Matthew 4:3-10 NIV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 4:8

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain ,.... That is, he took him off from the pinnacle of the temple, and carried him through the air, to one of the mountains which were round about Jerusalem; or to some very high mountain at a greater distance; but what mountain is not certain; nor can it be known; nor is it of any moment; it has been said F7 Vid. Fabricii Bibliograph. Antiq. c. 5. p. 137. to be Mount Lebanon: here he sheweth him all the kingdoms of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 4:9

And saith unto him, all these things will I give thee .... This is more fully and strongly expressed by the Evangelist Luke. Luke 4:6 . And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it--all shall be thine . In which words he sets up himself to be the God of this world, and the sovereign disposer of it: he pretends it was delivered to him by the true God, who had left it to his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 4:10

Then saith Jesus to him, get thee hence, Satan ..... In Luke 4:8 it is "get thee behind me": and so some copies read here, and is expressive of indignation and abhorrence; see Matthew 16:23 rebuking his impudence, and detesting his impiety: he had borne his insults and temptations with great patience; he had answered him with mildness and gentleness; but now his behaviour to him was intolerable, which obliged him to show his resentment, exert his power and authority, and rid himself at... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:3

And when the tempter - This onset of Satan was made (speaking after the manner of men) judiciously: he came when Jesus, after having fasted forty days and forty nights, was hungry: now, as hunger naturally diminishes the strength of the body, the mind gets enfeebled, and becomes easily irritated; and if much watching and prayer be not employed, the uneasiness which is occasioned by a lack of food may soon produce impatience, and in this state of mind the tempter has great advantages. The... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:4

But by (or, upon, επι ) every word - Ρημα , in Greek, answers to דבר dabar in Hebrew, which means not only a word spoken, but also thing, purpose, appointment, etc. Our Lord's meaning seems to be this: God purposes the welfare of his creatures - all his appointments are calculated to promote this end. Some of them may appear to man to have a contrary tendency; but even fasting itself, when used in consequence of a Divine injunction, becomes a mean of supporting that life which it... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:5

Pinnacle of the temple - It is very likely that this was what was called the στοα βασιλικη , the king's gallery; which, as Josephus says, "deserves to be mentioned among the most magnificent things under the sun: for upon a stupendous depth of a valley, scarcely to be fathomed by the eye of him that stands above, Herod erected a gallery of a vast height, from the top of which if any looked down, he would grow dizzy, his eyes not being able to reach so vast a depth." - Ant. l. xv. c. 14.... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:6

Cast thyself down - Our Lord had repelled the first temptation by an act of confidence in the power and goodness of God; and now Satan solicits him to make trial of it. Through the unparalleled subtlety of Satan, the very means we make use of to repel one temptation may he used by him as the groundwork of another. This method he often uses, in order to confound us in our confidence. He shall give his angels charge, etc. - This is a mutilated quotation of Psalm 91:11 . The clause, to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:7

Thou shalt not tempt - To expose myself to any danger naturally destructive, with the vain presumption that God will protect and defend me from the ruinous consequences of my imprudent conduct, is to tempt God. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:8

An exceeding high mountain, and showeth him - If the words, all the kingdoms of the world, be taken in a literal sense, then this must have been a visionary representation, as the highest mountain on the face of the globe could not suffice to make evident even one hemisphere of the earth, and the other must of necessity be in darkness. But if we take the world to mean only the land of Judea, and some of the surrounding nations, as it appears sometimes to signify, (see on Luke 2:1 ;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:9

If thou wilt fall down and worship me - As if he had said, "The whole of this land is now under my government; do me homage for it, and I will deliver it into thy hand." read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 4:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 4:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 4:10

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:3

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:4

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:5

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:6

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:7

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:8

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 4:9

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