Acts 4:31

31 When the apostles had finished praying, their meeting place shook. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God boldly.

Acts 4:31 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 4:31

And when they had prayed
Either while they were praying, or as soon as they had done; for sometimes, as here, prayer is immediately heard, and an answer is returned, whilst the saints are speaking, or as soon as prayer is ended: the place was shaken where they were assembled together;
which, whether it was a private house, or the temple, is not certain: the latter seems more probable, because their number was so great, that no private house could hold them; and since this was the place where they used to assemble; this was now shaken with a rushing mighty wind, as on the day of Pentecost, and was a symbol of the divine presence, and a token that their prayers were heard, and an emblem of the shaking of the world by the ministry of the apostles: and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost;
with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, even with extraordinary ones, such as speaking with divers tongues, as before on the day of Pentecost; see ( Acts 2:4 ) and this was the case not only of the apostles, but of the other ministers of the word, and it may be of the whole church: and they spoke the word of God with all boldness;
that is, the apostles, and preachers of the Gospel, spoke it with great freedom, and without fear, not only privately, in their community, but publicly, in the temple: this was what was particularly prayed for, and in which they had a remarkable answer.

Acts 4:31 In-Context

29 "Lord, pay attention to their threats now, and allow us to speak your word boldly.

30 Show your power by healing, performing miracles, and doing amazing things through the power and the name of your holy servant Jesus."

31 When the apostles had finished praying, their meeting place shook. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God boldly.

32 The whole group of believers lived in harmony. No one called any of his possessions his own. Instead, they shared everything.

33 With great power the apostles continued to testify that the Lord Jesus had come back to life. [God's] abundant good will was with all of them.