Acts 4:31

31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God with boldness.

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 And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and give to thy bondmen with all boldness to speak thy word,

30 in that thou stretchest out thy hand to heal, and that signs and wonders take place through the name of thy holy servant Jesus.

31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God with boldness.

32 And the heart and soul of the multitude of those that had believed were one, and not one said that anything of what he possessed was his own, but all things were common to them;

33 and with great power did the apostles give witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.