Matthew 4:3
Encyclopedia
Matthew 4:3 is the third verse of the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew
in the New Testament
. This verse opens the section in Matthew dealing with the temptation
of Christ
by Satan
. Jesus
has been fasting
for forty days and forty nights and in this verse the devil gives Christ his first temptation and encourages him to use his powers to get food.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
The World English Bible
translates the passage as:
This verse is very similar to Luke 4:3, but it is not found in Mark. Mark mentions that Jesus was "put to the test" but goes into no details about what those tests were. It is thus generally believed to have come from the Q document. One change is that Luke has "this stone" while Matthew has stone
s. Albright and Mann ascribe this to the writing style of the author of Matthew, noting that this gospel has a tendency to pluralize words that are singular in the other synoptics. Gundry notes that Jesus, as one person, would not need multiple loaves. He argues the pluralization is to link the verse to Matthew 3:9
in an attempt to link Satan to the Pharisees
and Sadducees
. Another difference is that Matthew calls Satan "the tempter" while Luke more directly refers to him as "the devil." Gundry feels this is for the same purpose as in Matthew 16:1, 19:3, and 22:18 the Pharisees and Sadducees are similarly presented as tempters.
Most scholars agree that the word if does not mean that Satan is doubting Jesus' status and the line should be read as "since you are the Son of God" not as "if you are really the Son of God." Gundry states that the devil has no interest in making Jesus doubt his sonship, and rather tries to use the exalted position to undermine him. This line is a direct reference to Matthew 3:17
and it is clear that Matthew is implying that Satan heard the announcement made after Jesus' baptism
.
The wording is unclear on whether Satan is asking Jesus to miraculously transform the stones himself, or if he is asking Jesus to command God to do so.
The standard loaf of bread in this period was a round, flat loaf, and it seems likely that the stones being referred to in this verse are of a similar size and shape.
This is the second mention in Matthew of stones being transformed, with stones to people being threatened in Matthew 3:9
. Nolland believes that this earlier reminder of God's power served to make this verse more plausible.
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. This verse opens the section in Matthew dealing with the temptation
Temptation
A temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual. It is usually used to describe acts with negative connotations and as such, tends to lead a person to regret such actions, for various reasons: legal, social, psychological , health, economic, etc...
of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
by Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
. Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
has been fasting
Fasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
for forty days and forty nights and in this verse the devil gives Christ his first temptation and encourages him to use his powers to get food.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- And when the tempter came to him,
- he said, If thou be the Son of God,
- command that these stones be made bread.
The World English Bible
World English Bible
The World English Bible is a public domain translation of the Bible that is currently in draft form. Work on the World English Bible began in 1997 and was known as the American Standard Version 1997...
translates the passage as:
- The tempter came and said to him,
- "If you are the Son of God, command
- that these stones become bread."
This verse is very similar to Luke 4:3, but it is not found in Mark. Mark mentions that Jesus was "put to the test" but goes into no details about what those tests were. It is thus generally believed to have come from the Q document. One change is that Luke has "this stone" while Matthew has stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
s. Albright and Mann ascribe this to the writing style of the author of Matthew, noting that this gospel has a tendency to pluralize words that are singular in the other synoptics. Gundry notes that Jesus, as one person, would not need multiple loaves. He argues the pluralization is to link the verse to Matthew 3:9
Matthew 3:9
Matthew 3:9 is the ninth verse of the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. The verse occurs in where John the Baptist is berating the Pharisees and Sadducees. He has previously called them a brood of vipers and warned them of the wrath to come and has urged them to repent...
in an attempt to link Satan to the Pharisees
Pharisees
The Pharisees were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews during the Second Temple period beginning under the Hasmonean dynasty in the wake of...
and Sadducees
Sadducees
The Sadducees were a sect or group of Jews that were active in Ancient Israel during the Second Temple period, starting from the second century BC through the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. The sect was identified by Josephus with the upper social and economic echelon of Judean society...
. Another difference is that Matthew calls Satan "the tempter" while Luke more directly refers to him as "the devil." Gundry feels this is for the same purpose as in Matthew 16:1, 19:3, and 22:18 the Pharisees and Sadducees are similarly presented as tempters.
Most scholars agree that the word if does not mean that Satan is doubting Jesus' status and the line should be read as "since you are the Son of God" not as "if you are really the Son of God." Gundry states that the devil has no interest in making Jesus doubt his sonship, and rather tries to use the exalted position to undermine him. This line is a direct reference to Matthew 3:17
Matthew 3:17
Matthew 3:17 is the seventeenth, and final, verse of the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. Jesus has just been baptized by John the Baptist and in this verse God announces that Jesus is his son....
and it is clear that Matthew is implying that Satan heard the announcement made after Jesus' baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
.
The wording is unclear on whether Satan is asking Jesus to miraculously transform the stones himself, or if he is asking Jesus to command God to do so.
The standard loaf of bread in this period was a round, flat loaf, and it seems likely that the stones being referred to in this verse are of a similar size and shape.
This is the second mention in Matthew of stones being transformed, with stones to people being threatened in Matthew 3:9
Matthew 3:9
Matthew 3:9 is the ninth verse of the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. The verse occurs in where John the Baptist is berating the Pharisees and Sadducees. He has previously called them a brood of vipers and warned them of the wrath to come and has urged them to repent...
. Nolland believes that this earlier reminder of God's power served to make this verse more plausible.