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Christianity

Matthew 4Temptation in the Wilderness

Summary

Matthew 4 tells how Jesus fasts forty days and nights in the wilderness and is tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread, throw himself from the temple, and worship him in exchange for the kingdoms of the world. Jesus answers each temptation with a verse from Deuteronomy. After John's arrest he settles in Capernaum, preaches that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, calls the fishermen Peter, Andrew, James and John, and heals throughout Galilee.

Key verse

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Matthew 4:4

Themes

  • Temptation
  • Scripture as Defense
  • Calling of Disciples
  • Kingdom of Heaven

Text

1

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2

And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

3

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

5

Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6

And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7

Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

8

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9

And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

11

Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

12

Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

13

And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

14

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

15

The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

16

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

17

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

18

And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

19

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

20

And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

21

And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

22

And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

23

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

24

And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

25

And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.

Across traditions

  • Judaism

    Deuteronomy 8: Not by Bread Alone

    Jesus's first answer quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, where Moses reminds Israel that God fed them with manna during forty years in the wilderness. Matthew presents Jesus's forty days as a faithful reliving of Israel's testing.

  • Judaism

    Isaiah 9: Light in Galilee

    Matthew 4:15 to 16 quotes Isaiah's promise that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light in Galilee of the nations. In the JPS numbering the first lines fall at the end of Isaiah 8.

  • Islam

    Surah Al-A'raf (7): Iblis Vows to Mislead

    The Quran's Iblis vows to lie in wait for humans on the straight path (7:16 to 17). There is no account of Jesus being tempted, but the theme of resisting Satan's invitation is shared.

Questions about Matthew 4

What were the three temptations of Jesus?

In Matthew's order the devil urges Jesus to turn stones into bread, to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, and to worship him in return for all the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:3 to 9). Luke 4 gives the last two in reverse order.

Why did Jesus fast for forty days?

Matthew does not explain it, but forty echoes Moses on Sinai (Exodus 34:28), Elijah's journey (1 Kings 19:8) and Israel's forty years in the wilderness. Christian Lent takes its forty days from this fast.