God’s Word Translation
Acts 26:18
18You will open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan’s control to God’s. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and a share among God’s people who are made holy by believing in me.’
Acts 26:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
- New International Version (NIV)to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
- New King James Version (NKJV)to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
Context of Acts 26:18
16Stand up! I have appeared to you for a reason. I’m appointing you to be a servant and witness of what you have seen and of what I will show you. 17I will rescue you from the Jewish people and from the non-Jewish people to whom I am sending you. You will open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan’s control to God’s. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and a share among God’s people who are made holy by believing in me.’ 19“At that point I did not disobey the vision I saw from heaven, King Agrippa. 20Instead, I spread the message that I first told to the ⌞Jewish⌟ people in Damascus and Jerusalem and throughout the whole country of Judea. I spread the same message to non-Jewish people. Both groups were expected to change the way they thought and acted and to turn to God. I told them to do things that prove they had changed their lives.
Read all of Acts 26Acts 26:18 word by word
ἀνοῖξαι ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν, τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι ἀπὸ σκότους εἰς φῶς καὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σατανᾶ ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν, τοῦ λαβεῖν αὐτοὺς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ κλῆρον ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις πίστει τῇ εἰς ἐμέ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- To openἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
- theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- eyesὀφθαλμόςophthalmos · eyeG3788
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- to turnἐπιστρέφωepistrephō · to turnG1994
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- darknessσκότοςskotos · darknessG4655
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- the powerἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849
- of SatanΣατανᾶςSatanas · SatanG4567
- untoἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- may receiveλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
- forgivenessἄφεσιςaphesis · forgivenessG859
- of sinsἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
- inheritanceκλῆροςklēros · lotG2819
- amongἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- are sanctifiedἁγιάζωhagiazō · to sanctifyG37
- by faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
Cross-references for Acts 26:18
- Acts 9:17Ananias left and entered Judas’ house. After he placed his hands on Saul, Ananias said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way to Damascus, sent me to you. He wants you to see again and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
- Psalms 119:18Uncover my eyes so that I may see the miraculous things in your teachings.
- Psalms 146:8The Lord gives sight to blind people. The Lord straightens ⌞the backs⌟ of those who are bent over. The Lord loves righteous people.
- Isaiah 29:18When that day comes, the deaf will hear the words written in the book. The blind will see out of their gloom and darkness.
- Isaiah 32:3Then the vision of those who can see won’t be blurred, and the ears of those who can hear will pay attention.
- Isaiah 35:5Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unplugged.
- Isaiah 42:7You will give sight to the blind, bring prisoners out of prisons, and bring those who live in darkness out of dungeons.
- Isaiah 43:8Bring the people who are blind but still have eyes, the people who are deaf but still have ears.
- Luke 4:18“The Spirit of the Lord is with me. He has anointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to announce forgiveness to the prisoners of sin and the restoring of sight to the blind, to forgive those who have been shattered by sin,
- Luke 24:45Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
- John 9:39Then Jesus said, “I have come into this world to judge: Blind people will be given sight, and those who can see will become blind.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:4The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. As a result, they don’t see the light of the Good News about Christ’s glory. It is Christ who is God’s image.
- Ephesians 1:18Then you will have deeper insight. You will know the confidence that he calls you to have and the glorious wealth that God’s people will inherit.
- Acts 26:23They said that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to come back to life and would spread light to Jewish and non-Jewish people.”
- Acts 13:47The Lord gave us the following order: ‘I have made you a light for the nations so that you would save people all over the world.’ ”
- Isaiah 9:2The people who walk in darkness will see a bright light. The light will shine on those who live in the land of death’s shadow.
Commentaries on Acts 26:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18To open their eyes - To be the instrument of informing their understanding in the things of God. To turn them from darkness to light - From heathenism and superstition to the knowledge and worship of the true God. From the power of Satan unto God - , From the authority and domination of Satan; for as the kingdom of darkness is his kingdom, so those who live in this darkness are under his dominion; and he has authority and right over them. The blessed…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18To open their eyes - To enlighten or instruct them. Ignorance is represented by the eyes being closed, and the instruction of the gospel by the opening of the eyes. See Ephesians 1:18. And to turn them from darkness to light - From the darkness of paganism and sin to the light and purity of the gospel. Darkness is an emblem of ignorance and of sin, and the pagan nations are often represented as sitting in darkness. Compare the Matthew 4:16 note; John…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-23Verses 12-23 Paul was made a Christian by Divine power; by a revelation of Christ both to him and in him; when in the full career of his sin. He was made a minister by Divine authority: the same Jesus who appeared to him in that glorious light, ordered him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. A world that sits in darkness must be enlightened; those must be brought to know the things that belong to their everlasting peace, who are yet ignorant of them. A…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-18Throughout his defense in this trial for his life, Paul also clearly set out the conditions for receiving new life in Christ (also in 26:20, 23; see Matthew 10:19–20).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-1816-18. But rise, &c.--Here the apostle appears to condense into one statement various sayings of his Lord to him in visions at different times, in order to present at one view the grandeur of the commission with which his Master had clothed him [Alford]. a minister ... both of these things which thou hast seen--putting him on a footing with those "eye-witnesses and ministers of the word" mentioned in Lu 1:2. and of those in which I will appear to…Read the comment
Topics related to Acts 26:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Acts 26
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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