Matthew 4:5
Encyclopedia
Matthew 4:5 is the fifth verse of the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew
in the New Testament
. Jesus
has just rebuffed Satan's first temptation in this verse the devil transports him to the site of the second temptation.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
The World English Bible
translates the passage as:
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 4:5
The "holy city" is unquestionably a reference to Jerusalem, as the mention of The Temple
makes clear. In Luke's version of this scene at Luke 5:9 the city is named as such. Both names are used in the retelling of this event in Revelation 21:10.
Nolland notes that the word translated as taketh/took here and in Matthew 4:8
is the same verb as was used to refer to Joseph taking Jesus to Egypt and back in Matthew 2:14
and Matthew 2:21. Nolland feels that this establishes a subtle contrast between Joseph's righteous transportation of Jesus and Satan's evil designs.
What is meant by the word traditionally translated as "pinnacle" is not entirely clear. Schweizer notes that in Greek the term is very similar to "little wings" he feels that "little tower" or "parapet" would be a more accurate translation. France notes that the word occurs nowhere is in classical literature to refer to an architectural feature, though it is used in reference to a projection from a piece of armour or machinery. Harrington believes that the verse may be linked to the reference to protecting wings in Psalm 91:4. Gundry lists three sites on the temple that have been considered for the setting of this scene. Artists and others using the traditional translation "pinnacle" generally set the event on the top of the temple's main tower above the sanctuary proper, some 180 feet above ground. Another view is that it was set atop the lintel of the main gateway into the temple, the most prominent position where the pair could easily have been seen. The third site, and that adopted by tradition, is that it was at a tower the southeast corner of the outer wall that looks down into the Kidron Valley
. In a related tradition James the Just
was said to have been executed by being thrown from this same tower.
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....
. Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
has just rebuffed Satan's first temptation in this verse the devil transports him to the site of the second temptation.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- Then the devil taketh him up
- into the holy city, and setteth
- him on a pinnacle of the temple,
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:
- Then the devil took him into
- the holy city. He set him on
- the pinnacle of the temple,
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 4:5
The "holy city" is unquestionably a reference to Jerusalem, as the mention of The Temple
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
makes clear. In Luke's version of this scene at Luke 5:9 the city is named as such. Both names are used in the retelling of this event in Revelation 21:10.
Nolland notes that the word translated as taketh/took here and in Matthew 4:8
Matthew 4:8
Matthew 4:8 is the eighth verse of the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. Jesus has just rejected Satan's second temptation...
is the same verb as was used to refer to Joseph taking Jesus to Egypt and back in Matthew 2:14
Matthew 2:14
Matthew 2:14 is the fourteenth verse of the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. Joseph has been warned in a dream that he must flee to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. An event known as the Flight into Egypt....
and Matthew 2:21. Nolland feels that this establishes a subtle contrast between Joseph's righteous transportation of Jesus and Satan's evil designs.
What is meant by the word traditionally translated as "pinnacle" is not entirely clear. Schweizer notes that in Greek the term is very similar to "little wings" he feels that "little tower" or "parapet" would be a more accurate translation. France notes that the word occurs nowhere is in classical literature to refer to an architectural feature, though it is used in reference to a projection from a piece of armour or machinery. Harrington believes that the verse may be linked to the reference to protecting wings in Psalm 91:4. Gundry lists three sites on the temple that have been considered for the setting of this scene. Artists and others using the traditional translation "pinnacle" generally set the event on the top of the temple's main tower above the sanctuary proper, some 180 feet above ground. Another view is that it was set atop the lintel of the main gateway into the temple, the most prominent position where the pair could easily have been seen. The third site, and that adopted by tradition, is that it was at a tower the southeast corner of the outer wall that looks down into the Kidron Valley
Kidron Valley
The Kidron Valley is the valley on the eastern side of The Old City of Jerusalem which features significantly in the Bible...
. In a related tradition James the Just
James the Just
James , first Bishop of Jerusalem, who died in 62 AD, was an important figure in Early Christianity...
was said to have been executed by being thrown from this same tower.