Matthew 4

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:2

Matthew 4:2. And when he had fasted forty days— So much greater was Jesus than Adam. Jesus, worn down by fasting and hunger, oppressed with want, and in a wild howling wilderness, overcame the devil; by whom Adam was overcome in full strength, and abounding with all things. It was usual for persons to prepare themselves for any sacred office by fasting, and prayers so intense, as to cause a neglect of common food. See Acts 13:3; Acts 14:23. The number forty is remarkably distinguished in... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:3

Matthew 4:3. When the tempter came to him, he said, &c.— We may infer from Mar 1:13 that during the forty days which Jesus spent in the wilderness, he was exposed to several other temptations besides those mentioned here; and therefore Dr. Doddridge very well translates and paraphrases the passage thus; "Just at that time, when he was very hungry, and entirely unprovided with food, the tempter coming to him, in a visible form, putting on a human appearance (as one that desired to inquire... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:4

Matthew 4:4. But by every word, &c.— But by every thing which the mouth of God shall ordain. Prussian Testament. The original, to which our version is agreeable, is a Hebrew expression, taken from Deuteronomy 8:3. Whatever proceedeth out of the mouth, is the same as whatever God appoints or commands. Word is not in the Hebrew, but only in the LXX, whom the evangelist has here followed. Dr. Heylin is of opinion, that the diabolical temptation did not, perhaps could not begin, till after... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:5

Matthew 4:5. Then the devil taketh him, &c.— The original word παραλαμβανει, signifies no more than to lead, to take along with one; as in the LXX. Numbers 22:41; Numbers 23:27-28. See Matthew 17:1. That it has no other sense in this place, and also in the eighth verse, is plain from Luke 4:5; Luke 4:9. By the holy city is meant Jerusalem, which is frequently so called. Instead of pinnacle, Dr. Doddridge very properly reads battlement; observing, that though pinnacle agrees very well with... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:6

Matthew 4:6. If thou be the Son of God— The Jews were undoubtedly right in thinking that the Messiah is spoken of by Daniel, Daniel 7:13-14. But they fell into a gross mistake, when, interpreting that passage literally, they believed the Messiah would actually come in the clouds of heaven, and wrest the kingdom from the Romans. See Matthew 24:30. The Pharisees, however, had the destruction of the Romans and the miraculous erection of a temporal empire in view, when they required our Lord to... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:7

Matthew 4:7. It is written again— Or also. So παλιν here elegantly signifies, in opposition to the quotation that the tempter had made, which was indeed very imperfect: but many, after St. Jerome, have observed, that Satan made his advantage of quoting Scripture imperfectly and by scraps. The cause of truth, and sometimes of common sense, has suffered a great deal by those who have followed his example. Jesus repels his attack by Scripture also; which, like that cited in his former answer,... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:8

Matthew 4:8. Again, the devil taketh him, &c.— The adversary, enraged, as it should seem, with his ill success in the two former attempts, casts off all disguise in this. He speaks no more of Son of God; but desperate, and thence impudent and audacious, he offers at once his whole stock of gaudy trumperies, all worldly power, dominion, and glory, and arrogantly sets the price at which they are to be purchased. Le Clerc is of the same opinion with the author referred to on Mat 4:1 that what... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:9-10

Matthew 4:9-10. All these things will I give thee— "If thou be the Son of God, take care to be esteemed as such; if the kingdom of the Jews be destined for thee, add to it other kingdoms: seize the present occasion, which is the most desirable; comply with the present terms which are the most easy: fall down, and pay me homage." He requires Jesus to pay him that honour which the satrapes or inferior kings were accustomed to pay to the king of the Persians, who was therefore called "the king of... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:11

Matthew 4:11. Ministered unto him— The Greek word διακονειν signifies to serve or wait upon in general, and so to wait at table. See chap. Matthew 8:15.Luke 17:8; Luke 17:8; Luke 17:37. As one celestial spirit might have been abundantly sufficient for the relief of our Lord's necessities, it is reasonable to suppose, that the appearance of a number of them upon this occasion was to do him the more illustrious honour, after this horrible combat with Satan, to which, for wise and good reasons, he... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:12

Matthew 4:12. Now when Jesus had heard, &c.— John the Baptist was not imprisoned till after the temptation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Between these two events, there happened what is related in the three first chapters of St. John's Gospel. It is commonly supposed, that the ministry of John the Baptist lasted but about eighteen months at most, and that he was in prison a year after Christ's baptism. We will just transcribe out of St. John's Gospel, for the sake of connection, what is here... read more

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:2

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:3

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:4

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:5

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:6

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:7

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:8

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:9-10

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:11

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 4:12

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