Matthew 4:3

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

And {G2532} when the tempter {G3985} came {G4334} to him {G846}, he said {G2036}, If {G1487} thou be {G1488} the Son {G5207} of God {G2316}, command {G2036} that {G2443} these {G3778} stones {G3037} be made {G1096} bread {G740}.

The Tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, order these stones to become bread."

The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.

Context of Matthew 4:3

This verse marks the beginning of Jesus' direct confrontation with Satan in the wilderness, immediately following His baptism where God the Father publicly affirmed Him as His beloved Son (Matthew 3:17). Led by the Spirit into this desolate place (Matthew 4:1), Jesus had been fasting for forty days and forty nights, leaving Him physically hungry and vulnerable (Matthew 4:2). This period of intense spiritual preparation and physical deprivation set the stage for the direct assault by the tempter.

Key Themes and Messages

  • The Temptation of Jesus: This verse introduces the first of three specific temptations Jesus faced, testing His divine identity and mission. It highlights that even the Son of God experienced real, potent temptation.
  • Challenge to Divine Identity: The phrase "If thou be the Son of God" is not a genuine question about His identity, but a challenge. The tempter seeks to provoke Jesus into acting independently of God's will and timing, demanding proof of His Sonship through a miraculous act of self-gratification.
  • Physical vs. Spiritual Needs: Satan targets Jesus' most immediate physical need—hunger—to divert Him from His spiritual reliance on God. The temptation is to use divine power for personal comfort rather than for God's glory and redemptive plan.
  • Obedience and Trust: Jesus' subsequent response (in Matthew 4:4) demonstrates His perfect obedience and trust in God's provision and Word, refusing to succumb to the lure of immediate gratification or self-serving power.

Linguistic Insights

The term "tempter" in Greek is ho peirazon (ὁ πειράζων), which literally means "the one who tests" or "the one who tries." This emphasizes Satan's role not merely as a persuader to evil, but as one who probes weaknesses and challenges faith, aiming to lead astray from God's path. The conditional "If thou be" (εἰ υἱὸς εἶ) implies a challenge or a proposition, rather than a genuine doubt, pushing Jesus to prove His status on Satan's terms.

Practical Application

Matthew 4:3 offers profound lessons for believers:

  • Vulnerability to Temptation: Like Jesus, we are most vulnerable to temptation when we are physically or emotionally depleted. Recognizing our weak points helps us prepare and rely on God's strength.
  • Temptation to Misuse Power/Gifts: We are often tempted to use our abilities, resources, or even spiritual gifts for selfish gain or immediate gratification, rather than for God's purposes and in His timing.
  • The Battle for Identity: Satan often attacks our identity in Christ, trying to make us doubt who God says we are or to act outside of that identity. Our security is found in God's affirmation, not in proving ourselves to the enemy.
  • Reliance on God's Word: Jesus' response to this temptation (found in the very next verse) highlights the crucial importance of knowing and applying God's Word as our primary defense against temptation.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 1 Thessalonians 3:5

    For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

  • Genesis 3:1

    ¶ Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

  • Genesis 3:5

    For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

  • Numbers 11:4

    ¶ And the mixt multitude that [was] among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

  • Numbers 11:6

    But now our soul [is] dried away: [there is] nothing at all, beside this manna, [before] our eyes.

  • Revelation 2:10

    Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

  • Luke 22:31

    And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat:
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