Which phrase best defines "paraphrase"?

a word-for-word excerpt from a text

a source excerpt in your own words

a brief statement of the main ideas of a text

a sentence written on an index card

The answer is "a source excerpt in your own words".

Explanation:

Paraphrasing implies expressing a message (written or spoken) by using your own words.

For example, in "John painted the house" we could say "the house was painted by John" and the meaning is exactly the same.

Another example could be "Peter is married" and "Peter is not single". Again, in both cases we are saying the same.

faithful servants eumaeus and philaetius:

his ragged vest then drawn aside disclosed the sign conspicuous, and the scar exposed: eager they view'd, with joy they stood amazed with tearful eyes o'er all their master gazed:

these servants know ulysses by the scar he got when he was a child - so when he showed them the mark, they immediately knew this is truly their master and they hugged him, finally starting to believe his words.

you have to tell us what you're talking about or it's impossible to answer.