Matthew 4:3-11

4:3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”¹ 4:4 But he answered,² “It is written, ‘Man³ does not live⁴ by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”⁵ 4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city,⁶ had him stand⁷ on the highest point⁸ of the temple, 4:6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’⁹ and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”¹⁰ 4:7 Jesus said to him, “Once again it is written: ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.’”¹¹ 4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur.¹² 4:9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you throw yourself to the ground and worship¹³ me.” 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go away,¹⁴ Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”¹⁵ 4:11 Then the devil left him, and angels¹⁶ came and began ministering to his needs.

¹tn Grk “say that these stones should become bread.”

²tn Grk “answering, he said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of the phrase has been changed for clarity.

³tn Or “a person.” Greek ὁ ἄνθρωπος (Jo anqrwpo") is used generically for humanity. The translation “man” is used because the emphasis in Jesus’ response seems to be on his dependence on God as a man.

⁴tn Grk “will not live.” The verb in Greek is a future tense, but it is unclear whether it is meant to be taken as a command (also known as an imperatival future) or as a statement of reality (predictive future).

⁵sn A quotation from Deut 8:3.

⁶sn The order of the second and third temptations differs in Luke’s account (4:5-12) from the order given in Matthew.

⁷tn Grk “and he stood him.”

⁸sn The highest point of the temple probably refers to the point on the temple’s southeast corner where it looms directly over a cliff some 450 ft (135 m) high. However, some have suggested the reference could be to the temple’s high gate.

⁹sn A quotation from Ps 91:11. This was not so much an incorrect citation as a use in a wrong context (a misapplication of the passage).

¹⁰sn A quotation from Ps 91:12.

¹¹sn A quotation from Deut 6:16.

¹²tn Grk “glory.”

¹³tn Grk “if, falling down, you will worship.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

¹⁴tc The majority of later witnesses (C² D L Z 33 Ï) have “behind me” (ὀπίσω μου; opisw mou) after “Go away.” But since this is the wording in Matt 16:23, where the text is certain, scribes most likely added the words here to conform to the later passage. Further, the shorter reading has superior support (א B C*^vid K P W Δ 0233 Ë^1,13 565 579* 700 al). Thus, both externally and internally, the shorter reading is strongly preferred.

¹⁵sn A quotation from Deut 6:13. The word “only” is an interpretive expansion not found in either the Hebrew or Greek (LXX) text of the OT.

¹⁶tn Grk “and behold, angels.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).