Paragraph 18:9–11
18:9a
One night: This phrase refers to a night some days after Crispus and his household believed. The context does not indicate how many days later.
the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in is literally “through.” By means of this vision, Jesus spoke to him.
the Lord: The word Lord probably refers to Jesus here. In some languages it is clearer or more natural to explain that in your translation. For example:
the Lord ⌊Jesus⌋
vision: Here the word vision refers to something that appears supernaturally. It is like a dream, but the person is usually awake. It is something or someone that people usually cannot see, but God or Jesus helps them to see it. See how you translated this word in 16:9.
18:9b
Do not be afraid: 1 Corinthians 2:3 indicates that Paul was fearful when he came to Corinth. So it is possible that the command is for Paul to stop being afraid. But many English versions translate in a similar way to the Berean Standard Bible.
afraid: 18:10 implies that Paul was afraid that people might attack him like they did in Philippi or tried to attack him in Thessalonica, and Berea. In some languages it is necessary or more natural to include what he was afraid of. For example:
afraid ⌊of attack⌋
-or-
afraid ⌊of people attacking you⌋
keep on speaking: It is implied that Jesus commanded him to continue speaking the message about him. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer to talking in general. If that is true in your language, include the implied information. For example:
keep on speaking/telling ⌊the gospel⌋
-or-
continue preaching
do not be silent: This command reinforces the command to keep on speaking. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer to being silent in general. If that is true in your language, include the implied information. For example:
do not be silent ⌊about it⌋
-or-
do not stop ⌊preaching⌋
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