Luke 4:7

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

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

Complete Jewish Bible

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

Berean Standard Bible

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

American Standard Version

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

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Luke 4:7 captures the climax of Satan's third temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, where the adversary offers Jesus dominion over all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for an act of worship. This verse reveals Satan's audacious claim to authority and his ultimate goal: to divert worship due to God alone, challenging Jesus' identity and mission by proposing a shortcut to universal reign that bypasses the path of suffering and obedience to the Father.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is deeply embedded within the narrative of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, a pivotal event immediately following His baptism and the descent of the Holy Spirit in [Luke 3:21-22](/luke/3-21-22 "Luke 3:21-22 - Jesus' Baptism"). Having been led by the Spirit into the wilderness and fasting for forty days, Jesus is physically vulnerable, setting the stage for Satan's strategic assaults. The preceding verses ([Luke 4:5-6](/luke/4-5-6 "Luke 4:5-6 - Satan's Boast")) describe Satan's panoramic display of the world's kingdoms and his boastful claim that all their authority and glory have been delivered to him, allowing him to bestow them upon whomever he chooses. This audacious claim directly precedes and sets up the conditional offer in [Luke 4:7](/luke/4-7 "Luke 4:7 - Satan's Temptation").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The temptation narrative draws heavily on Old Testament themes, particularly Israel's forty years in the wilderness and their repeated failures to trust and obey God. Jesus, as the true Israel, faces similar tests but responds with perfect obedience. The concept of "worship" (Greek: _proskynéō_) was understood in the ancient Near East as an act of profound submission, homage, and adoration, often involving prostration before a deity or a king. Satan's demand for such an act from Jesus directly challenges the exclusive worship due to Yahweh, as commanded in the [Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)](/deuteronomy/6-4-5 "Deuteronomy 6:4-5 - The Shema") and reiterated throughout the Law and Prophets. The "kingdoms of the world" represented the pinnacle of human power and glory, often associated with idolatry and opposition to God's reign, making Satan's offer a seductive but spiritually perilous proposition.
* **Key Themes:** [Luke 4:7](/luke/4-7 "Luke 4:7 - Satan's Temptation") highlights several crucial themes. Firstly, it underscores the **Nature of Temptation**, revealing Satan's strategy of offering legitimate desires (universal dominion, the establishment of God's kingdom) through illegitimate means (compromise, idolatry, bypassing the cross). Secondly, it exposes **Satan's False Authority**; while he is indeed the "prince of this world" ([John 14:30](/john/14-30 "John 14:30 - Prince of this World")) and the "god of this world" ([2_corinthians/4-4](/2-corinthians/4-4 "2 Corinthians 4:4 - God of this World")), his power is ultimately usurped and limited, making his offer of "all" a deceptive half-truth, as true sovereignty belongs to God alone ([Daniel 2:44](/daniel/2-44 "Daniel 2:44 - God's Eternal Kingdom")). Finally, the verse emphasizes the **Exclusivity of Worship**, as Satan's demand for "worship me" directly challenges the foundational command to worship God alone, making it a test of ultimate allegiance.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **therefore (Greek, _oûn'_):** This particle serves as a conjunction, indicating a logical consequence or transition. In this context, it signals that Satan's demand for worship is the direct, conditional outcome of his preceding display of worldly kingdoms and his claim of authority over them. It links the offer to the price.
* **worship (Greek, _proskynéō'_):** Derived from a word meaning "to kiss, like a dog licking its master's hand," this term denotes an act of profound reverence, adoration, and prostration. It signifies bowing down in homage, typically reserved for a deity or a sovereign. Satan's demand for _proskynéō_ is a direct attempt to usurp the unique position of God and divert the exclusive worship due to the Creator to himself, a creature.
* **all (Greek, _pâs'_):** This comprehensive term means "the whole, every, any." Satan's offer of "all" the kingdoms of the world is designed to be overwhelmingly tempting, promising complete and universal dominion. However, the use of "all" here is a deceptive exaggeration, as Satan's authority is ultimately limited and derived, not absolute or inherent.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"If thou therefore wilt worship me":** This clause presents Satan's direct and audacious condition. The "if" (Greek: _eán_) introduces a conditional proposition, making the offer contingent upon Jesus' action. The demand for "worship me" (Greek: _proskynéō moi_) is the core of the temptation, requiring Jesus to acknowledge Satan's authority and offer him the ultimate act of allegiance and adoration, which is due only to God. This is a direct challenge to the first commandment.
* **"all shall be thine":** This is the enticing promise, the reward for fulfilling Satan's condition. "All" refers to the "kingdoms of the world" and their "glory" and "authority" that Satan had just displayed and claimed as his own. The phrase "shall be thine" (Greek: _ésomai soû_) promises immediate and complete possession of this vast power and dominion, offering a shortcut to universal reign without the suffering of the cross.

#### Literary Devices
Luke 4:7 employs several significant literary devices. **Conditional Proposition** is central, as Satan's offer is explicitly contingent ("If... then..."), highlighting the choice Jesus faces between two paths to kingship. The verse also features **Hyperbole** in Satan's claim that "all" the kingdoms will be Jesus' if He worships him; while Satan possesses significant power, his claim to absolute dominion is an overstatement designed to magnify the temptation. Furthermore, there is profound **Irony** in Satan, a created being, demanding worship from the Creator Incarnate. This demand underscores the **Symbolism** of worship as the ultimate act of allegiance, revealing the true battle for sovereignty and the heart of humanity.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Luke 4:7 is a profound theological statement on the nature of ultimate allegiance and the deceptive allure of worldly power. It underscores the foundational biblical truth that worship is exclusively due to God alone, and any attempt to divert it to a creature, even one as powerful as Satan, constitutes idolatry. This temptation reveals Satan's consistent strategy throughout history: to tempt humanity to seek power, glory, or comfort through means that compromise their devotion to God, offering a seemingly easier path that ultimately leads away from divine will. Jesus' steadfast refusal, rooted in His identity as the Son of God, sets the paradigm for all believers in resisting the subtle and overt temptations to dilute their worship.

* [Deuteronomy 6:13](/deuteronomy/6-13 "Deuteronomy 6:13 - Worship God Alone")
* [Exodus 20:3](/exodus/20-3 "Exodus 20:3 - No Other Gods")
* [Matthew 4:9](/matthew/4-9 "Matthew 4:9 - Satan's Third Temptation")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Luke 4:7 serves as a timeless mirror for self-examination, revealing the persistent nature of temptation and the critical importance of unwavering allegiance to God. In our contemporary world, the "kingdoms of the world" may manifest as the allure of financial success, social status, political power, or even personal comfort, all promising fulfillment if we compromise our ethical standards or spiritual convictions. This verse compels us to discern the hidden costs of such "shortcuts" and to recognize that true blessing and lasting dominion come only through obedience to God's will, not through bowing to lesser gods or deceptive offers. It challenges us to evaluate where our ultimate allegiance lies, reminding us that nothing, no matter how desirable, should ever displace God from the throne of our hearts.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "kingdoms of the world" or promises of power/comfort do I find myself most tempted by today?**
* **In what ways might I be tempted to "worship" something other than God to achieve a desired outcome?**
* **How can I cultivate a deeper, more exclusive worship of God in my daily life, resisting the subtle allurements of the world?**

### FAQ
**Did Satan truly have the authority to give away the kingdoms of the world?**

Answer: While Satan claimed to have authority over "all" the kingdoms of the world, stating they had been "delivered" to him and he could give them to whomever he wished, his authority is ultimately usurped and limited, not absolute. The Bible refers to him as the "prince of this world" ([John 14:30](/john/14-30 "John 14:30 - Prince of this World")) and the "god of this world" ([2_corinthians/4-4](/2-corinthians/4-4 "2 Corinthians 4:4 - God of this World")), indicating his significant, albeit temporary, influence over the fallen world system. However, true and ultimate sovereignty belongs to God alone ([Daniel 4:17](/daniel/4-17 "Daniel 4:17 - God Rules Over Kingdoms")), who "removes kings and sets up kings" ([Daniel 2:21](/daniel/2-21 "Daniel 2:21 - God's Sovereignty Over Kings")). Satan's offer was therefore a deceptive half-truth, designed to entice Jesus with a shortcut to a dominion that was rightfully His through God's plan, not through compromise with evil.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Luke 4:7, with Satan's audacious demand for worship in exchange for worldly dominion, powerfully foreshadows Christ's ultimate victory and the nature of His true kingship. Unlike Adam, who fell to temptation and surrendered dominion to the adversary, and unlike Israel, who repeatedly failed in the wilderness, Jesus perfectly resisted Satan's offer. He refused the shortcut to a worldly throne, choosing instead the path of suffering, obedience, and the cross, which is the true means by which He would inherit all things and establish His eternal kingdom. His rejection of Satan's terms in [Luke 4:8](/luke/4-8 "Luke 4:8 - Jesus' Response to Satan") (quoting [Deuteronomy 6:13](/deuteronomy/6-13 "Deuteronomy 6:13 - Worship God Alone")) reaffirms that worship belongs to God alone. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus disarmed the "rulers and authorities" ([Colossians 2:15](/colossians/2-15 "Colossians 2:15 - Christ's Triumph Over Powers")) and was given "all authority in heaven and on earth" ([Matthew 28:18](/matthew/28-18 "Matthew 28:18 - The Great Commission")), not by compromising with evil, but by perfectly fulfilling God's will. Thus, the very dominion Satan offered was ultimately secured by Christ through His faithfulness, culminating in His exaltation as "King of kings and Lord of lords" ([Revelation 19:16](/revelation/19-16 "Revelation 19:16 - King of Kings")).

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

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.