καὶ ὤρθρισαν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως τὸ πρωί καὶ ἰδοὺ κατεσκαμμένον τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Βααλ καὶ τὸ ἄλσος τὸ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ ἐκκεκομμένον καὶ ὁ μόσχος ὁ σιτευτὸς ἀνηνεγμένος εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ᾠκοδομημένον (Judges 6:28 LXX)
Setting the Scene with a Historical Present
The verse opens with καὶ ὤρθρισαν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως τὸ πρωί — “And the men of the city rose early in the morning.” The aorist verb ὤρθρισαν (from ὀρθρίζω) sets the temporal and narrative pace. But the drama unfolds not in the main verb — but in a cascade of perfect participles that follow.
What they found is expressed not in straightforward narrative verbs, but in an overwhelming grammar of completion: participles in the perfect tense, each one loaded with theological and rhetorical force.
Perfect Participles: The Grammar of Aftermath
The core of this verse revolves around three perfect passive participles, each modifying a noun and signaling a completed state with continuing result. These are not simply actions in the past — they are realities discovered in the morning light.
| Greek | Form | Literal Meaning | Syntactic Function | Theological Implication |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| κατεσκαμμένον | Perfect passive participle, accusative neuter sg. | “having been torn down” | Modifies τὸ θυσιαστήριον | The destruction is not just past — it is evident and enduring |
| ἐκκεκομμένον | Perfect passive participle, accusative neuter sg. | “having been cut down” | Modifies τὸ ἄλσος | The idolatrous grove lies cut — its ruin is final |
| ἀνηνεγμένος | Perfect passive participle, nominative masculine sg. | “having been offered up” | Refers to ὁ μόσχος | The sacrifice has already been made; its smoke still lingers |
These participles carry not only grammatical weight but narrative function: they are visually descriptive, capturing what the villagers see — the evidence of a spiritual revolt.
Word Order and Emphasis: The Disrupted Altar Comes First
The LXX does not simply list events. It carefully structures its phrasing for rhetorical impact:
– The first participle κατεσκαμμένον precedes τὸ θυσιαστήριον, placing the act of destruction before the object.
– Similarly, ἐκκεκομμένον precedes τὸ ἄλσος.
This pre-positioning of the participle creates a shock effect — the grammar leads with the ruin, forcing the reader to confront the result before even knowing what lies ruined.
Theological Drama Through Participial Sequence
Each perfect participle carries theological freight:
– κατεσκαμμένον: God’s war against idolatry begins with the overthrow of altars. The verb is used elsewhere for laying waste cities or demolishing walls. Gideon’s act is thus not vandalism — it is holy warfare.
– ἐκκεκομμένον: This participle, from ἐκκόπτω, intensifies the removal — not just cut, but cut out, uprooted. The ἄλσος (grove) was more than trees — it was a sanctuary for Asherah. Its removal is surgical, total.
– ἀνηνεγμένος: The bull offered upon the new altar, in contrast to Baal’s, introduces a new worship. The use of the perfect implies: the act is done, irrevocable. The Hebrew emphasizes the same — the offering has already gone up.
Septuagintal Style: A Syntax of Completion
Koine Greek normally prefers aorist participles for narrative flow. But here, the Septuagint departs from convention:
– It prefers perfect passive forms — slowing the narrative to highlight visible change.
– This choice reveals the influence of the Hebrew perfect (or wayyiqtol + perfect contrast) and reflects the translator’s aim: to match the persistence of action with Greek forms that convey ongoing results.
A Word for the Reader
Perfect participles are rarely taught with reverence. Yet in Judges 6:28 LXX, they bear witness to divine interruption — Gideon’s midnight obedience, Baal’s shattered altar, the silent stump of Asherah, the smoldering remains of a new sacrifice.
The grammar itself — frozen in perfect tense — proclaims: the idols have fallen and a new altar stands.
This is what sacred Greek can do. It shows us not only what happened, but what remains true even now. Let the participles preach.
