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Grammar Analysis: Mark 14:61–64

Text

Greek (v. 61): ὁ δὲ ἐσιώπα καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο οὐδέν. πάλιν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐπηρώτα αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ;

Greek (v. 62): ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν Ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ ὄψεσθε τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ δεξιῶν καθήμενον τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ ἐρχόμενον μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.

Greek (v. 63): ὁ δὲ ἀρχιερεὺς διαρρήξας τοὺς χιτῶνας αὐτοῦ λέγει Τί ἔτι χρείαν ἔχομεν μαρτύρων;

Greek (v. 64): ἠκούσατε τῆς βλασφημίας· τί ὑμῖν φαίνεται; οἱ δὲ πάντες κατέκριναν αὐτὸν ἔνοχον εἶναι θανάτου.

KJV (v. 61): But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? KJV (v. 62): And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. KJV (v. 63): Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? KJV (v. 64): Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.

Word-by-Word Parsing

Mark 14:61

# Word Lemma Strong Parsing Gloss
1 ὁ ὁ G3588 T-NSM the (he)
2 δὲ δέ G1161 CONJ but
3 ἐσιώπα σιωπάω G4623 V-IAI-3S Impf.Act.Ind.3s was silent (kept silent)
4 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
5 οὐκ οὐ G3756 PRT-N not
6 ἀπεκρίνατο ἀποκρίνομαι G611 V-ADI-3S Aor.Mid.Ind.3s answered
7 οὐδέν οὐδείς G3762 A-ASN-N nothing
8 πάλιν πάλιν G3825 ADV again
9 ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἀρχιερεύς G749 N-NSM the high priest
10 ἐπηρώτα ἐπερωτάω G1905 V-IAI-3S Impf.Act.Ind.3s was questioning
11 αὐτὸν αὐτός G846 P-ASM him
12 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
13 λέγει λέγω G3004 V-PAI-3S Pres.Act.Ind.3s says (historic present)
14 αὐτῷ αὐτός G846 P-DSM to him
15 Σὺ σύ G4771 P-2NS emph. pron. you (emphatic)
16 εἶ εἰμί G1510 V-PAI-2S Pres.Act.Ind.2s are
17 ὁ Χριστὸς Χριστός G5547 N-NSM the Christ/Messiah
18 ὁ Υἱὸς υἱός G5207 N-NSM the Son
19 τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ εὐλογητός G2128 A-GSM of the Blessed One

Mark 14:62

# Word Lemma Strong Parsing Gloss
1 ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς Ἰησοῦς G2424 N-NSM but Jesus
2 εἶπεν λέγω G3004 V-2AAI-3S Aor.Act.Ind.3s said
3 Ἐγώ ἐγώ G1473 P-1NS emph. pron. I (emphatic)
4 εἰμι εἰμί G1510 V-PAI-1S Pres.Act.Ind.1s am
5 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
6 ὄψεσθε ὁράω G3708 V-FDI-2P Fut.Mid(Dep).Ind.2p you (pl.) shall see
7 τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου υἱός + ἄνθρωπος G5207+G444 N-ASM + N-GSM the Son of Man
8 ἐκ δεξιῶν δεξιός G1537+G1188 PREP + A-GPN from (the) right (parts)
9 καθήμενον κάθημαι G2521 V-PNP-ASM Pres.M/P.Ptcp.Acc.Sg.M sitting
10 τῆς δυνάμεως δύναμις G1411 N-GSF of the Power
11 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
12 ἐρχόμενον ἔρχομαι G2064 V-PNP-ASM Pres.M/P.Ptcp.Acc.Sg.M coming
13 μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν νεφέλη G3326+G3507 PREP + N-GPF with the clouds
14 τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οὐρανός G3772 N-GSM of heaven

Mark 14:63

# Word Lemma Strong Parsing Gloss
1 ὁ δὲ ἀρχιερεὺς ἀρχιερεύς G749 N-NSM but the high priest
2 διαρρήξας διαρρήγνυμι G1284 V-AAP-NSM Aor.Act.Ptcp.Nom.Sg.M having torn
3 τοὺς χιτῶνας χιτών G5509 N-APM the tunics
4 αὐτοῦ αὐτός G846 P-GSM of him
5 λέγει λέγω G3004 V-PAI-3S Pres.Act.Ind.3s says (historic present)
6 Τί τίς G5101 I-ASN what?
7 ἔτι ἔτι G2089 ADV still / further
8 χρείαν χρεία G5532 N-ASF need
9 ἔχομεν ἔχω G2192 V-PAI-1P have we
10 μαρτύρων μάρτυς G3144 N-GPM of witnesses

Mark 14:64

# Word Lemma Strong Parsing Gloss
1 ἠκούσατε ἀκούω G191 V-AAI-2P Aor.Act.Ind.2p you (pl.) have heard
2 τῆς βλασφημίας βλασφημία G988 N-GSF the blasphemy (gen. w/ verb of hearing)
3 τί τίς G5101 I-NSN what
4 ὑμῖν σύ G4771 P-2DP to you (pl.)
5 φαίνεται φαίνω G5316 V-PEI-3S Pres.M/P.Ind.3s appears / seems
6 οἱ δὲ πάντες πᾶς G3956 A-NPM but they all
7 κατέκριναν κατακρίνω G2632 V-AAI-3P Aor.Act.Ind.3p condemned
8 αὐτὸν αὐτός G846 P-ASM him
9 ἔνοχον ἔνοχος G1777 A-ASM liable / guilty
10 εἶναι εἰμί G1510 V-PAN Pres.Act.Inf to be
11 θανάτου θάνατος G2288 N-GSM of death (gen. of penalty)

Key Grammatical Features

1. v. 61 — Imperfect pair ἐσιώπα … ἐπηρώτα: durative silence vs. repeated questioning

  • Forms: σιωπάω G4623 V-IAI-3S + ἐπερωτάω G1905 V-IAI-3S, flanked by aor.mid.ind. ἀπεκρίνατο (G611) in the middle of the verse.
  • Significance: The imperfect of σιωπάω views Jesus's silence as an ongoing state during the interrogation (cf. Isa 53:7 LXX οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ); the point-aorist ἀπεκρίνατο οὐδέν sharply seals that silence as a completed non-answer to all prior charges. Then the second imperfect ἐπηρώτα portrays the high priest's questioning as iterative/conative — "was pressing him again" — setting up the decisive question that finally breaks the silence. The aspectual shift (impf → aor → impf → hist.pres. λέγει) is Markan narrative texture: the λέγει historic present then zooms to Caiaphas' face-to-face charge.
  • Reinforcement: Mark piles up three negatives (οὐκ … οὐδέν) for emphatic non-answer ("not … nothing whatever").

2. v. 61 — Caiaphas' question framing: Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ;

  • Form: emphatic-pronoun Σύ (G4771 P-2NS) + PAI-2S εἶ of εἰμί + double articular pred-nominative ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ with a genitive-of-source/relation τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ (G2128, substantival adj.).
  • Significance: Greek does not require the subject pronoun with a finite verb; fronted Σύ is emphatic — "are you the Christ…?" The articular pred-nominative (Colwell context) marks identification, not classification: Caiaphas is asking whether Jesus identifies himself with the eschatological titles. τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ is a Jewish circumlocution for God (cf. ha-Baruk; m. Ber. 7:3; 2 Cor 11:31 ὁ ὢν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας) — Mark preserves the Semitic reverential substitution for the divine Name, which makes the following self-designation in v. 62 ("right hand of the Power") stylistically consistent and pragmatically sharp. The appositional "Son of the Blessed" stacks Messianic kingship (Χριστός, Psa 2:2 LXX) onto divine-Sonship (2 Sam 7:14; Psa 2:7; 4QFlor; Dead Sea Son of God text 4Q246), so the question is legally loaded even before Jesus answers.
  • Grammar reference: genitive-of-quality-apposition for substantival-adjective genitive; son-of-X-semitic-idiom for υἱός + divine-descriptor patterns.

3. v. 62 — Ἐγώ εἰμι: emphatic self-predication

  • Form: fronted Ἐγώ (G1473 P-1NS) + εἰμί (G1510 V-PAI-1S). Redundant subject-pronoun with a finite verb in Greek — always emphatic, focal, or contrastive (Wallace 321; BDF §277).
  • Significance: At minimum this is an unambiguous affirmative answer to Caiaphas' Σὺ εἶ ("are you…?" — "I am"). But Mark's wording is also the exact LXX divine-self-designation phrase used by God in the Pentateuch and Isaiah (ἐγώ εἰμι = אֲנִי הוּא / אֲנִי יהוה of Exo 3:14; Deut 32:39; Isa 41:4; 43:10, 13, 25; 46:4; 48:12; 51:12). Whether Mark intends it as a full divine-self-predication or only as an emphatic affirmative (or both) is an exegetical question the grammar does not force; the form is compatible with either and will be read in light of the immediately following double-prophecy (which makes the theophanic reading hard to escape). Matthew's parallel softens with Σὺ εἶπας (Matt 26:64, "you said [it]") — Mark's starker ἐγώ εἰμι is the form the Sanhedrin hears.
  • Word study: G1510-eimi.

4. v. 62 — Double-prophecy: participle-pair καθήμενον / ἐρχόμενον (Dan 7:13 + Psa 110:1 fusion)

  • Form: future-middle-indicative (deponent) ὄψεσθε (G3708 V-FDI-2P) introduces a vision-content complement ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (acc.sg.m.) modified by two coordinated present middle/passive (deponent) participles in concord: καθήμενον (V-PNP-ASM, κάθημαι G2521) + ἐρχόμενον (V-PNP-ASM, ἔρχομαι G2064), joined by καί.
  • Significance: The ASM pair shares a single antecedent (τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου) — one enthroned subject doing two simultaneous, ongoing actions ("sitting … and coming"). The two participles fuse two distinct OT texts onto one figure:
  • Psa 110:1 LXX κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου / MT שֵׁב לִימִינִי → καθήμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν τῆς δυνάμεως;
  • Dan 7:13 MT כְּבַר אֱנָשׁ עִם־עֲנָנֵי שְׁמַיָּא אָתֵה הֲוָה / LXX-OG + Theodotion μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ → ἐρχόμενον μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.
  • The Dan 7 figure (royal investiture before the Ancient of Days, recipient of universal dominion) is united with the Psa 110 figure (YHWH's right-hand co-regent addressed as ʾăḏōnāy) — both predicates attach to the Son of Man title. The future-tense ὄψεσθε (addressed 2nd-pl. to the judges themselves) turns the passage from a self-defense into a direct counter-verdict: "you will see…". Present-aspect participles mark the state-actions as durative/ongoing rather than instantaneous (he will not merely "sit down" and "arrive" — he will be found enthroned and en route). Mark's θεωρέω/ὄψομαι vision-verb pairs this with apocalyptic see-language: cf. Rev 1:7 ἰδοὺ ἔρχεται μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν καὶ ὄψεται αὐτὸν πᾶς ὀφθαλμός which citationally chains Dan 7:13 + Zech 12:10 around this same triad (coming / with clouds / they will see).
  • Word-order variant: Mark places καθήμενον before its genitive governor (ἐκ δεξιῶν καθήμενον τῆς δυνάμεως) — hyperbaton splitting δυνάμεως off from δεξιῶν for focus-weighting on sitting; Matt 26:64 and Luke 22:69 normalize order. Mark's τῆς δυνάμεως (articular, absolute) is another divine circumlocution matching v. 61 τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ (cf. rabbinic ha-Gevurah / b. Sanh. 43a, 56b; Exo 15:6, Deut 9:29 LXX; 1 Macc 3:19) — Jesus adopts the priest's reverential register to name the One at whose right hand he sits.
  • Grammar reference: paired-middle-participles for two coordinated M/P participles under a single subject.
  • Word studies: G5207-huios, G444-anthropos, G2521-kathizo (related κάθημαι; cognate G2523), G2064-erchomai, G1411-dynamis, TR-anan-nephele, TR-bo-erchomai, TR-shamayim-ouranos, TR-ben-huios, TR-mashiyach-christos.

5. v. 63 — Aorist participle διαρρήξας + historic-present λέγει: Caiaphas' ritual-judicial reaction

  • Form: διαρρήξας (διαρρήγνυμι G1284, V-AAP-NSM aor.act.ptcp., "having torn apart") expresses antecedent action to λέγει (pres.act.ind.3s, historic present). Plural object τοὺς χιτῶνας αὐτοῦ ("his tunics/garments").
  • Significance: Aorist adverbial participle preceding main verb is the standard Greek "having X-ed, he does Y" frame (BDF §339; Wallace 623–628 — antecedent/attendant circumstance); Mark's historic-present λέγει gives the scene narrative vividness. The tearing of clothes (קְרִיעָה qəri'ah) is the legally prescribed reaction of a judge/witness who has heard blasphemy (m. Sanh. 7:5; cf. 2 Kgs 18:37; 19:1; Acts 14:14); the plural χιτῶνας (inner + outer garments or plural-for-intensification; distributive or inclusive plural) may emphasize the completeness of the ritual gesture. The rhetorical question Τί ἔτι χρείαν ἔχομεν μαρτύρων; ("why do we still need witnesses?") inverts v. 55–59 where Mark has just reported the Sanhedrin's failure to produce consistent witnesses — Caiaphas now treats Jesus' own words as sufficient self-incrimination, converting the defendant into his own prosecution witness.

6. v. 64 — Aorist ἠκούσατε + verdict κατέκριναν ἔνοχον εἶναι θανάτου

  • Forms: ἠκούσατε (ἀκούω G191, V-AAI-2P) + genitive-complement τῆς βλασφημίας (genitive of the thing heard — Wallace 133; BDF §173); κατέκριναν (κατακρίνω G2632, V-AAI-3P) + accusative object αὐτόν + predicate-accusative ἔνοχον (G1777) + εἶναι (pres.act.inf., epexegetical/content inf.) + θανάτου (genitive of penalty governed by ἔνοχος — BDAG ἔνοχος §2.b, "liable/subject to").
  • Significance: The aorist ἠκούσατε presents the blasphemy as a completed, self-evident event ("you have heard [it just now]"); the genitive is the characteristic case with ἀκούω for the source-content of hearing, fitting the forensic register where a judgement is delivered about what was heard. The verdict-construction is classical Greek legal-idiom: κατακρίνω τινά + ἔνοχον εἶναι + gen. of penalty = "condemn someone as liable-to [death]." The infinitive εἶναι carries the predication ("[declared him] to be liable to death"); θανάτου is genitive of the punishment to which the defendant is now bound. The expression is formulaic — cf. Matt 26:66 ἔνοχος θανάτου ἐστίν; Deut 19:6 LXX; Lev 24:16 LXX (blasphemy→death); Num 35:31 (death-penalty law). οἱ δὲ πάντες (G3956, A-NPM) stresses unanimity — the condemnation is not a majority but a whole-body verdict (contrast Luke 23:51 where Joseph of Arimathea had not consented to Sanhedrin action, which Mark does not here qualify for this particular ruling). φαίνεται (G5316 V-PEI-3S, middle/passive present) in the prior clause ("how does it appear to you?") uses the standard formula for soliciting a judicial opinion (cf. Matt 22:17, 42; 26:66).
  • Word studies: G988-blasphemia, G2288-thanatos, TR-maveth-thanatos, WG-blasphemy.

Clause Structure (Greek narrative flow)

v. Clause Type Function
61a ὁ δὲ ἐσιώπα Impf mainline background-state (ongoing silence)
61a καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο οὐδέν Aor mainline completive non-answer
61b πάλιν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐπηρώτα αὐτόν Impf mainline iterative/conative questioning
61b καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ … Hist.pres. scene-zoom to direct speech
61b Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ; Interrog. copula (PAI-2S) legal question
62a ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν Ἐγώ εἰμι Aor mainline + emph. copula direct affirmation
62b καὶ ὄψεσθε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου … καθήμενον … καὶ ἐρχόμενον … Fut mainline + paired PNP-ASM ptcc prophecy (Psa 110:1 + Dan 7:13 fusion)
63 ὁ δὲ ἀρχιερεὺς διαρρήξας τοὺς χιτῶνας αὐτοῦ λέγει AAP-NSM + hist.pres. ritual reaction + vivid speech
63 Τί ἔτι χρείαν ἔχομεν μαρτύρων; Rhetorical question closes evidence phase
64a ἠκούσατε τῆς βλασφημίας Aor Ind + gen. of thing heard prosecutorial summation
64a τί ὑμῖν φαίνεται; Pres ind. deliberative question verdict-polling formula
64b οἱ δὲ πάντες κατέκριναν αὐτὸν ἔνοχον εἶναι θανάτου Aor mainline + double-acc + inf + gen. of penalty unanimous verdict

Intertextual Grid (grammar-level, not argument-level)

Element Mark 14 Source text Lexical match
"I am" affirmation Ἐγώ εἰμι Exo 3:14; Isa 41:4; 43:10; 46:4; 52:6 LXX ἐγώ εἰμι identical
"Right hand" enthronement ἐκ δεξιῶν … τῆς δυνάμεως Psa 109(110):1 LXX κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου ἐκ δεξιῶν + κάθημαι
"Son of Man" + clouds υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου … μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ Dan 7:13 LXX-OG μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἤρχετο; Theod. similar υἱός ἀνθρώπου + μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ
Circumlocution for God τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ / τῆς δυνάμεως m. Ber. 7:3 ha-Baruk; b. Sanh. 56b ha-Gevurah reverential substitutes
Ritual tearing at blasphemy διαρρήξας τοὺς χιτῶνας m. Sanh. 7:5 qəri'ah judge's tearing at blasphemy
Death penalty for blasphemy ἔνοχον … θανάτου Lev 24:16 LXX θανάτῳ θανατούσθω liability-to-death formula

Cross-References