Ekstasis describes overwhelming astonishment and, in prayer-related scenes, a trance associated with a vision.

The predominant use marks an overwhelming reaction to a remarkable event, affecting those who witness healing or encounter the empty grave. It also occurs of an experience that comes upon an individual in accounts involving prayer and vision.

1. Overwhelming response to remarkable events · dominant

   In Acts 3:10, those who recognize the healed man are filled with wonder and amazement at what happened to him. In Luke 5:26, amazement seizes the whole group after they have seen remarkable things; Mark 16:8 joins it with trembling and fear as the women flee the grave, and Mark 5:42 places it after the girl rises and walks.

   Acts 3:10Luke 5:26Mark 16:8Mark 5:42
2. Experience in prayer and vision accounts · common

   The dative singular form occurs in Acts 11:5 as the speaker prays and sees a vision, and in Acts 22:17 as the speaker prays in the temple and falls into a trance. In Acts 10:10, the nominative singular names an experience that came upon him while food was being prepared.

   Acts 11:5Acts 22:17Acts 10:10

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the term with “amazement,” including scenes of fear, wonder, and astonishment. In Acts 11:5 and Acts 22:17 it instead presents the experience as a “trance”; these are translation renderings rather than definitions.