Luke 24:5

I had to do a bit of research for this, but now I'm finally getting around to writing about something I noticed in the Gospel reading for Easter, Luke 24:1-12.

In addition to attending church services pretty regularly, I watch Worship Anew every week, during which I follow along with the readings (but in German).  While watching the Easter program of Worship Anew, I noticed something about Luke 24:5, specifically:  "Was sucht ihr den Lebenden bei den Toten?" ("Why do you seek the living among the dead?").  In both German and English, there's a participle (Lebenden, living) acting as a substantive (the living [one]).  I think it's significant that this is a participle, not just a regular adjective.  A participle is defined as a verbal adjective, and since it's "part verb" (so to speak), it has something of the action qualities of a verb.  This contrasts with the static nature of "den Toten" ("the dead"), which is merely an adjective (and also used as a substantive).  Even in just the parts of speech, then, there's a picture of the resurrection.

I lookt up the original Greek in the STEP Bible from Tyndale House, which I recently learned about via the Daily Dose of Greek.  Although my knowledge of Greek is still insufficient, I think living is a participle there too:  "τι ζητειτε τον ζωντα μετα των νεκρων;"

Psalm 23:4

For Good Shepherd Sunday, the Psalm reading was Psalm 23.  Following along in the German, I noticed some significant alliteration in verse 4:  "Und ob ich schon wanderte im finstern Tal, fürchte ich kein Unglück; denn du bist bei mir, dein Stecken und Stab trösten mich."  In English, this is "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

The rod and staff are what the shepherd uses to guide the sheep and to maintain order.  In the German, this order is emphasized through that alliteration:  "dein Stecken und Stab trösten mich."

Looking just at the English, it occurs to me that "your rod and your staff, they comfort me" is pleonastic.  Grammatically, the "they" is redundant, but the restatement of "your rod and staff" (even if it's only as a pronoun) illustrates the assurance that their presence provides.