Matthew 19 — Clausal Layout (Greek)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

Marriage, divorce, and eunuchs for the kingdom 19:1–12

vv. 1–2 — the fourth discourse closed; the journey to Judea

Καὶ ἐγένετοindependent — Matthew's discourse-closing formula opens — the road to Jerusalem begins

ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοὺς λόγους τούτους,conditional — temporal ὅτε (typed cnd) — ἐτέλεσεν, the five-fold discourse-closing verb (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 26:1)

μετῆρεν ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίαςindependent — asyndetic apodosis of the ἐγένετο-frame — Galilee left behind

καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὰ ὅρια τῆς Ἰουδαίας πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου.independent — the Perean route east of the river — coordinate aorist

καὶ ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοί,independent — the summary notice — the crowds still following

καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖ.independent — healing frames the controversy that follows

vv. 3–6 — the test-question answered from creation

Καὶ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ Φαρισαῖοιindependent — the controversy opens

πειράζοντες αὐτὸν καὶ λέγοντες·participial — telic πειράζοντες — the question is a trap

Εἰ ἔξεστιν ἀνθρώπῳ ἀπολῦσαι τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ κατὰ πᾶσαν αἰτίαν;content — κατὰ πᾶσαν αἰτίαν — the lax Hillelite slogan, baiting the Hillel–Shammai divide

ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν·independent — the reply — a counter-question from Scripture

Οὐκ ἀνέγνωτεcontent — the scriptural rebuke (cf. 12:3; 21:42) — expecting 'yes'

ὅτι ὁ κτίσας ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς;content — Gen 1:27 — ὁ κτίσας read (ὁ ποιήσας the rival reading); behind Moses to creation

καὶ εἶπεν·content — subjectless εἶπεν — the Creator of v. 4 still speaks

Ἕνεκα τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέραcontent — Gen 2:24 — the marriage ordinance in the Creator's own mouth

καὶ κολληθήσεται τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ,content — κολληθήσεται — glued fast; the second gnomic future

καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν;content — ἔσονται εἰς — the Semitic 'become'; the one-flesh union

ὥστε οὐκέτι εἰσὶν δύο ἀλλὰ σὰρξ μία.content — inferential ὥστε — Jesus draws the conclusion from the two texts

ὃ οὖν ὁ θεὸς συνέζευξεν ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωριζέτω.content — the climactic prohibition — the fronted relative (what God yoked) before μὴ χωριζέτω: a divine act no human may undo

vv. 7–9 — Moses' concession and the porneia-ruling

λέγουσιν αὐτῷ·independent — historic present, asyndetic — the counter-objection

Τί οὖν Μωϋσῆς ἐνετείλατο δοῦναι βιβλίον ἀποστασίου καὶ ἀπολῦσαι αὐτήν;content — Deut 24:1 pressed back — Moses 'commanded,' they claim

λέγει αὐτοῖς ὅτιindependent — historic present with recitative ὅτι

Μωϋσῆς πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ὑμῶν ἐπέτρεψεν ὑμῖν ἀπολῦσαι τὰς γυναῖκας ὑμῶν·content — ἐπέτρεψεν — permitted, not commanded; the concession diagnosed

ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς δὲ οὐ γέγονεν οὕτως.content — ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς echoes v. 4 — origin outranks concession; perfect γέγονεν

λέγω δὲ ὑμῖνcontent — λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν — Jesus' own ruling, above the Mosaic concession

ὅτι ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦconditional — conditional relative ὃς ἄν (typed cnd) — leaning forward on μοιχᾶται

μὴ ἐπὶ πορνείᾳphrase modifier — THE exceptive clause — μὴ ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ; a strong stream reads παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας, and many witnesses append the divorced-woman clause (both from 5:32)

καὶ γαμήσῃ ἄλληνconditional — the second condition — remarriage completes the offense

μοιχᾶται.content — the one-word apodosis — the gnomic verdict

vv. 10–12 — better not to marry? the eunuch saying

λέγουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ·independent — historic present — the disciples' demurral

Εἰ οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ αἰτία τοῦ ἀνθρώπου μετὰ τῆς γυναικός,conditional — protasis inside speech — αἰτία picks up the Pharisees' πᾶσαν αἰτίαν (v. 3)

οὐ συμφέρει γαμῆσαι.content — the apodosis — marriage so bound may not be 'worth it'

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς·independent — the qualified reply

Οὐ πάντες χωροῦσιν τὸν λόγον τοῦτον,content — χωρέω — make room for; the saying is not for everyone

ἀλλ’ οἷς δέδοται.content — elliptical — divine passive δέδοται: celibacy a gift, not a rule

εἰσὶν γὰρ εὐνοῦχοιcause — γάρ grounds the gift — the first class

οἵτινες ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς ἐγεννήθησαν οὕτως,relative — born so — congenital

καὶ εἰσὶν εὐνοῦχοιcause — the second class — the refrain repeats

οἵτινες εὐνουχίσθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων,relative — made so — by human hands

καὶ εἰσὶν εὐνοῦχοιcause — the third, climactic class

οἵτινες εὐνούχισαν ἑαυτοὺς διὰ τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.relative — the kingdom-eunuch — voluntary renunciation, metaphorical not surgical

ὁ δυνάμενος χωρεῖν χωρείτω.content — the closing maxim — χωρεῖν echoed from v. 11: vocation, not obligation

Let the little children come 19:13–15

Τότε προσηνέχθησαν αὐτῷ παιδίαindependent — τότε — Matthew's scene-marker; the passive: others bring them

ἵνα τὰς χεῖρας ἐπιθῇ αὐτοῖςpurpose — the intent — the blessing-gesture

καὶ προσεύξηται·purpose — coordinate purpose — blessing and prayer

οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ἐπετίμησαν αὐτοῖς.independent — the disciples as gatekeepers — the rebuke about to be reversed

ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν·independent — the reversal

Ἄφετε τὰ παιδίαcontent — the permission commanded

καὶ μὴ κωλύετε αὐτὰ ἐλθεῖν πρός με,content — μὴ κωλύετε — stop hindering; the paired imperatives

τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.cause — τῶν τοιούτων fronted — 'to such as these' (cf. 18:3–4), not the children only

καὶ ἐπιθεὶς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῖςparticipial — preposed aorist participle — the blessing enacted; leans on ἐπορεύθη

ἐπορεύθη ἐκεῖθεν.independent — the scene closes — the journey resumes

The rich young man and the eye of the needle 19:16–26

vv. 16–20 — the commandments kept, the lack confessed

Καὶ ἰδοὺ εἷς προσελθὼν αὐτῷ εἶπεν·independent — ἰδού spotlights the new figure — 'one,' unnamed

Διδάσκαλε,phrase modifier — vocative of address — the bare Διδάσκαλε read, not the Byzantine 'Good Teacher' (from Mark/Luke)

τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσωcontent — the works-question — salvation framed as a deed to perform

ἵνα σχῶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον;purpose — ingressive σχῶ — to gain the life of the age

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ·independent — the redirection

Τί με ἐρωτᾷς περὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ;content — Matthew's form of the crux — not the Markan 'Why do you call me good?'

εἷς ἐστιν ὁ ἀγαθός.content — the good deflected to God alone

εἰ δὲ θέλεις εἰς τὴν ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν,conditional — protasis inside speech — leaning forward on τήρησον

τήρησον τὰς ἐντολάς.content — the apodosis — τήρησον read against the variant τήρει

λέγει αὐτῷ·independent — historic present — the probe

Ποίας;content — verbless — one word, sc. ἐντολάς

ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν·independent — the answer — the second table of the Decalogue

Τὸ Οὐ φονεύσεις,content — Exod 20:13 — the catena begins; τό quotes the command as a unit

Οὐ μοιχεύσεις,content — Exod 20:14 — after vv. 3–9, pointedly

Οὐ κλέψεις,content — Exod 20:15

Οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις,content — Exod 20:16

Τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα,content — Exod 20:12 — the fifth commandment

καὶ Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν.content — Lev 19:18 — Matthew's cap on the list (cf. 22:39), already hinting at what is lacking

λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ νεανίσκος·independent — historic present — only here is he called νεανίσκος

Πάντα ταῦτα ἐφύλαξα·content — the confident claim — ἐφύλαξα without Mark's 'from my youth'

τί ἔτι ὑστερῶ;content — ὑστερῶ — the restless question exposing the deficit

vv. 21–22 — the one thing, and the sorrowful exit

ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς·independent — the demand

Εἰ θέλεις τέλειος εἶναι,conditional — protasis inside speech — τέλειος, whole-hearted (5:48); leaning on the imperative chain

ὕπαγεcontent — the chain of imperatives begins

πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχονταcontent — the renunciation named

καὶ δὸς τοῖς πτωχοῖς,content — the wealth transferred to the poor

καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς,content — the promise — treasure relocated (6:19–21)

καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι.content — the point of it all — durative ἀκολούθει: discipleship, not mere philanthropy

ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ νεανίσκος τὸν λόγονparticipial — preposed aorist participle — leans on ἀπῆλθεν

ἀπῆλθεν λυπούμενος,independent — the tragic exit — he leaves sadder than he came

ἦν γὰρ ἔχων κτήματα πολλά.cause — periphrastic imperfect — the diagnosis: the wealth held him

vv. 23–26 — the camel, the needle, and the possible God

Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ·independent — the incident becomes a lesson

Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖνcontent — the solemn ἀμήν-formula

ὅτι πλούσιος δυσκόλως εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.content — δυσκόλως — hard, not yet impossible; v. 24 sharpens it

πάλιν δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν,content — πάλιν — the saying intensified

εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστιν κάμηλον διὰ τρυπήματος ῥαφίδος διελθεῖνcontent — the adynaton — κάμηλος original; the 'rope' (κάμιλος) a late conjecture, the 'Needle Gate' a fable

ἢ πλούσιον εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ.comparative — the second member of the comparison — 'kingdom of God,' varying Matthew's usual 'of heaven'

ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶparticipial — preposed aorist participle — leans on ἐξεπλήσσοντο

ἐξεπλήσσοντο σφόδραindependent — imperfect — wealth was supposed to signal divine favor

λέγοντες·participial — speech-participle — the frame for the stunned question

Τίς ἄρα δύναται σωθῆναι;content — the adynaton pressed universal — if not the rich, who?

ἐμβλέψας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦςparticipial — preposed aorist participle — the fixed gaze before the answer; leans on εἶπεν

εἶπεν αὐτοῖς·independent — the resolution of the pericope

Παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοῦτο ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν,content — ἀδύνατον — the difficulty of v. 23 now named impossibility

παρὰ δὲ θεῷ πάντα δυνατά.content — verbless — Gen 18:14 / Job 42:2 echo: salvation is God's possibility, not man's

The hundredfold, the twelve thrones, and the last first 19:27–30

Τότε ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Πέτρος εἶπεν αὐτῷ·independent — Peter as spokesman — the pleonastic 'answered and said'

Ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πάνταcontent — emphatic ἡμεῖς — we, unlike the young man

καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι·content — the claim — v. 21's double demand met

τί ἄρα ἔσται ἡμῖν;content — the blunt question of reward

ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς·independent — the twofold promise begins

Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖνcontent — the ἀμήν-formula again

ὅτι ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀκολουθήσαντές μοι,phrase modifier — casus pendens — the suspended subject, resumed by καὶ ὑμεῖς below; leans on καθήσεσθε

ἐν τῇ παλιγγενεσίᾳ,phrase modifier — παλιγγενεσία — the renewed cosmos; read with καθήσεσθε below

ὅταν καθίσῃ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ,conditional — temporal ὅταν (typed cnd) — Dan 7:13–14; the enthronement of the Son of Man

καθήσεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνουςcontent — the apodosis — the Twelve share the throne-session

κρίνοντες τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ.participial — κρίνοντες — judging or ruling; Israel restored under the apostolic college

καὶ πᾶς ὅστις ἀφῆκεν οἰκίας ἢ ἀδελφοὺς ἢ ἀδελφὰς ἢ πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ἢ τέκνα ἢ ἀγροὺς ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματός μου,conditional — casus pendens — πᾶς ὅστις (typed cnd), leaning on λήμψεται; some witnesses add 'or wife'

ἑκατονταπλασίονα λήμψεταιcontent — ἑκατονταπλασίονα read (πολλαπλασίονα the Lukan assimilation) — beyond the Twelve, to all who leave

καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσει.content — the very ζωὴ αἰώνιος the young man asked for (v. 16) — inherited, not earned

πολλοὶ δὲ ἔσονται πρῶτοι ἔσχατοιcontent — the reversal proverb — a check on presumption, framing 20:1–16

καὶ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι.content — chiastic, verb elided — repeated verbatim at 20:16 to close the vineyard parable

Analysis. Matthew 19 is dialogue nearly all the way down, and the page shows it: short purple narrative frames flush left — Matthew's δέ- and τότε-transitions and his historic presents (λέγουσιν, λέγει, tagged as they land) — with almost everything else hanging blue (cnt) beneath a verb of saying. The divorce dispute (vv. 3–9) builds the deepest stack: the Pharisees' trap-question under λέγοντες, Jesus' counter-question Οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε carrying the two creation texts as a citation chain — Gen 1:27 directly under the verb of reading, Gen 2:24 a step deeper under the subjectless καὶ εἶπεν (the Creator of v. 4 still speaking) — and his own ruling in v. 9, where the ὃς-ἄν protasis leans forward on the one-word verdict μοιχᾶται and the exceptive μὴ ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ sits on its own dashed line: the famous Matthean exception, printed in its shorter form against παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας and the appended divorced-woman clause (both assimilations to 5:32). The eunuch saying (vv. 10–12) hangs its threefold εἰσὶν-γάρ catena under δέδοται — celibacy as gift, not rule — closed by the maxim ὁ δυνάμενος χωρεῖν χωρείτω. The children (vv. 13–15) and the rich young man (vv. 16–22) run parallel to Mark 10, but Matthew's redaction is flagged where the layout meets it: the bare Διδάσκαλε and Τί με ἐρωτᾷς περὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ; (not Mark's 'Why do you call me good?'), the Decalogue catena capped by Lev 19:18, and the Εἰ-θέλεις protases leaning forward on their imperatives (τήρησον, then the chain ὕπαγε–πώλησον–δός–ἀκολούθει). The camel-saying (vv. 23–26) steps down from δυσκόλως to ἀδύνατον to the verbless παρὰ δὲ θεῷ πάντα δυνατά (echoing Gen 18:14); κάμηλος is original, the 'rope' (κάμιλος) a late conjecture without manuscript warrant. In the closing promise (vv. 27–30) the suspended subjects — ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀκολουθήσαντες and πᾶς ὅστις ἀφῆκεν, both casus pendens — lean one deeper than their apodoses (καθήσεσθε, λήμψεται), and the whole is sealed by the chiastic reversal proverb that frames the vineyard parable it introduces (20:1–16).