Psalms 114:4-7

114:4 The mountains skipped like rams,

the hills like lambs. ¹ 

114:5 Why do you flee, O sea?

Why do you turn back, O Jordan River?

114:6 Why do you skip like rams, O mountains,

like lambs, O hills?

114:7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord –

before the God of Jacob,

Matthew 28:2

28:2 Suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord ²  descending from heaven came and rolled away the stone and sat on it.

Acts 4:31

4:31 When ³  they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, ⁴  and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak ⁵  the word of God ⁶  courageously. ⁷ 

Acts 16:25-26

16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying ⁸  and singing hymns to God, ⁹  and the rest of ¹⁰  the prisoners were listening to them. 16:26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds ¹¹  of all the prisoners came loose.

¹ sn The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. This may recall the theophany at Sinai when the mountain shook before God’s presence (Exod 19:18).

² tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.

³ tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

⁴ sn The place where they were assembled…was shaken. This signifies that God is in their midst. See Acts 16:26; Exod 19:18; Ps 114:7; Isa 6:4.

⁵ tn The imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to speak”). Logical sequencing suggests that their speaking began after they were filled with the Spirit. The prayer was answered immediately.

⁶ tn Or “speak God’s message.”

⁷ tn Or “with boldness.”

⁸ tn Grk “praying, were singing.” The participle προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

⁹ sn Praying and singing hymns to God. Tertullian said, “The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven” (To the Martyrs 2; cf. Rom 5:3; Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 5:6). The presence of God means the potential to be free (cf. v. 26).

¹⁰ tn The words “the rest of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

¹¹ tn Or perhaps, “chains.” The translation of τὰ δεσμά (ta desma) is to some extent affected by the understanding of ξύλον (xulon, “stocks”) in v. 24. It is possible (as mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied.