Acts 18:9-11

18:9 The Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent, 18:10 because I am with you, and no one will assault you to harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 18:11 So he stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.


sn Frequently in Acts such a vision will tell the reader where events are headed. See Acts 10:9-16 and 16:9-10 for other accounts of visions.

tn BDAG 682 s.v. νύξ 1.c has “W. prep. ἐν ν. at night, in the nightAc 18:9.”

tn The present imperative here (with negation) is used (as it normally is) of a general condition (BDF §335).

tn BDAG 384 s.v. ἐπιτίθημι 2 has “to set upon, attack, lay a hand on” here, but “assault” is a contemporary English equivalent very close to the meaning of the original.

tn Or “injure.”

tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

tn See BDAG 326-27 s.v. ἐν 1.d. However, it is also possible that ἐν (en) followed by the dative here stands for the ordinary dative (“to them”).