ἐνύπν-ιον G1798
dream, vision in sleep; something seen or experienced during sleep, often with prophetic significance
This noun means a dream or vision experienced during sleep. Acts 2:17 quotes Joel's prophecy that in the last days 'your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.' The term denotes nocturnal visions given by God for revelation. Classical usage sometimes distinguished significant, prophetic dreams from meaningless ones, though this distinction wasn't consistently maintained. Peter applies Joel's promise to Pentecost: the Spirit poured out brings divine communication through dreams and visions.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Acts 2:17 cites Joel's prophecy about old men dreaming ἐνυπνίοις—dreams. This pairs with young men seeing visions, encompassing all modes of divine revelation. The dative plural suggests dreams are the medium of revelation. Spanish en sueños and French songe point to nocturnal visions. Classical usage included prophetic and ordinary dreams. Peter interprets Pentecost as fulfillment: the Spirit's outpouring democratizes revelation—old and young, men and women, all receive God's communication. 1×
AR["بِأَحْلَامٍ"]·ben["স্বপ্নগুলিতে"]·DE["ἐνυπνίοις"]·EN["in-dreams"]·FR["songe"]·heb["חֲלוֹמוֹת"]·ID["dengan-mimpi-mimpi"]·IT["sogno"]·jav["pangimpen"]·PT["com-sonhos"]·RU["снами"]·ES["en-sueños"]·SW["ndoto"]·TR["rüya-görecekler"]·urd["خوابوں-میں"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐνύπν-ιον, τό, (ὕπνος) thing seen in sleep, in apposition with ὄνειρος, θεῖός μοι ἐνύπνιον ἦλθεν ὄνειρος a dream from the gods, a vision in sleep, came to me, Refs 8th c.BC+.; ἐ. παιδός the vision of a boy, Refs 1st c.BC+ 'to feast with the Barmecide', Refs 5th c.BC+; compare{ἐνύπνιος} __2 after Refs 8th c.BC+, dream, ὄψις ἐνυπνίου the vision of a dream, Refs 5th c.BC+ a mere dream, and ὄνειρος a significant, prophetic one; but the distinction is not generally observed, except by Philo.