OET interlinear ACTs 18:18

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἔτι προσμείνας ἡμέρας ἱκανὰς

¬the and Paul still /having/_remained days many

Luke is using the word But here to introduce a contrast between what Paul might have been expected to do—leave the city because he was in danger and to protect the believers from danger themselves, as he did in Thessalonica and Berea—and what Paul actually did—remain in the city. In your translation, indicate this contrast in a way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “Nevertheless, Paul stayed yet many days, then”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς

˱to˲_the brothers

Luke is using the term brothers to mean people who share the same faith. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the believers”

Note 3 topic: translate-names

Κενχρεαῖς

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἔτι προσμείνας ἡμέρας ἱκανὰς τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἀποταξάμενος ἐξέπλει εἰς τὴν Συρίαν καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ Πρίσκιλλα καὶ Ἀκύλας κειράμενος ἐν Κεγχρεαῖς τὴν κεφαλήν εἶχεν γὰρ εὐχήν)

The word Cenchreae is the name of a city. This city was the seaport for the larger inland city of Corinth.

Note 4 topic: translate-symaction

κειράμενος ἐν Κενχρεαῖς τὴν κεφαλήν, εἶχεν γὰρ εὐχήν

/having/_shaved in (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἔτι προσμείνας ἡμέρας ἱκανὰς τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἀποταξάμενος ἐξέπλει εἰς τὴν Συρίαν καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ Πρίσκιλλα καὶ Ἀκύλας κειράμενος ἐν Κεγχρεαῖς τὴν κεφαλήν εἶχεν γὰρ εὐχήν)

Paul cut the hair off his head to show that he had fulfilled a vow that he had made to God. If this would not be clear to your readers, you could explain the significance of this action. It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “Paul cut off his hair in Cenchrea to show that he had fulfilled a vow that he had made to God”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

εἶχεν γὰρ εὐχήν

˱he˲_/was/_having for /a/_vow

Luke seems to offer the information that Paul had made a vow as the explanation for why he stayed yet many days in Corinth despite the danger he was in. It may be more natural in your translation to put this information right after the phrase it seems to explain, having stayed many days.

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / extrainfo

εἶχεν γὰρ εὐχήν

˱he˲_/was/_having for /a/_vow

Luke tells us nothing further about why Paul made this vow or what he did to carry it out, so it would not be appropriate to add any information in your translation about why Paul made it.

Note 7 topic: translate-unknown

εὐχήν

/a/_vow

This vow was a promise that a person in this culture made to God that he would not drink alcohol or cut his hair until the end of a set period of time. A person might do this to express his sincerity about something he was praying for, to acknowledge something that God had done for him, or to consecrate himself to deeper devotion to God for a time. In your translation, you may be able to use the word for a comparable practice in your culture. Alternate translation: “made a special promise to God not to cut his hair for a time in order to be more devoted”