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Matthew 4

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The Temptation of Jesus 1–11

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 afterward hungered. ​
3
And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become 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 into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
6
and saith unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone. ​
7
Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God. ​
8
Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9
and he said 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. ​

Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee 12–17

12
Now when he heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee; ​
13
and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali: ​
14
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
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The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, Toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles,
16
The people that sat in darkness Saw a great light, And to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, To them did light spring up. ​
17
From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ​

The Calling of the First Disciples 18–22

18
And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers. ​
19
And he saith unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men. ​
20
And they straightway left the nets, and followed him.
21
And going on from thence he saw two other brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22
And they straightway left the boat and their father, and followed him. ​

Jesus’ Ministry of Teaching and Healing 23–25

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And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people. ​
24
And the report of him went forth into all Syria: and they brought unto him all that were sick, holden with divers diseases and torments, possessed with demons, and epileptic, and palsied; and he healed them. ​
25
And there followed him great multitudes from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judæa and from beyond the Jordan.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Matthew 4

Verse 1

led up of the Spirit — The same Spirit who came upon him at the Jordan leads him out; Mark's word is stronger, 'the Spirit driveth him' (Mark 1:12). 'Tempted' is peirazo, to put to the test, the verb behind 'the tempter' in v.3. The trial has a purpose: he 'was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin' (Heb 4:15).

Verse 2

forty days and forty nights — The same span as Moses on Sinai, who 'did neither eat bread, nor drink water' (Ex 34:28), and Elijah's journey to Horeb (1 Kings 19:8). Luke adds, 'in those days he did eat nothing' (Luke 4:2). 'Afterward an hungred' (peinao) shows real bodily need, the point of the first temptation.

Verse 4

It is written — Christ answers from Deut 8:3, where Moses recalls that the LORD 'fed thee with manna' in the wilderness. Israel was taught there that life rests on God's word, not on bread alone. 'Word' is rhema, an utterance; the answer to each temptation is a verse of Deuteronomy, spoken by one who is himself the Son.

Verse 6

He shall give his angels charge — The devil quotes Ps 91:11–12 and stops before the end of v.11, 'to keep thee in all thy ways', omitting the clause that bounds the promise. 'Lest at any time thou dash thy foot' translates proskopto, to strike against. Scripture quoted to support a leap is Scripture turned from its purpose; the angels' real task is in Heb 1:14.

Verse 7

Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God — From Deut 6:16, which continues 'as ye tempted him in Massah'. Massah was where Israel asked 'Is the LORD among us, or not?' (Ex 17:7). Ekpeirazo is to test thoroughly. 'Again' sets this verse beside v.4: Scripture is interpreted by Scripture, and a promise is not a licence to demand a sign.

Verse 10

him only shalt thou serve — Deut 6:13 reads 'Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him'; Christ renders it with proskuneo, 'worship' (the word of v.9), and latreuo, the service owed to God, adding 'only'. 'Get thee hence' (hypago) is a command, and the devil obeys in v.11. The first Adam was tempted through food; the last refuses all three.

Verse 11

angels came and ministered — Diakoneo, to wait upon, the verb of serving a table. The angels attend him after the devil leaves, as Heb 1:14 describes them, 'ministering spirits'. He did not call on them for his own defence; he later says he could ask the Father for 'more than twelve legions of angels' (Matt 26:53). Luke notes the devil left 'for a season' (Luke 4:13).

Verse 12

John was cast into prison — The verb is paradidomi, to deliver up; the cause is given in Matt 14:3, Herod's seizure of John 'for Herodias' sake'. John 3:24 shows Jesus' earlier ministry came before this. 'Departed' (anachoreo) is a withdrawal into Galilee, where his public preaching begins (v.17).

Verse 13

Capernaum… Zabulon and Nephthalim — He leaves Nazareth and settles at Capernaum, 'upon the sea coast' (parathalassios, by the sea), later called 'his own city' in Matt 9:1. Naming the two tribal territories prepares for the next verses: this location is chosen so that Isa 9:1–2 may be fulfilled (v.14).

Verse 16

light is sprung up — Matthew quotes Isa 9:2. 'Sat' (kathemai) pictures a people settled in darkness; 'sprung up' (anatello) is the rising of the sun. Zechariah's song uses the same figure of Christ, 'to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death' (Luke 1:79). The light dawns first in Galilee of the Gentiles (v.15).

Verse 17

Repent — Metanoeo, to change the mind. Christ's preaching opens with the call of John the Baptist (Matt 3:2), the same call and the same reason. 'Preach' is kerysso, to herald as a public crier. 'Kingdom of heaven' is Matthew's usual phrase for what Mark calls 'the kingdom of God' (Mark 1:15); 'at hand' (eggizo) means it has drawn near.

Verse 18

fishers — Halieus, a fisherman; the net is the amphiblestron, a casting-net thrown around the fish. Jesus had told Simon, whom Andrew brought to him, 'thou shalt be called Cephas' (John 1:42), a stone; this is the call to leave their trade and follow. Mark records the same scene (Mark 1:16).

Verse 19

fishers of men — 'Follow me' is literally 'come after me' (deute opiso mou). 'Fishers' is the figure of Jer 16:16, 'I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD', there for gathering Israel for judgment. Here the promise is Christ's own, 'I will make you', so that the work is wrought in them by him. Mark has 'to become fishers of men' (Mark 1:17).

Verse 22

left the ship and their father — James and John leave Zebedee in the boat; Mark adds that he had 'hired servants' (Mark 1:20), so Zebedee was not left alone. The immediacy (eutheos) is that of v.20. Christ later states the claim directly: 'He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me' (Matt 10:37).

Verse 23

the gospel of the kingdom — Euangelion, good news. Three works are named: teaching in the synagogues, proclaiming, and healing 'all manner of sickness' (nosos) and 'disease' (malakia, literally weakness). Matt 9:35 repeats the summary nearly word for word, closing the cycle of chapters 5–9; Peter's later summary is that he 'went about doing good' (Acts 10:38).

Verse 24

throughout all Syria — The province north of Galilee; Luke names it with Cyrenius as governor (Luke 2:2). 'Lunatick' is seleniazomai, moonstruck, the word of the epileptic boy in Matt 17:15, 'he is lunatick, and sore vexed', which Christ treats as demonic. The list is sickness, torment, possession, lunacy, palsy, and the verse ends with one verdict: 'he healed them'.