Luke 4:2

KJV

Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

KJV (with Strong's)

Being {G3985} forty {G5062} days {G2250} tempted {G3985} of {G5259} the devil {G1228}. And {G2532} in {G1722} those {G1565} days {G2250} he did eat {G5315} nothing {G3756}{G3762}: and {G2532} when they {G846} were ended {G4931}, he afterward {G5305} hungered {G3983}.

Complete Jewish Bible

for forty days of testing by the Adversary. During that time he ate nothing, and afterwards he was hungry.

Berean Standard Bible

where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry.

American Standard Version

during forty days, being tempted of the devil. And he did eat nothing in those days: and when they were completed, he hungered.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Luke 4:2 provides a concise yet profound introduction to Jesus' forty-day period of intense spiritual testing in the wilderness immediately following his baptism. It highlights the direct confrontation with the devil, Jesus' complete abstinence from food during this time, and the resulting physical hunger, setting the stage for the specific temptations that would follow and underscoring the reality of his human experience and the spiritual battle he endured.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse serves as the immediate follow-up to Jesus' baptism and the affirmation of his divine sonship by the Holy Spirit in [Luke 3:21-22](/luke/3-21-22 "Luke 3:21-22 - Jesus' Baptism and the Spirit's Descent"). The Spirit, which descended upon him, now "leads" him into the wilderness, indicating a divinely orchestrated period of preparation and testing before the commencement of his public ministry. Luke 4:2-13 then elaborates on the specific temptations Jesus faced, demonstrating his unwavering obedience and reliance on God's Word. This wilderness experience is presented as a crucial foundational event, establishing Jesus' authority and purity before he returns to Galilee to begin proclaiming the kingdom of God, as detailed in [Luke 4:14-15](/luke/4-14-15 "Luke 4:14-15 - Jesus Begins His Ministry").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The wilderness (ἔρημος, _erēmos_) was a common setting for spiritual encounters and testing in biblical tradition, often associated with solitude, purification, and divine revelation. For the Jewish audience, a forty-day period immediately evoked significant Old Testament precedents: Israel's [forty years of wandering](/deuteronomy/8-2 "Deuteronomy 8:2 - Israel's Forty Years in the Wilderness"), Moses' [forty days on Mount Sinai](/exodus/34-28 "Exodus 34:28 - Moses on Sinai"), and Elijah's [forty-day journey](/1_kings/19-8 "1 Kings 19:8 - Elijah's Journey to Horeb"). These periods were times of testing, divine provision, and preparation for a new covenant or prophetic mission. Jesus' experience thus resonates deeply with the history of his people, portraying him as the faithful Israelite and the new Moses, enduring and succeeding where Israel often failed. Fasting was also a recognized spiritual discipline, practiced by prophets and devout individuals as a means of seeking God and preparing for divine encounter.
* **Key Themes:** Luke 4:2 introduces several pivotal themes that permeate the Gospel narrative. Firstly, it highlights the theme of **Temptation and Spiritual Warfare**, presenting Jesus in direct conflict with the devil from the outset of his mission, demonstrating the reality of evil and the spiritual battle for humanity. Secondly, the mention of "forty days" and "eating nothing" emphasizes Jesus' **Humanity and Vulnerability**, showcasing that he experienced genuine physical hunger and the full weight of temptation, yet without sin, as later affirmed in [Hebrews 4:15](/hebrews/4-15 "Hebrews 4:15 - Jesus Tempted Yet Sinless"). Thirdly, this period serves as a crucial **Preparation for Ministry**, where Jesus' perfect obedience and reliance on God's Word are solidified, proving his worthiness and equipping him for the monumental task of inaugurating God's kingdom. Finally, it underscores the theme of **Obedience to God's Will**, as Jesus, led by the Spirit, submits to this period of testing, setting an example for all who would follow him.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **tempted (Greek, _peirázō_):** This verb (G3985) carries a dual meaning: to "test," "try," or "prove" (often by God to refine or demonstrate faithfulness), and to "tempt" or "entice to evil" (typically by Satan to lead into sin). In this context, the devil's intention is to entice Jesus to sin, but from God's perspective, it is a test to prove Jesus' perfect obedience and faithfulness as the Son of God, preparing him for his redemptive mission.
* **devil (Greek, _diábolos_):** The noun (G1228) literally means "slanderer" or "false accuser," derived from the verb "to slander." It is a common designation for Satan in the New Testament, emphasizing his character as the accuser of God's people and the adversary of God's plan. His presence here signifies the cosmic spiritual battle Jesus is engaging in on behalf of humanity.
* **hungered (Greek, _peináō_):** This verb (G3983) means "to famish" or "to be an hungered." It highlights the physical reality of Jesus' human nature. After forty days of complete fasting, his hunger would have been extreme, making the subsequent temptation to turn stones into bread particularly potent and demonstrating the authenticity of his human experience and vulnerability.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Being forty days tempted of the devil."**: This opening clause immediately establishes the duration and the primary antagonist of Jesus' wilderness experience. The "forty days" signify a period of intense spiritual and physical trial, echoing significant Old Testament precedents of testing and preparation. The passive voice "tempted" indicates that Jesus was the object of the devil's direct assault, highlighting the active malevolence of Satan against God's Son.
* **"And in those days he did eat nothing:"**: This phrase clarifies the nature of Jesus' forty-day sojourn: it was a complete fast, not merely a restricted diet. This detail emphasizes the severity of his self-denial and the depth of his spiritual focus. It also sets the stage for the intense physical vulnerability he would experience, making the subsequent temptations, particularly those related to physical sustenance, profoundly challenging.
* **"and when they were ended, he afterward hungered."**: This concluding statement marks the culmination of the forty-day fast and its immediate physical consequence. The act of "hungering" after such a prolonged period of abstinence underscores Jesus' genuine humanity and the physical toll of his spiritual discipline. This extreme hunger also serves as the precise moment when the devil launches his most direct and potent temptations, targeting Jesus' most immediate physical need.

#### Literary Devices
Luke 4:2 effectively employs several literary devices. **Symbolism** is prominent in the "forty days," which carries rich Old Testament significance, symbolizing periods of divine testing, purification, and preparation (e.g., Noah's flood, Israel's wilderness wandering, Moses and Elijah's fasts). This duration foreshadows Jesus' role as the new Israel, the new Moses, and the new Elijah, who perfectly fulfills God's will where others faltered. The setting of the "wilderness" also functions as **Symbolism**, representing a place of solitude, spiritual confrontation, and reliance on God. Furthermore, the verse uses **Foreshadowing**, as Jesus' successful endurance of temptation in the wilderness foreshadows his ultimate victory over Satan and sin through his death and resurrection. His physical hunger, a sign of his genuine humanity, also serves as **Irony**, as the Son of God, the one who sustains all creation, experiences profound physical need, highlighting his solidarity with humanity in its weakness and suffering.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Luke 4:2 is foundational for understanding Jesus' identity and mission. It demonstrates his perfect humanity and his divine sonship, as he, though fully God, fully enters into the human experience of temptation and suffering. His successful navigation of this intense period of testing, unlike Adam in the garden or Israel in the wilderness, establishes him as the obedient Son who inaugurates a new covenant of faithfulness. This victory over the devil in the wilderness foreshadows his ultimate triumph over the powers of darkness on the cross and through the resurrection, securing salvation for all who believe. His reliance on God's Word in the face of temptation provides a powerful model for believers in spiritual warfare.

* [Matthew 4:1-11](/matthew/4-1-11 "Matthew 4:1-11 - Jesus' Temptation in the Wilderness")
* [Mark 1:12-13](/mark/1-12-13 "Mark 1:12-13 - The Temptation of Jesus")
* [Hebrews 4:15](/hebrews/4-15 "Hebrews 4:15 - Jesus, Our Sympathetic High Priest")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The wilderness temptation of Jesus, beginning with Luke 4:2, offers profound insights for the believer's journey. It reminds us that even the Son of God faced intense, sustained spiritual opposition and physical deprivation. This is not a distant, unrelatable event, but a powerful demonstration of Jesus' solidarity with us in our struggles against sin and temptation. His forty-day fast and subsequent hunger underscore the reality of his human vulnerability, making his victory all the more significant. For us, this passage highlights the importance of spiritual discipline, such as fasting and prayer, in preparing us for spiritual battles. It teaches us that temptation is not sin, but an opportunity to demonstrate our reliance on God's Word and His strength. Just as Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, we too are guided by the Spirit through trials, and His example empowers us to resist the devil by standing firm on the truth of God's promises, knowing that our High Priest understands our weaknesses.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Jesus' forty-day fast and subsequent hunger deepen your understanding of his humanity and his ability to empathize with our struggles?**
* **What spiritual disciplines (e.g., prayer, fasting, Scripture reading) can you cultivate to better prepare for and endure times of temptation?**
* **In what ways does Jesus' experience in the wilderness provide a model for how believers should respond to spiritual attacks and physical deprivation?**

### FAQ
**Why did Jesus need to be tempted by the devil if he was God?**

Answer: Jesus' temptation was crucial for several theological reasons, even though he was fully God. Firstly, it demonstrated his full humanity. For Jesus to be our perfect High Priest, he had to be "made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God" ([Hebrews 2:17](/hebrews/2-17 "Hebrews 2:17 - Jesus, Our Merciful High Priest")). His hunger and the devil's attempts to entice him prove he experienced genuine human weakness and temptation, yet without sin ([Hebrews 4:15](/hebrews/4-15 "Hebrews 4:15 - Jesus Tempted Yet Sinless")). Secondly, it was a test of his obedience. Unlike Adam, who succumbed to temptation, and Israel, who often failed in the wilderness, Jesus perfectly obeyed God's will, establishing himself as the faithful Son and the true Israel. This obedience was essential for him to become the sinless sacrifice for humanity. Finally, his victory over the devil in the wilderness foreshadowed his ultimate triumph over Satan's power through his death and resurrection, demonstrating his authority and establishing the foundation for the kingdom of God.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Luke 4:2, detailing Jesus' forty-day temptation in the wilderness, is profoundly Christ-centered, revealing the obedient Son who perfectly fulfills God's redemptive plan. This period of intense testing is not merely an isolated event but a foundational act in Jesus' mission to reverse the fall and inaugurate the new creation. Unlike the first Adam, who succumbed to temptation in a garden of plenty, Jesus, the "last Adam" ([1_corinthians/15-45](/1_corinthians/15-45 "1 Corinthians 15:45 - The First and Last Adam")), triumphs over the tempter in a desolate wilderness, demonstrating perfect obedience where humanity had failed. His forty-day fast echoes Israel's forty years of wandering, but where Israel grumbled and rebelled, Jesus perfectly trusts and obeys, embodying the faithful Israelite who truly lives "by every word that comes from the mouth of God" ([matthew/4-4](/matthew/4-4 "Matthew 4:4 - Man Shall Not Live by Bread Alone")). This victory over the devil's schemes in the wilderness foreshadows his ultimate triumph over sin, death, and the devil on the cross ([colossians/2-15](/colossians/2-15 "Colossians 2:15 - Triumph Over Principalities and Powers")). Through his suffering and perfect obedience in temptation, Jesus became our sympathetic High Priest, able to empathize with our weaknesses because he himself was tempted in every respect, yet without sin ([hebrews/4-15](/hebrews/4-15 "Hebrews 4:15 - Jesus, Our Sympathetic High Priest")). His wilderness experience thus assures us that in Christ, we have a champion who has already overcome the enemy, providing us with strength and victory in our own spiritual battles ([romans/8-37](/romans/8-37 "Romans 8:37 - More Than Conquerors")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

1 Kings 19:8

And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

Exodus 34:28

¶ And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Hebrews 4:15

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.

Hebrews 2:18

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Deuteronomy 9:9

When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, [even] the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:

Deuteronomy 9:18

And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

John 4:6

Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with [his] journey, sat thus on the well: [and] it was about the sixth hour.