Matthew 4:4

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:1-11

The temptation of Jesus. In his baptism our Lord was proclaimed as the Messiah. This must have intensified his feeling of the burden and glory of his vocation. A ferment of emotions must have been stirred in his soul. The inquisitive, critical eyes around him, the eager questioning to which he must straightway have been subjected, the necessity of determining what course he should pursue, made solitude a necessity for him at this time. He must ascertain with definiteness the principles which... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:1-11

The temptation. This appears to have extended through the forty days of the sojourn of Jesus in the wilderness. Mark says, "He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan" ( Mark 1:13 ). The text describes only the acme at the close of the forty days. It is given as a specimen of the wiles of Satan, and forms an epitome of all the temptations he has ever contrived. From it we learn— I. THAT SATAN IS ARMED WITH FORMIDABLE POWERS . 1 . Probably he appeared in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:2-4

The temptation of hunger. This was a serious encounter. One rebuff was not sufficient to drive off the tempter. The devil is most persevering; only persevering resistance can hope to overcome him. The successive temptations were varied in form. The tempter is wily and subtle. If he does not succeed in one way he will try another. Each temptation has its own features; yet there is a common character running through them all. In every case Jesus was urged to use his miraculous powers and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:2-4

The first ordeal-temptation recorded of Jesus. This reply of Jesus to the first temptation specially recorded as addressed to him by Satan is a quotation from Deuteronomy 8:1-20 . —part of the language spoken by the lips of Moses, but dictated by the Spirit of God for the admonishment of his people. The words occur in that impressive review which Moses took of the career of the people whom he had led like a flock through the wilderness, when now the time was approaching for those... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:4

It is written . Our Lord's three quotations are from Deuteronomy 8:3 ; Deuteronomy 6:16 , Deuteronomy 6:13 . Some portion of Deuteronomy ( Matthew 6:4-9 ; Matthew 11:13-21 , because included in the Sh'ma) was the first part of Scripture taught a Jewish child. Possibly, though there is no evidence upon the subject, the neighbouring portions were often added. If they had been in our Lord's case, such a recurrence of them to his mind in his present state of exhaustion is in complete... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 4:4

The true food of a spiritual being. "Man shall not live by bread alone." Observing the original connection of the words quoted, we find an illustration of the fact that God could sustain life by other means than ordinary food. "Such an answer must have peculiar force and meaning, as it comes from the lips of Christ. He tells Satan that obedience to God is better than bread; that if either is to be given up there cannot be a doubt, there can hardly be a difficulty, about the decision Simply... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Matthew 4:4

But he answered and said ... - In reply to this artful temptation Christ answered by a quotation from the Old Testament. The passage is found in Deuteronomy 8:3. In that place the discourse is respecting manna. Moses says that the Lord humbled the people, and fed them with manna, an unusual kind of food, that they might learn that man did not live by bread only, but that there were other things to support life, and that everything which God had commanded was proper for this. The term “word,”... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 4:4

Matthew 4:4 . It is written There is no better way of answering the tempter, than by opposing the word of God to his temptations. This is that sword of the Spirit that must put him to flight. The Church of Rome, therefore, by taking from the people the word of God, disarm them as to the spiritual combat. Man shall not live by bread alone These words are quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3, and signify that bread, or ordinary sustenance, is not necessary to support the life of man; that God can... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Matthew 4:1-11

17. Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13)Immediately after being appointed to his messianic ministry, Jesus was tempted by Satan to use his messianic powers in the wrong way. (For the identification of the devil with Satan see Revelation 20:2.) Satan’s aim was to make Jesus act according to his own will instead of in obedience to his Father.Jesus had gone many weeks without eating and was obviously very hungry. Satan therefore used Jesus’ natural desire for food to... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Matthew 4:4

It is written = It standeth written. This is the Lord's first ministerial utterance; three times. Compare the last three (John 17:8 , John 17:14 , John 17:17 ). The appeal is not to the spoken voice (Matthew 3:17 ) but to the written Word. Quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3 . See App-107 and App-117 . Man. Greek. anthropos. App-123 . by = upon. Greek. epi. App-104 . alone = only. word = utterance. out of = by means of, or through. Greek. dia. App-104 .Matthew 4:1 . Note the connection of the... read more

Group of Brands