalled.' Where the levirate would have preserved a brother's name (v. 6), the refuser earns his own house a name of shame. The closing τὸ ὑπόδημα ('the sandal') recalls the central ritual gesture, fixing it as the permanent label of dereliction.
Word-by-word analysis· 12 words
καὶandnarrative conjunction (consequence)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
κληθήσεταιshall be calledFut Pass Indic 3 Sg · καλέωmain verb (the naming of the house)→ predictive future passive (the enduring designation)καλέω (fut. pass.): 'be called / named'; renders נִקְרָא; the passive 'his name shall be called' establishes a permanent communal designation — a stigma fixed by the people's usage and memory.
τὸtheNominativearticle (with ὄνομα)→ noun-phrase markingτὸ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ὄνομαnameNominativesubject of κληθήσεται (the man's designation)→ participant prominenceὄνομα: 'name / reputation'; renders שֵׁם; ironically, the man who would not preserve his brother's name acquires for his own house a name — but one of disgrace; the chapter's name-theme (vv. 6, 7) turns against him.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (with ὄνομα)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with ὄνομα).
ἐνinpreposition + dative (sphere: 'in Israel')→ spatial or relational framingἐν: 'in / among'; the shameful name circulates throughout the covenant community.
ΙσραηλIsraelobject of ἐν (indeclinable proper noun)→ participant identificationΙσραηλ: transliteration of יִשְׂרָאֵל; indeclinable; 'in Israel' marks the stigma as public throughout the people — the inverse of the name preserved 'in Israel' at v. 6.
οἶκοςhouseNominativepredicate nominative (the content of the name)→ participant prominenceοἶκος: 'house / household'; here the predicate naming the man's family — 'the house of...'; the dynastic 'house' he refused to build for his brother becomes the label of his own shame.
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (substantivizing the participle)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ὑπολυθέντοςone whose [sandal] was loosedAor Pass Part Gen Sg Masc · ὑπολύωsubstantival participle (genitive: 'of the unsandalled one')→ resultative aorist passive participle (the man marked by the ritual)ὑπολύω (aor. pass. ptcp.): 'have the sandal loosed off'; the passive participle ὁ ὑπολυθείς ('the one unsandalled') becomes a fixed epithet — 'the house of the unsandalled man'; renders חֲלוּץ הַנַּעַל ('the one with the sandal drawn off'); the ḥalitzah leaves a permanent verbal brand.
τὸtheAccusativearticle (with ὑπόδημα, accusative of respect)→ noun-phrase markingτὸ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ὑπόδημαsandalAccusativeaccusative of respect (with ὑπολυθέντος: 'loosed as to the sandal')→ object specificationὑπόδημα: 'sandal'; the accusative of respect (the part affected) — 'unsandalled with respect to the sandal'; its final position fixes the sandal as the emblem of the man's disgrace, the very token that in Ruth 4 seals legitimate redemption here seals dishonour.
11
ἐὰν δὲ μάχωνται ἄνθρωποι ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό ἄνθρωπος μετὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ προσέλθῃ γυνὴ ἑνὸς αὐτῶν ἐξελέσθαι τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ τύπτοντος αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκτείνασα τὴν χεῖρα ἐπιλάβηται τῶν διδύμων αὐτοῦ
Now if men fight together, a man with his brother, and the wife of one of them comes forward to rescue her husband from the hand of the one striking him, and stretching out her hand seizes him by the genitals,
A fresh ἐάν-statute frames the immodest-intervention law (vv. 11–12). The protasis is carefully built: a brawl, a wife intervening to save her husband, and the specific immodest act of seizing the opponent's genitals. The law's apodosis (v. 12) prescribes a severe penalty, guarding a boundary of bodily modesty even amid the urgency of rescue.
Word-by-word analysis· 34 words
ἐὰνifconditional conjunction (casuistic protasis)→ discourse linkage or contrastἐάν: 'if / when'; opens a new case-law; renders כִּי.
δὲnowtransitional continuative (post-positive)→ discourse linkage or contrastδέ: marks the shift to a new statute.
μάχωνταιfight / quarrelPres Mid Subj 3 Pl · μάχομαιverb of protasis (the brawl)→ imperfective present subjunctive (men in the act of fighting)μάχομαι: 'fight / quarrel / contend'; renders נָצָה; the present subjunctive presents the brawl as an ongoing scuffle (cf. the closely parallel scenario of Exod 21:22, two men fighting).
ἄνθρωποιmenNominativesubject of μάχωνται→ participant prominenceἄνθρωπος: 'man'; the plural sets the scene of a fight between two men.
ἐπὶin / atpreposition (in the idiom ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό: 'together')→ spatial or relational framingἐπί: in ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό ('at the same place; together'), the same idiom as v. 5; here 'with one another.'
τὸtheAccusativearticle (with αὐτό in the idiom)→ noun-phrase markingτὸ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
αὐτόsame (place)Accusativesubstantive in ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό ('together')→ participant referenceαὐτός: in ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, 'together / with one another' — the men are locked in a fight.
ἄνθρωποςa manNominativeappositional/distributive (specifying the combatants: 'a man with his brother')→ participant prominenceἄνθρωπος: 'man'; singular in the distributive idiom 'a man with his brother' (ἄνθρωπος μετὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ), specifying that the two fighters are kinsmen/fellow-Israelites.
μετὰwithpreposition + genitive (association: 'with his brother')→ spatial or relational framingμετά + gen.: 'with'; here in the sense of 'against, in conflict with' — the idiom 'a man with his brother' for the two parties to the fight.
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (with ἀδελφοῦ)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἀδελφοῦbrotherGenitivegenitive governed by μετά (the other combatant)→ relational specificationἀδελφός: 'brother / fellow'; here in the broad sense of a fellow Israelite (not necessarily a blood brother); 'a man with his brother' = two countrymen fighting.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (with ἀδελφοῦ)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with ἀδελφοῦ).
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (continuing the protasis)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
προσέλθῃcomes forwardAor Act Subj 3 Sg · προσέρχομαιverb of protasis (the wife's intervention)→ ingressive aorist subjunctive (she steps in)προσέρχομαι: 'approach / come forward'; here the wife rushes in to intervene in the fight on her husband's behalf.
γυνὴwifeNominativesubject of προσέλθῃ (the intervening wife)→ participant prominenceγυνή: 'wife / woman'; the wife of one of the combatants, intervening to rescue her husband.
ἑνὸςof oneGenitivepartitive genitive (numeral: 'one of them')→ relational specificationεἷς (gen. ἑνός): 'one'; partitive 'the wife of one of them' — i.e. of one of the two fighters.
αὐτῶνthemGenitivepartitive genitive (with ἑνός)→ relational specificationαὐτῶν: meaning 'them'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as partitive genitive (with ἑνός).
ἐξελέσθαιto rescue / deliverAor Mid Inf · ἐξαιρέωinfinitive of purpose (with προσέλθῃ: 'comes forward to rescue')→ telic aorist infinitive (purpose: rescue)ἐξαιρέω (mid. ἐξελέσθαι): 'take out / rescue / deliver'; the middle 'rescue for oneself'; renders הִצִּיל / חָלַץ; the infinitive of purpose states her benign motive — to save her husband; the law's severity is notable precisely because her intention is good, yet the immodest means is forbidden.
τὸνtheAccusativearticle (with ἄνδρα)→ noun-phrase markingτὸν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἄνδραhusbandAccusativedirect object of ἐξελέσθαι (the husband to be saved)→ object specificationἀνήρ: 'husband / man'; the wife's husband, whom she seeks to deliver from his assailant.
αὐτῆςherGenitivegenitive of possession (with ἄνδρα)→ relational specificationαὐτῆς: meaning 'her'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with ἄνδρα).
ἐκfrompreposition + genitive (deliverance from: 'from the hand')→ spatial or relational framingἐκ: 'from / out of'; in the idiom ἐξαιρέω ἐκ χειρός ('rescue from the hand of'), rendering הִצִּיל מִיַּד — deliverance from someone's power/grasp.
χειρὸςhandGenitivegenitive governed by ἐκ (the assailant's power)→ relational specificationχείρ: 'hand'; renders יָד; 'from the hand of' = from the grip/power of the attacker; idiomatic for rescue from another's control.
τοῦtheGenitivearticle (substantivizing the participle τύπτοντος)→ noun-phrase markingτοῦ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
τύπτοντοςone strikingPres Act Part Gen Sg Masc · τύπτωsubstantival participle (genitive: 'the one striking him')→ imperfective present participle (the assailant in the act)τύπτω: 'strike / beat / hit'; renders נָכָה / הִכָּה; the present participle ὁ τύπτων ('the one beating him') identifies the assailant as actively striking the husband — the immediate danger the wife seeks to end.
αὐτὸνhimAccusativedirect object of τύπτοντος (the husband being struck)→ participant referenceαὐτὸν: meaning 'him'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as direct object of τύπτοντος (the husband being struck).
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (the immodest act)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἐκτείνασαstretching outAor Act Part Nom Sg Fem · ἐκτείνωcircumstantial participle (attendant: 'reaching out, she seizes')→ coincident aorist participle (the act of reaching)ἐκτείνω: 'stretch out / extend'; renders שָׁלַח (the hand); the participle describes the reaching gesture that immediately precedes the immodest grasp; the deliberate 'stretching out the hand' marks the act as intentional, not accidental.
τὴνtheAccusativearticle (with χεῖρα)→ noun-phrase markingτὴν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
χεῖραhandAccusativedirect object of ἐκτείνασα (the hand stretched out)→ object specificationχείρ: 'hand'; the wife's own hand, deliberately extended to seize — the bodily instrument of the forbidden act.
ἐπιλάβηταιseizes / takes hold ofAor Mid Subj 3 Sg · ἐπιλαμβάνωverb of protasis (the immodest seizure)→ ingressive aorist subjunctive (the act of grasping)ἐπιλαμβάνομαι: 'take hold of / seize / grasp'; from ἐπί + λαμβάνω; governs the genitive of the thing grasped (τῶν διδύμων); the middle voice ('lay hold of') is the precise verb for the immodest grip the law condemns.
τῶνtheGenitivearticle (with διδύμων)→ noun-phrase markingτῶν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
διδύμωνgenitals / testiclesGenitivegenitive governed by ἐπιλάβηται (the object seized)→ relational specificationδίδυμοι: lit. 'the twins'; a euphemism for the testicles/genitals; renders the Hebrew מְבֻשִׁים ('the private/shameful parts'); the LXX's delicate 'twins' softens the explicit Hebrew; the seizure of these parts — potentially maiming the man's procreative capacity — is the immodest act the statute punishes.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivegenitive of possession (with διδύμων)→ relational specificationαὐτοῦ: meaning 'his'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with διδύμων).
12
ἀποκόψεις τὴν χεῖρα αὐτῆς οὐ φείσεται ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἐπ᾿ αὐτῇ
you shall cut off her hand; your eye shall not spare her.
The apodosis prescribes a severe corporal penalty (cutting off the hand) and seals it with the recurring Deuteronomic 'no-pity' formula (οὐ φείσεται ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου), used elsewhere for grave offences (Deut 7:16; 13:8; 19:13, 21). The sharpness of the penalty stands in pointed contrast to the measured restraint of the flogging-law (vv. 1–3), framing the chapter's range from limited to unsparing justice.
Word-by-word analysis· 11 words
ἀποκόψειςyou shall cut offFut Act Indic 2 Sg · ἀποκόπτωmain verb of apodosis (the prescribed penalty, 2nd sg.)→ prohibitive/jussive future (legal sentence)ἀποκόπτω: 'cut off / amputate'; from ἀπό + κόπτω; renders קָצַץ ('cut off'); the future-as-command imposes the amputation of the offending hand — talionic in form (the hand that did the immodest act is removed); the same verb Paul uses hyperbolically of the agitators (Gal 5:12) and that names the man with a 'maimed' hand (Mark 9:43).
τὴνtheAccusativearticle (with χεῖρα)→ noun-phrase markingτὴν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
χεῖραhandAccusativedirect object of ἀποκόψεις (the offending hand)→ object specificationχείρ: 'hand'; the very hand 'stretched out' (v. 11) to commit the immodest act is the member removed — the penalty fits the offending limb.
αὐτῆςherGenitivegenitive of possession (with χεῖρα)→ relational specificationαὐτῆς: meaning 'her'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with χεῖρα).
οὐnotnegative particle (with φείσεται)→ discourse linkage or contrastοὐ: emphatic negation in the 'no-pity' formula — judgment is not to be relaxed by compassion.
φείσεταιshall spareFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · φείδομαιmain verb (the no-pity formula)→ prohibitive future (the sentence not to be mitigated)φείδομαι: 'spare / refrain / show mercy'; renders חוּס; the formula οὐ φείσεται ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ('your eye shall not spare') is a recurrent Deuteronomic idiom forbidding pity in the execution of justice (Deut 7:16; 13:9; 19:13, 21); here it bars leniency toward the woman despite her rescuing intent.
ὁtheNominativearticle (with ὀφθαλμός)→ noun-phrase markingὁ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ὀφθαλμόςeyeNominativesubject of φείσεται (the seat of pity, by metonymy)→ participant prominenceὀφθαλμός: 'eye'; renders עַיִן; by metonymy the eye is the seat of pity (a 'pitying eye'); 'your eye shall not spare' = you shall feel and show no compassion in carrying out the sentence — a Hebraism for resolute, dispassionate justice.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of possession (with ὀφθαλμός)→ relational specificationσύ (gen. σου): 'your'; the second-person address makes the executor of justice personally responsible to set pity aside.
ἐπ᾿on / uponpreposition + dative (object of pity, elided before vowel)→ spatial or relational framingἐπί + dat. (elided ἐπ᾿): 'upon / toward'; with φείδομαι marks the person toward whom pity is withheld — 'shall not spare her.'
αὐτῇherDativedative governed by ἐπί (the woman not spared)→ participant reference or interestαὐτός (dat.): the woman, toward whom no leniency is permitted.
13
οὐκ ἔσται ἐν τῷ μαρσίππῳ σου στάθμιον καὶ στάθμιον μέγα ἢ μικρόν
There shall not be in your bag a weight and a weight, a great one or a small one.
An apodictic prohibition opening the just-measures statute (vv. 13–16). The Hebraistic doubling στάθμιον καὶ στάθμιον ('a weight and a weight') idiomatically denotes a fraudulent double standard — one weight to buy, another to sell. The merism μέγα ἢ μικρόν ('great or small') exposes the deceit: differing weights enable cheating in both directions.
Word-by-word analysis· 12 words
οὐκnotnegative particle (with future ἔσται)→ discourse linkage or contrastοὐ: with the future ἔσται forms an apodictic prohibition — 'there shall by no means be.'
ἔσταιthere shall beFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (existential prohibition: 'there shall not be')→ prohibitive future (binding statute)εἰμί (fut.): existential 'there shall be'; negated, it forbids the very possession of false weights — the offence is having them at all, not merely using them.
ἐνinpreposition + dative (locative: 'in your bag')→ spatial or relational framingἐν: 'in'; locating the forbidden weights in the merchant's bag.
τῷtheDativearticle (with μαρσίππῳ)→ noun-phrase markingτῷ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
μαρσίππῳbag / pouchDativedative of place (the merchant's weight-pouch)→ sphere or referenceμάρσιππος: 'bag / pouch / sack'; renders כִּיס; the pouch in which a trader carried his stone weights; the law targets the concealed tool of commercial fraud — the carried bag of weights from which a dishonest dealer might select.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of possession (with μαρσίππῳ)→ relational specificationσύ (gen. σου): 'your'; the second-person address makes the individual Israelite merchant personally accountable.
στάθμιονweightNominativesubject of ἔσται (the first weight)→ participant prominenceστάθμιον: 'weight / standard weight (for scales)'; from ἵστημι (what 'stands' on the balance); renders אֶבֶן ('stone', i.e. weight-stone); the standard unit of commercial measure, here at issue for its honesty.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (Hebraistic doubling)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαί: the doubling στάθμιον καὶ στάθμιον ('a weight and a weight') is a Hebraism (אֶבֶן וָאָבֶן) for differing, fraudulent weights — a 'double standard' in the literal sense.
στάθμιονweightNominativesubject of ἔσται (the second, discrepant weight)→ participant prominenceστάθμιον: the second weight; the pairing 'a weight and a weight' denotes two unequal weights kept for deceit — one heavier for buying, one lighter for selling.
μέγαgreat / heavyNominativepredicate adjective (one weight: 'a great one')→ participant prominenceμέγας: 'great / large / heavy'; the larger (heavier) weight, used when buying to take more; renders גְּדוֹלָה.
ἢordisjunctive conjunction (the merism's pole)→ discourse linkage or contrastἤ: 'or'; the disjunction μέγα ἢ μικρόν ('great or small') is a merism embracing the whole range of fraudulent discrepancy.
μικρόνsmall / lightNominativepredicate adjective (the other weight: 'a small one')→ participant prominenceμικρός: 'small / little / light'; the lighter weight, used when selling to give less; renders קְטַנָּה; together μέγα ἢ μικρόν names the two faces of the same dishonesty.
14
οὐκ ἔσται ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ σου μέτρον καὶ μέτρον μέγα ἢ μικρόν
There shall not be in your house a measure and a measure, a great one or a small one.
A second, exactly parallel prohibition extends the principle from weight (στάθμιον, dry/precious goods weighed) to measure (μέτρον, capacity for grain or liquid). The structural twinning of vv. 13–14 (weight in the bag / measure in the house) covers the whole sphere of trade — nothing bought or sold is exempt from the demand for a single honest standard.
Word-by-word analysis· 12 words
οὐκnotnegative particle (with future ἔσται)→ discourse linkage or contrastοὐ: apodictic prohibition, parallel to v. 13.
ἔσταιthere shall beFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (existential prohibition)→ prohibitive future (binding statute)εἰμί (fut.): existential 'there shall be'; negated, forbidding the possession of double measures, parallel to v. 13's double weights.
ἐνinpreposition + dative (locative: 'in your house')→ spatial or relational framingἐν: 'in'; locating the forbidden measures in the household.
τῇtheDativearticle (with οἰκίᾳ)→ noun-phrase markingτῇ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
οἰκίᾳhouseDativedative of place (the household where measures are kept)→ sphere or referenceοἰκία: 'house / household'; renders בַּיִת; the house (paired with the bag of v. 13) is where the capacity-measures for grain and liquid are stored; the two locations together cover all commerce.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of possession (with οἰκίᾳ)→ relational specificationσου: meaning 'your'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with οἰκίᾳ).
μέτρονmeasureNominativesubject of ἔσται (the first measure)→ participant prominenceμέτρον: 'measure / measuring-vessel (of capacity)'; renders אֵיפָה ('ephah'); the standard container for dry/liquid volume; the parallel to στάθμιον extends the honesty-demand from weight to volume — the same measure Jesus invokes, 'with the measure you use it will be measured to you' (Matt 7:2).
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (Hebraistic doubling)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαί: μέτρον καὶ μέτρον ('a measure and a measure'), the Hebraism (אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה) for two discrepant measures kept for fraud.
μέτρονmeasureNominativesubject of ἔσται (the second, discrepant measure)→ participant prominenceμέτρον: the second measure; 'a measure and a measure' denotes the deceitful pair — a fuller vessel to receive, a scanter one to dispense.
μέγαgreat / largeNominativepredicate adjective (the larger measure)→ participant prominenceμέγας: 'great / large'; the bigger measure, used to take in more when buying.
ἢordisjunctive conjunction (the merism's pole)→ discourse linkage or contrastἤ: 'or'; μέγα ἢ μικρόν, the merism of fraudulent discrepancy, exactly as in v. 13.
μικρόνsmallNominativepredicate adjective (the smaller measure)→ participant prominenceμικρός: 'small / little'; the smaller measure, used to give out less when selling; the paired adjectives expose the dishonesty in both directions.
15
στάθμιον ἀληθινὸν καὶ δίκαιον ἔσται σοι καὶ μέτρον ἀληθινὸν καὶ δίκαιον ἔσται σοι ἵνα πολυήμερος γένῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἧς κύριος ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν σοι ἐν κλήρῳ
A true and just weight you shall have, and a true and just measure you shall have, that you may be long-lived upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.
The positive counterpart to vv. 13–14: not the doubled false weight but the single 'true and just' one (ἀληθινὸν καὶ δίκαιον). The ἵνα-clause ties commercial honesty to covenant blessing — long life in the land YHWH gives 'as an inheritance' (ἐν κλήρῳ). Economic integrity is thus framed not as mere civic virtue but as a condition of enduring tenure in the promised land.
Word-by-word analysis· 28 words
στάθμιονweightNominativesubject of ἔσται (the honest weight commanded)→ participant prominenceστάθμιον: 'weight'; now in the positive command — a single, honest weight is to be the Israelite's standard.
ἀληθινὸνtrue / genuineNominativeattributive adjective (with στάθμιον)→ participant prominenceἀληθινός: 'true / real / genuine'; renders שְׁלֵמָה ('whole / complete / sound'); the weight is to be 'true' — corresponding exactly to its declared value, without deceit.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (joining the two attributes)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
δίκαιονjust / righteousNominativeattributive adjective (with στάθμιον)→ participant prominenceδίκαιος: 'just / righteous / fair'; renders צֶדֶק; the weight is to be 'just' — conforming to the standard of equity; the pair ἀληθινὸν καὶ δίκαιον fuses truth (correspondence to reality) and justice (fairness to the neighbour), the ethical heart of honest trade (cf. Lev 19:36; Prov 11:1).
ἔσταιshall be / you shall haveFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (with dative σοι: 'shall be to you' = 'you shall have')→ jussive future (positive command)εἰμί (fut.): 'shall be'; with the dative of possession σοι ('to you') the idiom means 'you shall have'; the positive future-command counters the prohibitions of vv. 13–14.
σοιto you / yoursDativedative of possession (with ἔσται)→ participant reference or interestσύ (dat. σοι): 'to/for you'; dative of possession — 'you shall have.'
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (parallel clause: measure)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
μέτρονmeasureNominativesubject of the second ἔσται (the honest measure)→ participant prominenceμέτρον: 'measure'; the capacity-standard, now likewise commanded to be honest, parallel to στάθμιον.
ἀληθινὸνtrueNominativeattributive adjective (with μέτρον)→ participant prominenceἀληθινός: 'true / genuine'; the measure too must correspond exactly to its stated capacity.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (joining attributes)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
δίκαιονjustNominativeattributive adjective (with μέτρον)→ participant prominenceδίκαιος: 'just / fair'; the measure must be equitable; the repeated pair ἀληθινὸν καὶ δίκαιον underscores that both weight and measure are governed by the single standard of truth-and-justice.
ἔσταιshall be / you shall haveFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (with σοι: 'you shall have', parallel clause)→ jussive future (positive command)εἰμί (fut.): the repeated 'shall be to you' binds the measure under the same possessive command as the weight.
σοιto you / yoursDativedative of possession (with ἔσται)→ participant reference or interestσοι: meaning 'to you'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as dative of possession (with ἔσται).
ἵναthat / so thatpurpose conjunction (introducing the blessing-clause)→ discourse linkage or contrastἵνα: 'that / in order that'; introduces the purpose/result clause linking honest dealing to long life in the land; renders לְמַעַן.
πολυήμεροςlong-lived / of many daysNominativepredicate adjective (with γένῃ: 'become long-lived')→ participant prominenceπολυήμερος: 'of many days / long-lived'; from πολύς + ἡμέρα; renders the Hebrew idiom 'that your days may be long' (יַאֲרִיכֻן יָמֶיךָ); the same promise attached to honouring parents (Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16) — here honest trade earns the covenant reward of longevity in the land.
γένῃyou may become / beAor Mid Subj 2 Sg · γίνομαιverb of purpose clause (with ἵνα)→ ingressive aorist subjunctive (come to be long-lived)γίνομαι (aor. subj.): 'become / come to be'; with πολυήμερος, 'that you may be long-lived'; the subjunctive in the ἵνα-clause states the blessing contingent on obedience.
ἐπὶuponpreposition + genitive (location: 'upon the land')→ spatial or relational framingἐπί + gen.: 'upon / on'; locating the long life on the land of inheritance.
τῆςtheGenitivearticle (with γῆς)→ noun-phrase markingτῆς: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
γῆςlandGenitivegenitive governed by ἐπί (the promised land)→ relational specificationγῆ: 'land / earth / ground'; renders אֲדָמָה / אֶרֶץ; the promised land, tenure of which is conditioned on covenant fidelity — including economic honesty.
ἧςwhichGenitiverelative pronoun (genitive by attraction, object of δίδωσιν)→ relational specificationὅς: relative pronoun, genitive ἧς by attraction to its antecedent γῆς (logically the accusative object of δίδωσιν); 'the land which the LORD gives.'
κύριοςthe LORDNominativesubject of δίδωσιν (the divine Giver)→ participant prominenceκύριος: the standard LXX rendering of the Tetragrammaton יהוה; the covenant LORD who grants the land; his name grounds the demand for honesty — false measures are an offence against the Giver himself (v. 16).
ὁtheNominativearticle (with θεός)→ noun-phrase markingὁ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
θεόςGodNominativeapposition to κύριος ('the LORD your God')→ participant prominenceθεός: 'God'; renders אֱלֹהִים; in apposition with κύριος in the covenant formula 'the LORD your God' (κύριος ὁ θεός σου), the recurrent Deuteronomic designation of Israel's covenant Lord.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of relationship (with θεός: covenant possessive)→ relational specificationσύ (gen. σου): 'your'; the covenant-possessive 'your God' marks the personal bond between YHWH and Israel that the honesty-command serves.
δίδωσίνis givingPres Act Indic 3 Sg · δίδωμιverb of relative clause (the gift of the land)→ progressive present (the land in the process of being given)δίδωμι: 'give / grant'; renders נָתַן; the present 'is giving' presents the land as a gift currently being bestowed — the conquest/settlement in progress; the land is sheer gift, which makes honest stewardship the fitting response.
σοιto youDativedative indirect object (with δίδωσιν)→ participant reference or interestσοι: meaning 'to you'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as dative indirect object (with δίδωσιν).
ἐνas / inpreposition + dative (manner: 'as an inheritance')→ spatial or relational framingἐν: 'in / as'; in the idiom ἐν κλήρῳ ('as an inheritance / by lot'), rendering בְּנַחֲלָה.
κλήρῳinheritance / allotmentDativedative in the idiom ἐν κλήρῳ ('as a possession')→ sphere or referenceκλῆρος: 'lot / portion / inheritance'; renders נַחֲלָה; the land is given 'by lot / as an inheritance' — a permanent, divinely allotted possession; the same term underlies the NT 'inheritance' of the saints (Acts 26:18; Col 1:12). Tenure of this κλῆρος is what honest dealing secures.
16
ὅτι βδέλυγμα κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ σου πᾶς ποιῶν ταῦτα πᾶς ποιῶν ἄδικον
For everyone who does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God, everyone who does injustice.
The causal ὅτι supplies the theological ground for the just-measures law: the cheat is βδέλυγμα ('an abomination') to YHWH. The verbless predication (βδέλυγμα κυρίῳ … πᾶς ποιῶν) and the emphatic repetition of πᾶς ποιῶν ('everyone who does') universalize the verdict — all fraud, not merely false weights, is abhorrent to God. The abomination-formula recurs across Deuteronomy and the wisdom tradition (Prov 11:1, 'a false balance is an abomination to the LORD').
Word-by-word analysis· 12 words
ὅτιfor / becausecausal conjunction (grounding the command)→ discourse linkage or contrastὅτι: 'for / because'; renders כִּי; introduces the theological rationale for the just-measures statute — the deeper 'why' behind the command.
βδέλυγμαabominationNominativepredicate nominative (verbless: 'X is an abomination')→ participant prominenceβδέλυγμα: 'abomination / detestable thing'; from βδελύσσομαι ('feel loathing'); renders תּוֹעֵבָה; the strongest cultic-ethical term of revulsion, used of idolatry and grave moral evil; here applied to commercial fraud, classing the cheat with the idolater. The word's gravest NT echo is the 'abomination of desolation' (βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως, Matt 24:15; cf. Dan 9:27 LXX).
κυρίῳto the LORDDativedative of reference/disadvantage (the one to whom it is abominable)→ sphere or referenceκύριος (dat. κυρίῳ): the Tetragrammaton יהוה; the dative 'to the LORD' specifies the one in whose sight the fraud is loathsome — the offence is finally against God, not merely the cheated neighbour.
τῷtheDativearticle (with θεῷ)→ noun-phrase markingτῷ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
θεῷGodDativeapposition to κυρίῳ ('the LORD your God')→ sphere or referenceθεός (dat. θεῷ): 'God'; in apposition within the covenant formula 'the LORD your God,' grounding the abomination-verdict in the covenant relationship.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of relationship (with θεῷ)→ relational specificationσύ (gen. σου): 'your'; the covenant-possessive intensifies the offence — the cheat sins against his own covenant Lord.
πᾶςeveryone / allNominativesubstantival adjective (subject: 'everyone who does')→ participant prominenceπᾶς: 'every / all'; with the participle ποιῶν, 'everyone who does' — the universalizing subject; no offender is exempt from the abomination-verdict.
ποιῶνdoing / who doesPres Act Part Nom Sg Masc · ποιέωsubstantival participle (with πᾶς: 'everyone who does')→ imperfective present participle (habitual practice)ποιέω: 'do / make / practise'; renders עָשָׂה; the articular-equivalent πᾶς ποιῶν ('everyone practising') denotes habitual conduct; the present participle marks the fraud as a settled way of dealing, not an isolated slip.
ταῦταthese thingsAccusativedirect object of ποιῶν (the fraudulent practices)→ object specificationοὗτος: demonstrative ταῦτα ('these things') points back to the double weights and measures of vv. 13–14 — the catalogue of commercial deceit just prohibited.
πᾶςeveryone / allNominativesubstantival adjective (emphatic restatement of the subject)→ participant prominenceπᾶς: the second πᾶς ποιῶν restates and broadens the verdict — from 'these things' specifically to 'injustice' generally.
ποιῶνdoing / who doesPres Act Part Nom Sg Masc · ποιέωsubstantival participle (emphatic parallel: 'everyone who does')→ imperfective present participle (habitual practice)ποιέω: the repeated participle generalizes the verdict; the doubling πᾶς ποιῶν ταῦτα / πᾶς ποιῶν ἄδικον moves from the specific fraud to all wrongdoing — every practitioner of injustice is an abomination.
ἄδικονinjustice / what is unjustAccusativedirect object of the second ποιῶν (wrongdoing in general)→ object specificationἄδικος: 'unjust / wrong'; neuter substantival ἄδικον ('what is unjust / injustice'); renders עָוֶל; the generalizing climax — the abomination extends from false measures to all unrighteous dealing; the pointed antonym of the δίκαιον ('just') weight and measure of v. 15.
17
μνήσθητι ὅσα ἐποίησέν σοι Αμαληκ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἐκπορευομένου σου ἐξ Αἰγύπτου
Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt,
The chapter's final unit (vv. 17–19) opens with the emphatic aorist imperative μνήσθητι ('remember!'), inaugurating the Amalek-mandate. The genitive absolute ἐκπορευομένου σου ('as you were coming out') locates the offence at the vulnerable moment of the Exodus (Exod 17:8–16). The command to 'remember' is set in deliberate tension with the closing 'you shall not forget' (v. 19) and the command to 'blot out' — Israel must remember in order to erase.
Word-by-word analysis· 12 words
μνήσθητιrememberAor Pass Impv 2 Sg · μιμνῄσκομαιmain verb (emphatic imperative opening the statute)→ ingressive aorist imperative (call to active remembrance)μιμνῄσκομαι: 'remember / call to mind / be mindful'; renders זָכוֹר ('remember!', an emphatic infinitive absolute); the aorist passive-form imperative μνήσθητι is the LXX's standard 'remember!' (cf. Exod 20:8; Deut 5:15); biblical 'remembering' is not mere recall but active, obligating memory issuing in deed — here, the deed of v. 19.
ὅσαwhat / all thatAccusativerelative pronoun (object of ἐποίησεν: 'all that he did')→ participant referenceὅσος: 'as much/many as / whatever'; neuter plural ὅσα ('all that') governs the content of the remembrance — everything Amalek did; the indefinite quantifier embraces the whole treacherous assault.
ἐποίησένdidAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ποιέωverb of relative clause (Amalek's deed)→ constative aorist (the historical act recalled)ποιέω: 'do / make'; here the historical aorist 'what he did' — the remembered deed of Amalek; the same verb that condemned the cheat (πᾶς ποιῶν, v. 16) now recalls a graver wrong.
σοιto youDativedative of disadvantage (the victim: 'did to you')→ participant reference or interestσύ (dat. σοι): 'to you'; Israel addressed as a corporate 'you' — the nation's collective memory of the wrong done to it at the Exodus.
ΑμαληκAmaleksubject of ἐποίησεν (indeclinable proper noun)→ participant identificationΑμαληκ: transliteration of עֲמָלֵק; indeclinable in the LXX; the desert people descended from Esau (Gen 36:12) who attacked Israel at Rephidim (Exod 17:8–16), where YHWH swore perpetual war against Amalek; the archetypal enemy of God's people, against whom Saul is later commissioned (1 Sam 15).
ἐνon / inpreposition + dative (locative: 'on the way')→ spatial or relational framingἐν: 'on / in'; locating the assault 'on the road' of the Exodus journey.
τῇtheDativearticle (with ὁδῷ)→ noun-phrase markingτῇ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ὁδῷway / roadDativedative of place (the road of the Exodus march)→ sphere or referenceὁδός: 'way / road / journey'; renders דֶּרֶךְ; the desert route of the Exodus, where Israel was exposed and vulnerable; the assault 'on the way' aggravates Amalek's guilt — striking travellers in transit.
ἐκπορευομένουcoming outPres Mid Part Gen Sg Masc · ἐκπορεύομαιgenitive absolute (temporal: 'as you came out')→ imperfective present participle (the ongoing departure)ἐκπορεύομαι: 'go out / come forth'; the genitive absolute ἐκπορευομένου σου ('while you were coming out') sets the assault precisely during the Exodus departure from Egypt; the present participle marks Israel mid-journey, weak and unsettled — the moment of maximal vulnerability Amalek exploited.
σουyou / yourGenitivegenitive subject of the genitive absolute (with ἐκπορευομένου)→ relational specificationσύ (gen. σου): 'you'; the genitive subject of the absolute construction — 'as you (Israel) were coming out.'
ἐξout of / frompreposition + genitive (source: 'out of Egypt')→ spatial or relational framingἐκ: 'out of'; marks Egypt as the point of departure.
ΑἰγύπτουEgyptGenitivegenitive governed by ἐξ (the land of departure)→ relational specificationΑἴγυπτος (gen. Αἰγύπτου): standard LXX form of מִצְרַיִם; the place from which Israel had just been redeemed when Amalek struck — making the attack an assault on YHWH's own redemptive work.
18
πῶς ἀντέστη σοι ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ καὶ ἔκοψέν σου τὴν οὐραγίαν τοὺς κοπιῶντας ὀπίσω σου σὺ δὲ ἐπείνας καὶ ἐκοπίας καὶ οὐκ ἐφοβήθη τὸν θεόν
how he withstood you on the way and cut down your rear-guard, those who were weary behind you, when you were hungry and weary; and he did not fear God.
The πῶς-clause spells out what is to be remembered: Amalek's ambush of the stragglers — the faint and exhausted at the rear (τὴν οὐραγίαν). The contrast σὺ δὲ ἐπείνας καὶ ἐκοπίας ('but you were hungry and weary') heightens the cowardice of attacking the weakest. The clause climaxes in the theological indictment καὶ οὐκ ἐφοβήθη τὸν θεόν ('and he did not fear God') — the root of Amalek's guilt and the warrant for his erasure.
Word-by-word analysis· 25 words
πῶςhowinterrogative/exclamatory adverb (introducing the remembered manner)→ clausal contributionπῶς: 'how / in what way'; here introducing the indirect-exclamatory content of the remembrance — 'remember how he...'; renders אֲשֶׁר, spelling out the manner of the offence.
ἀντέστηwithstood / opposedAor Act Indic 3 Sg · ἀνθίστημιverb of the remembered clause (Amalek's hostile act)→ constative aorist (the historical opposition)ἀνθίστημι: 'set oneself against / oppose / withstand'; from ἀντί + ἵστημι; renders קָרָה ('encounter / confront') or חָרַד; the intransitive aorist ἀντέστη ('he opposed/confronted you') frames Amalek as the aggressor who set himself against Israel on the march; the same verb of resisting authority at Rom 13:2.
σοιyouDativedative complement of ἀντέστη ('opposed you')→ participant reference or interestσύ (dat. σοι): 'you'; ἀνθίστημι takes the dative of the one opposed — 'withstood you.'
ἐνonpreposition + dative (locative: 'on the way')→ spatial or relational framingἐν: 'on / in'; the assault again located 'on the road,' echoing v. 17.
τῇtheDativearticle (with ὁδῷ)→ noun-phrase markingτῇ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ὁδῷway / roadDativedative of place (the Exodus route)→ sphere or referenceὁδός: 'way / road'; the desert march, repeated from v. 17 to underline the treachery of attacking travellers en route.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἔκοψένcut down / struckAor Act Indic 3 Sg · κόπτωmain verb (the slaughter of the stragglers)→ constative aorist (the act of cutting down)κόπτω: 'cut / strike / cut down / smite'; renders זָנַב ('attack the rear / cut off the tail'); ἔκοψεν τὴν οὐραγίαν means 'he cut down the rear-guard' — slaughtering the stragglers at the column's tail; the verb's violence (to 'hew down') underscores the brutality against the defenceless.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of possession (with οὐραγίαν: 'your rear-guard')→ relational specificationσύ (gen. σου): 'your'; the rear-guard belongs to Israel — its own weakest members are the victims.
τὴνtheAccusativearticle (with οὐραγίαν)→ noun-phrase markingτὴν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
οὐραγίανrear-guard / stragglersAccusativedirect object of ἔκοψεν (those at the column's tail)→ object specificationοὐραγία: 'rear / rear-guard / those at the tail (οὐρά) of a marching column'; renders the Hebrew verb זִנֵּב ('attack the stragglers'); a military term for the hindmost — here the weak, slow, and exhausted who lagged behind; Amalek's target was precisely the most defenceless, the mark of his cowardice.
τοὺςtheAccusativearticle (with κοπιῶντας, in apposition to οὐραγίαν)→ noun-phrase markingτοὺς: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
κοπιῶνταςweary ones / those toilingPres Act Part Acc Pl Masc · κοπιάωsubstantival participle (apposition to οὐραγίαν: 'the weary ones')→ imperfective present participle (those in a state of exhaustion)κοπιάω: 'grow weary / toil / be exhausted'; the participle οἱ κοπιῶντες ('the weary ones') glosses the rear-guard as the faint and worn-out; renders the Hebrew 'all the feeble who lagged'; the present participle marks their ongoing exhaustion — the very condition Amalek exploited; cognate with ἐκοπίας below.
ὀπίσωbehindpreposition/adverb + genitive (position: 'behind you')→ spatial or relational framingὀπίσω: 'behind / after'; renders אַחֲרֶיךָ; locates the stragglers 'behind' the main body — at the rear where they were cut off and exposed.
σουyouGenitivegenitive governed by ὀπίσω ('behind you')→ relational specificationσου: meaning 'you'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive governed by ὀπίσω ('behind you').
σὺyouNominativeemphatic subject pronoun (contrastive: 'but you')→ participant referenceσύ (nom.): the emphatic nominative 'you' sets up the pathos-laden contrast σὺ δέ ('but you, for your part') — Israel hungry and weary, the assailant striking the helpless.
δὲbut / andcontrastive particle (post-positive)→ discourse linkage or contrastδέ: contrastive — heightening the cowardice by setting Israel's exhausted state against Amalek's aggression.
ἐπείναςyou were hungryImpf Act Indic 2 Sg · πεινάωmain verb (Israel's condition during the attack)→ descriptive imperfect (ongoing state of hunger)πεινάω: 'be hungry / hunger'; renders רָעֵב; the imperfect describes Israel's continuing state — famished in the wilderness; the detail intensifies the indictment: Amalek struck a starving people.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
ἐκοπίαςyou were wearyImpf Act Indic 2 Sg · κοπιάωmain verb (Israel's exhaustion, paralleling the stragglers)→ descriptive imperfect (ongoing state of exhaustion)κοπιάω: 'be weary / toil'; the imperfect ἐκοπίας ('you were exhausted') echoes the participle κοπιῶντας — the whole people, like its stragglers, was spent; the cognate repetition binds Israel's collective weariness to the victims' plight, sharpening Amalek's guilt.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (introducing the indictment)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
οὐκnotnegative particle (with ἐφοβήθη)→ discourse linkage or contrastοὐ: negates the climactic verb — Amalek 'did not fear God.'
ἐφοβήθηfearedAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · φοβέομαιmain verb (the theological indictment of Amalek)→ constative aorist (Amalek's settled godlessness)φοβέομαι: 'fear / reverence'; the deponent aorist ἐφοβήθη with τὸν θεόν ('feared God') invokes the OT 'fear of God' — reverent acknowledgment of God expressed in ethical restraint (cf. Gen 20:11; 42:18); Amalek's failure to 'fear God' is the root cause of his atrocity and the moral ground for the mandate to blot him out; the climactic indictment of the whole remembrance.
τὸνthe / —Accusativearticle (with θεόν)→ noun-phrase markingτὸν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
θεόνGodAccusativedirect object of ἐφοβήθη (the God Amalek did not fear)→ object specificationθεός: 'God'; renders אֱלֹהִים; the object of the fear Amalek lacked; the absence of the 'fear of God' marks him as outside the moral order — a people whose godlessness justifies their erasure (v. 19).
19
καὶ ἔσται ἡνίκα ἐὰν καταπαύσῃ σε κύριος ὁ θεός σου ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου τῶν κύκλῳ σου ἐν τῇ γῇ ᾗ κύριος ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν σοι ἐν κλήρῳ κατακληρονομῆσαι ἐξαλείψεις τὸ ὄνομα Αμαληκ ἐκ τῆς ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ
And it shall be, when the LORD your God gives you rest from all your enemies round about you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, that you shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven; and you shall not forget.
The chapter closes with the apodotic καὶ ἔσται introducing a temporal clause (ἡνίκα ἐάν, 'when') deferring the mandate until YHWH grants rest in the land. The command ἐξαλείψεις τὸ ὄνομα Αμαληκ ('you shall blot out the name of Amalek') deploys the same verb (ἐξαλείφω) that preserved the brother's name in v. 6 — preservation and obliteration framed by one word. The final οὐ μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ ('you shall by no means forget') seals the paradox: Israel must remember in order to erase, an obligation that grounds the war of 1 Sam 15.
Word-by-word analysis· 44 words
καὶandapodotic καί (rendering Hebrew apodosis-waw)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαί: apodotic, with ἔσται introducing the deferred command; renders the Hebrew apodosis-formula.
ἔσταιit shall beFut Mid Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίapodotic formula verb ('and it shall come to pass')→ predictive future (introducing the temporal condition)εἰμί (fut.): καὶ ἔσται renders וְהָיָה, the apodosis-marker, here opening onto a temporal protasis ('when...') before the main command.
ἡνίκαwhentemporal conjunction (introducing the time of fulfilment)→ discourse linkage or contrastἡνίκα: 'when / at the time when'; renders בְּ + infinitive / כַּאֲשֶׁר; with ἐάν + subjunctive it defers the Amalek-mandate to the future moment of settled rest in the land.
ἐὰν—particle (with ἡνίκα + subjunctive: 'whenever')→ discourse linkage or contrastἐάν: here combined with ἡνίκα (= ἡνίκα ἄν) to give the indefinite temporal 'whenever / at whatever time' the rest is granted; takes the subjunctive καταπαύσῃ.
καταπαύσῃgives restAor Act Subj 3 Sg · καταπαύωverb of temporal protasis (YHWH's granting of rest)→ ingressive aorist subjunctive (the granting of rest)καταπαύω: 'cause to rest / give rest / bring to a stop'; renders הֵנִיחַ (Hiphil of נוח); 'YHWH gives you rest from your enemies' is a Deuteronomic land-promise (Deut 12:10; Josh 21:44); the cognate noun κατάπαυσις ('rest') becomes the theme of Heb 3–4; here the precondition for executing the Amalek-mandate — only the settled, victorious nation is to carry it out.
σεyouAccusativedirect object of καταπαύσῃ ('give you rest')→ participant referenceσύ (acc. σε): 'you'; the object of the rest YHWH grants — Israel as a nation.
κύριοςthe LORDNominativesubject of καταπαύσῃ (the divine Giver of rest)→ participant prominenceκύριος: the Tetragrammaton יהוה; the LORD who alone grants Israel rest from its foes; his agency in the rest underwrites the command that follows.
ὁtheNominativearticle (with θεός)→ noun-phrase markingὁ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
θεόςGodNominativeapposition to κύριος ('the LORD your God')→ participant prominenceθεός: 'God'; in the covenant formula 'the LORD your God,' here as the giver of rest in the land.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of relationship (with θεός)→ relational specificationσύ (gen. σου): 'your'; the covenant-possessive of the formula κύριος ὁ θεός σου.
ἀπὸfrompreposition + genitive (separation: rest 'from' enemies)→ spatial or relational framingἀπό: 'from'; with καταπαύω, 'give rest from' — deliverance from hostile pressure.
πάντωνallGenitiveattributive adjective (with ἐχθρῶν: 'all your enemies')→ relational specificationπᾶς: 'all / every'; the rest is comprehensive — 'from all your enemies'; only total security is the setting for the mandate.
τῶνtheGenitivearticle (with ἐχθρῶν)→ noun-phrase markingτῶν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ἐχθρῶνenemiesGenitivegenitive governed by ἀπό (the foes from whom rest is given)→ relational specificationἐχθρός: 'enemy / hostile one'; renders אֹיֵב; the surrounding nations hostile to Israel, of whom Amalek is the archetype; rest from them all is the promised condition of settled life.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of possession (with ἐχθρῶν)→ relational specificationσου: meaning 'your'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of possession (with ἐχθρῶν).
τῶνtheGenitivearticle (with κύκλῳ σου, attributive: 'those round about you')→ noun-phrase markingτῶν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
κύκλῳround aboutadverb (locative: 'on every side')→ clausal contributionκύκλῳ: 'round about / on all sides'; an adverbial dative used as a fixed adverb; renders מִסָּבִיב; the enemies 'round about' are the encircling hostile nations — the rest is from foes on every side.
σουyouGenitivegenitive (with κύκλῳ: 'round about you')→ relational specificationσου: meaning 'you'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive (with κύκλῳ: 'round about you').
ἐνinpreposition + dative (locative: 'in the land')→ spatial or relational framingἐν: 'in'; locating the rest within the promised land.
τῇtheDativearticle (with γῇ)→ noun-phrase markingτῇ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
γῇlandDativedative of place (the land of inheritance)→ sphere or referenceγῆ: 'land'; renders אֶרֶץ; the promised land, the setting of both the rest and the mandate; its gift (echoing v. 15) frames the command as an act of the settled, grateful nation.
ᾗwhichDativerelative pronoun (dative by attraction to γῇ; object of δίδωσιν)→ participant reference or interestὅς: relative pronoun, dative ᾗ by attraction to γῇ (logically accusative as object of δίδωσιν); 'the land which the LORD gives you.'
κύριοςthe LORDNominativesubject of δίδωσιν (the divine Giver of the land)→ participant prominenceκύριος: the Tetragrammaton יהוה; the giver of the land, named a second time in the verse to ground both rest and inheritance in his gift.
ὁtheNominativearticle (with θεός)→ noun-phrase markingὁ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
θεόςGodNominativeapposition to κύριος ('the LORD your God')→ participant prominenceθεός: 'God'; the covenant formula repeated, sealing the land as YHWH's gift.
σουyourGenitivegenitive of relationship (with θεός)→ relational specificationσου: meaning 'your'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as genitive of relationship (with θεός).
δίδωσίνis givingPres Act Indic 3 Sg · δίδωμιverb of relative clause (the gift of the land)→ progressive present (the land in process of being given)δίδωμι: 'give / grant'; the present 'is giving' (as in v. 15) presents the land as a gift currently bestowed; the recurrence binds the Amalek-mandate to the same land-gift that grounded the just-measures command.
σοιto youDativedative indirect object (with δίδωσιν)→ participant reference or interestσοι: meaning 'to you'; pronoun marking person, possession, or reference within the clause; here it functions as dative indirect object (with δίδωσιν).
ἐνas / inpreposition + dative (manner: 'as an inheritance')→ spatial or relational framingἐν: in the idiom ἐν κλήρῳ ('as an inheritance / by lot'), as in v. 15.
κλήρῳinheritance / allotmentDativedative in the idiom ἐν κλήρῳ ('as a possession')→ sphere or referenceκλῆρος: 'lot / inheritance'; the land given 'as an inheritance,' echoing v. 15; the permanence of the κλῆρος is the secure footing from which Amalek's name is to be erased.
κατακληρονομῆσαιto possess / inheritAor Act Inf · κατακληρονομέωinfinitive of purpose (with δίδωσιν: 'gives you to possess')→ telic aorist infinitive (purpose of the going)κατακληρονομέω: 'take/give as an inheritance, possess fully'; the intensive compound κατα- ('thoroughly') with κληρονομέω; renders רָשׁ / נָחַל; the infinitive of purpose — the land is given 'to possess as an inheritance'; full possession of the land is the setting for the final command.
ἐξαλείψειςyou shall blot outFut Act Indic 2 Sg · ἐξαλείφωmain verb of apodosis (the mandate proper)→ jussive future (the binding command)ἐξαλείφω: 'wipe out / blot out / obliterate'; renders מָחָה; the same verb that secured the dead brother's name in v. 6 (negated, οὐκ ἐξαλειφθήσεται) here commands the erasure of Amalek's name — the chapter's two poles, preservation and obliteration, joined by one lexeme; the mandate is to erase Amalek's very memory from history (cf. Exod 17:14, 'I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek'; 1 Sam 15).
τὸtheAccusativearticle (with ὄνομα)→ noun-phrase markingτὸ: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
ὄνομαnameAccusativedirect object of ἐξαλείψεις (Amalek's name to be erased)→ object specificationὄνομα: 'name / memory'; renders שֵׁם / זֵכֶר; to blot out a 'name' is to obliterate identity, line, and remembrance — the exact inverse of the levirate's preservation of a name (v. 6); Amalek's name is to vanish from history.
ΑμαληκAmalekgenitive of relationship (indeclinable: 'the name of Amalek')→ participant identificationΑμαληκ: transliteration of עֲמָלֵק; indeclinable; here in genitive relation to ὄνομα ('the name of Amalek'); the archenemy whose memory Israel is divinely charged to erase.
ἐκfrompreposition + genitive (separation: 'from under heaven')→ spatial or relational framingἐκ: 'from / out of'; marks the total domain from which Amalek's name is to be removed.
τῆςthat which isGenitivearticle (substantivizing the phrase ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν: 'the [region] under heaven')→ noun-phrase markingἡ (article): the feminine article τῆς substantivizes the following prepositional phrase — 'that (land/region) which is under heaven'; the whole expression ἐκ τῆς ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν means 'from under heaven,' i.e. from anywhere on earth.
ὑπὸunderpreposition + accusative (position: 'under heaven')→ spatial or relational framingὑπό + acc.: 'under / beneath'; in the idiom 'under heaven' (ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν), rendering מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם — a merism for the entire inhabited earth.
τὸνtheAccusativearticle (with οὐρανόν)→ noun-phrase markingτὸν: Greek article marking definiteness and the role of the accompanying noun phrase.
οὐρανὸνheaven / skyAccusativeobject of ὑπό (the heaven under which Amalek's name is erased)→ object specificationοὐρανός: 'heaven / sky'; renders שָׁמַיִם; 'from under heaven' is a totalizing expression — Amalek's name is to be erased from the whole world, leaving no place where it survives.
καὶandcoordinate conjunction (final emphatic clause)→ discourse linkage or contrastκαὶ: meaning 'and'; conjunction or particle linking this unit with the surrounding discourse.
οὐnotnegative particle (with μή: emphatic prohibition)→ discourse linkage or contrastοὐ: with μή forms the doubly emphatic negation οὐ μή ('by no means') — the strongest negative in Greek.
μὴnot / by no meansnegative particle (with οὐ + subjunctive: emphatic prohibition)→ discourse linkage or contrastμή: the second negative in οὐ μή + subjunctive, the emphatic prohibitive construction; 'you shall by no means forget.'
ἐπιλάθῃyou shall forgetAor Mid Subj 2 Sg · ἐπιλανθάνομαιverb of emphatic prohibition (the closing command)→ prohibitive aorist subjunctive (with οὐ μή: absolute prohibition)ἐπιλανθάνομαι: 'forget / be forgetful of'; from ἐπί + λανθάνομαι; renders שָׁכַח; the emphatic οὐ μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ ('you shall by no means forget') closes the chapter on a paradox — Israel must remember (μνήσθητι, v. 17) in order to blot out (ἐξαλείψεις), and must never forget the duty to erase; the command to remember bookends and seals the Amalek-mandate.