Matthew 4:1

The Temptation of Jesus

4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Matthew 11:7

11:7 While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

Matthew 14:13

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

14:13 Now when Jesus heard this he went away from there privately in a boat to an isolated place. But when the crowd heard about it, they followed him on foot from the towns.


tn Or “desert.”

tn Or “desert.”

tn There is a debate as to whether one should read this figuratively (“to see someone who is easily blown over?”) or literally (Grk “to see the wilderness vegetation?… No, to see a prophet”). Either view makes good sense, but the following examples suggest the question should be read literally and understood to point to the fact that a prophet drew them to the desert.

tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

tn Or “cities.”