Luke 4:7

If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

If {G1437} thou {G4771} therefore {G3767} wilt worship {G4352} me {G1799}{G3450}, all {G3956} shall be {G2071} thine {G4675}.

So if you will worship me, it will all be yours."

So if You worship me, it will all be Yours.”

If thou therefore wilt worship before me, it shall all be thine.

Commentary

Luke 4:7 presents the third temptation of Jesus by Satan in the wilderness, as recorded in Luke's Gospel. Following a panoramic display of all the kingdoms of the world, Satan makes a direct offer to Jesus: immense worldly power and dominion in exchange for an act of worship.

Context

This verse is central to the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, a pivotal event immediately following His baptism and the descent of the Holy Spirit. After forty days of fasting, Jesus is at a point of physical vulnerability. Satan, the adversary, seizes this moment to challenge Jesus' identity and mission. In the preceding verses (Luke 4:5-6), Satan boasts of his authority over the world's kingdoms, claiming they have been delivered to him and he can give them to whomever he wishes. This audacious claim sets the stage for the direct proposition in verse 7.

Key Themes

  • The Nature of Temptation: Satan offers a shortcut to dominion, bypassing the path of suffering and the cross. This highlights a common pattern of temptation: appealing to legitimate desires (like ruling justly) through illegitimate means.
  • Satan's False Authority: While Satan is called the "prince of this world" (John 14:30) or the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), his authority is ultimately usurped and limited. His offer to give "all" is a deceptive half-truth, as true sovereignty belongs to God alone (Daniel 2:44).
  • The Exclusivity of Worship: The core demand is "worship me." This is the ultimate test of allegiance. Satan seeks to usurp the position due only to God, demanding an act of idolatry.
  • Worldly Power vs. Divine Will: The temptation presents a stark contrast between acquiring power through compromise with evil and achieving God's kingdom through obedience and humility.

Linguistic Insights

The key word here is "worship" (Greek: proskyneo). This term signifies an act of profound reverence, adoration, and prostration, typically reserved for God. Satan's demand for proskyneo is a direct challenge to God's unique sovereignty and a blatant attempt to divert the worship due to the Creator to himself, the creature.

Related Scriptures

This temptation is also recorded in Matthew 4:9, where the wording is very similar. Jesus' powerful response in the subsequent verse, Luke 4:8, directly quotes Deuteronomy 6:13, emphasizing the foundational truth that worship is to be given to the Lord God alone.

Practical Application

Luke 4:7 serves as a timeless lesson on the nature of temptation and the importance of unwavering allegiance to God. Believers today face similar allurements: the promise of worldly success, power, or comfort in exchange for compromising one's faith or ethical principles. This verse reminds us that:

  • Shortcuts are Dangerous: There are no legitimate shortcuts to God's blessings that involve compromising our worship or integrity.
  • True Worship is Exclusive: Our ultimate allegiance and adoration belong only to God. Nothing, not even the promise of immense power or wealth, should ever displace Him.
  • Recognize Deception: Satan often offers what appears desirable but comes with a hidden cost: turning away from God. We must discern the source and true nature of such offers.
  • The Battle for Allegiance: Life is a continuous battle for who or what we will worship. This verse calls us to examine where our true devotion lies.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Luke 8:28

    When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, [thou] Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.

  • Revelation 4:10

    The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

  • Revelation 22:8

    And I John saw these things, and heard [them]. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.

  • Matthew 2:11

    And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

  • Psalms 72:11

    Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

  • Isaiah 46:6

    They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, [and] hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.

  • Isaiah 45:14

    Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, [saying], Surely God [is] in thee; and [there is] none else, [there is] no God.
← Back