Matthew 4:3-11

4:3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” ¹  4:4 But he answered, ²  “It is written, ‘Man ³  does not live ⁴  by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” ⁵  4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, ⁶  had him stand ⁷  on the highest point ⁸  of the temple, 4:6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ ⁹  and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” ¹⁰  4:7 Jesus said to him, “Once again it is written: ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.’” ¹¹  4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur. ¹²  4:9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you throw yourself to the ground and worship ¹³  me.” 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, ¹⁴  Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” ¹⁵  4:11 Then the devil left him, and angels ¹⁶  came and began ministering to his needs.

Luke 4:2-13

4:2 where for forty days he endured temptations ¹⁷  from the devil. He ¹⁸  ate nothing ¹⁹  during those days, and when they were completed, ²⁰  he was famished. 4:3 The devil said to him, “If ²¹  you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” ²²  4:4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man ²³  does not live by bread alone.’” ²⁴ 

4:5 Then ²⁵  the devil ²⁶  led him up ²⁷  to a high place ²⁸  and showed him in a flash all the kingdoms of the world. 4:6 And he ²⁹  said to him, “To you ³⁰  I will grant this whole realm ³¹  – and the glory that goes along with it, ³²  for it has been relinquished ³³  to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. 4:7 So then, if ³⁴  you will worship ³⁵  me, all this will be ³⁶  yours.” 4:8 Jesus ³⁷  answered him, ³⁸  “It is written, ‘You are to worship ³⁹  the Lord ⁴⁰  your God and serve only him.’” ⁴¹ 

4:9 Then ⁴²  the devil ⁴³  brought him to Jerusalem, ⁴⁴  had him stand ⁴⁵  on the highest point of the temple, ⁴⁶  and said to him, “If ⁴⁷  you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 4:10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ ⁴⁸  4:11 and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” ⁴⁹  4:12 Jesus ⁵⁰  answered him, ⁵¹  “It is said, ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.’” ⁵²  4:13 So ⁵³  when the devil ⁵⁴  had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time. ⁵⁵ 

Ephesians 4:27

4:27 Do not give the devil an opportunity.

Ephesians 6:11-12

6:11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes ⁵⁶  of the devil. 6:12 For our struggle ⁵⁷  is not against flesh and blood, ⁵⁸  but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, ⁵⁹  against the spiritual forces ⁶⁰  of evil in the heavens. ⁶¹ 

Ephesians 6:1

6:1 Children, ⁶²  obey your parents in the Lord ⁶³  for this is right.

Ephesians 5:8-9

5:8 for you were at one time darkness, but now you are ⁶⁴  light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – 5:9 for the fruit of the light ⁶⁵  consists in ⁶⁶  all goodness, righteousness, and truth –

Revelation 12:9-11

12:9 So ⁶⁷  that huge dragon – the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world – was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him. 12:10 Then ⁶⁸  I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,

“The salvation and the power

and the kingdom of our God,

and the ruling authority ⁶⁹  of his Christ, ⁷⁰  have now come,

because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, ⁷¹ 

the one who accuses them day and night ⁷²  before our God,

has been thrown down.

12:11 But ⁷³  they overcame him

by the blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony,

and they did not love their lives ⁷⁴  so much that they were afraid to die.

¹ tn Grk “say that these stones should become bread.”

² tn Grk “answering, he said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of the phrase has been changed for clarity.

³ tn Or “a person.” Greek ὁ ἄνθρωπος (Jo anqrwpo") is used generically for humanity. The translation “man” is used because the emphasis in Jesus’ response seems to be on his dependence on God as a man.

⁴ tn Grk “will not live.” The verb in Greek is a future tense, but it is unclear whether it is meant to be taken as a command (also known as an imperatival future) or as a statement of reality (predictive future).

⁵ sn A quotation from Deut 8:3.

⁶ sn The order of the second and third temptations differs in Luke’s account (4:5-12) from the order given in Matthew.

⁷ tn Grk “and he stood him.”

⁸ sn The highest point of the temple probably refers to the point on the temple’s southeast corner where it looms directly over a cliff some 450 ft (135 m) high. However, some have suggested the reference could be to the temple’s high gate.

⁹ sn A quotation from Ps 91:11. This was not so much an incorrect citation as a use in a wrong context (a misapplication of the passage).

¹⁰ sn A quotation from Ps 91:12.

¹¹ sn A quotation from Deut 6:16.

¹² tn Grk “glory.”

¹³ tn Grk “if, falling down, you will worship.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

¹⁴ tc The majority of later witnesses (C² D L Z 33 Ï) have “behind me” (ὀπίσω μου; opisw mou) after “Go away.” But since this is the wording in Matt 16:23, where the text is certain, scribes most likely added the words here to conform to the later passage. Further, the shorter reading has superior support (א B C*^vid K P W Δ 0233 Ë^1,13 565 579* 700 al). Thus, both externally and internally, the shorter reading is strongly preferred.

¹⁵ sn A quotation from Deut 6:13. The word “only” is an interpretive expansion not found in either the Hebrew or Greek (LXX) text of the OT.

¹⁶ tn Grk “and behold, angels.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

¹⁷ tn Grk “in the desert, for forty days being tempted.” The participle πειραζόμενος (peirazomeno") has been translated as an adverbial clause in English to avoid a run-on sentence with a second “and.” Here the present participle suggests a period of forty days of testing. Three samples of the end of the testing are given in the following verses.

¹⁸ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁹ sn The reference to Jesus eating nothing could well be an idiom meaning that he ate only what the desert provided; see Exod 34:28. A desert fast simply meant eating only what one could obtain in the desert. The parallel in Matt 4:2 speaks only of Jesus fasting.

²⁰ tn The Greek word here is συντελεσθείσων (suntelesqeiswn) from the verb συντελέω (suntelew).

²¹ tn This is a first class condition: “If (and let’s assume that you are) the Son of God…”

²² tn Grk “say to this stone that it should become bread.”

²³ tn Or “a person.” The Greek word ὁ ἄνθρωπος (Jo anqrwpo") is used generically for humanity. The translation “man” is used because the emphasis in Jesus’ response seems to be on his dependence on God as a man.

²⁴ tc Most mss (A [D] Θ Ψ [0102] Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt) complete the citation with ἀλλ᾿ ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι θεοῦ (ajll’ ejpi panti rJhmati qeou, “but by every word from God”), an assimilation to Matt 4:4 (which is a quotation of Deut 8:3). The shorter reading is found in א B L W 1241 pc sa. There is no good reason why scribes would omit the rest of the quotation here. The shorter reading, on both internal and external grounds, should be considered the original wording in Luke.

²⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

²⁶ tn Grk “he.”

²⁷ tc Most mss (א¹ A [D W] Θ Ψ 0102 Ë^1,[13] 33 700 2542 Ï it) refer to Jesus being taken up “to a high mountain” (with many of these also explicitly adding “the devil”) here in parallel with Matt 4:8, but both scribal harmonization to that text and the pedigree of the witnesses for the shorter reading (א* B L 1241 pc) is the reason it should be omitted from Luke.

²⁸ tn “A high place” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied for clarity.

²⁹ tn Grk “And the devil.”

³⁰ sn In Greek, this phrase is in an emphatic position. In effect, the devil is tempting Jesus by saying, “Look what you can have!”

³¹ tn Or “authority.” BDAG 353 s.v. ἐξουσία 6 suggests, concerning this passage, that the term means “the sphere in which the power is exercised, domain.” Cf. also Luke 22:53; 23:7; Acts 26:18; Eph 2:2.

³² tn The addendum referring to the glory of the kingdoms of the world forms something of an afterthought, as the following pronoun (“it”) makes clear, for the singular refers to the realm itself.

³³ tn For the translation of παραδέδοται (paradedotai) see L&N 57.77. The devil is erroneously implying that God has given him such authority with the additional capability of sharing the honor.

³⁴ tn This is a third class condition: “If you worship me (and I am not saying whether you will or will not)…”

³⁵ tn Or “will prostrate yourself in worship before…” The verb προσκυνέω (proskunew) can allude not only to the act of worship but the position of the worshiper. See L&N 53.56.

³⁶ tn One could translate this phrase “it will all be yours.” The sense is the same, but the translation given is a touch more emphatic and more likely to catch the force of the offer.

³⁷ tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

³⁸ tc Most mss, especially the later ones (A Θ Ψ 0102 ˹³ Ï it), have “Get behind me, Satan!” at the beginning of the quotation. This roughly parallels Matt 4:10 (though the Lukan mss add ὀπίσω μου to read ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, σατανᾶ [{upage opisw mou, satana]); for this reason the words are suspect as a later addition to make the two accounts agree more precisely. A similar situation occurred in v. 5.

³⁹ tn Or “You will prostrate yourself in worship before…” The verb προσκυνέω (proskunew) can allude not only to the act of worship but the position of the worshiper. See L&N 53.56.

⁴⁰ tc Most later mss (A Θ 0102 Ï) alter the word order by moving the verb forward in the quotation. This alteration removes the emphasis from “the Lord your God” as the one to receive worship (as opposed to Satan) by moving it away from the beginning of the quotation.

⁴¹ sn A quotation from Deut 6:13. The word “only” is an interpretive expansion not found in either the Hebrew or Greek (LXX) text of the OT.

⁴² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁴³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the devil) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴⁴ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁴⁵ tn Grk “and stood him.”

⁴⁶ sn The reference to the highest point of the temple probably refers to the one point on the temple’s southeast corner where the site looms directly over a cliff some 450 feet (135 m) high. However, some have suggested the reference could be to the temple’s high gate.

⁴⁷ tn This is another first class condition, as in v. 3.

⁴⁸ sn A quotation from Ps 91:11 by the devil. This was not so much an incorrect citation as a use in a wrong context (a misapplication of the passage).

⁴⁹ sn A quotation from Ps 91:12.

⁵⁰ tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁵¹ tn Grk “Jesus, answering, said to him.” This is redundant in English and has been simplified to “Jesus answered him.”

⁵² sn A quotation from Deut 6:16 used by Jesus in reply to the devil. The point is that God’s faithfulness should not be put to the test, but is rather a given.

⁵³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate a summary.

⁵⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the devil) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵⁵ tn Grk “until a favorable time.”

⁵⁶ tn Or “craftiness.” See BDAG 625 s.v. μεθοδεία.

⁵⁷ tn BDAG 752 s.v. πάλη says, “struggle against…the opponent is introduced by πρός w. the acc.”

⁵⁸ tn Grk “blood and flesh.”

⁵⁹ tn BDAG 561 s.v. κοσμοκράτωρ suggests “the rulers of this sinful world” as a gloss.

⁶⁰ tn BDAG 837 s.v. πνευματικός 3 suggests “the spirit-forces of evil” in Ephesians 6:12.

⁶¹ sn The phrase spiritual forces of evil in the heavens serves to emphasize the nature of the forces which oppose believers as well as to indicate the locality from which they originate.

⁶² tn The use of the article τά (ta) with τέκνα (tekna) functions in a generic way to distinguish this group from husbands, wives, fathers and slaves and is left, therefore, untranslated. The generic article is used with γύναῖκες (gunaikes) in 5:22, ἄνδρες (andres) in 5:25, δοῦλοι (douloi) in 6:5, and κύριοι (kurioi) in 6:9.

⁶³ tc B D* F G as well as a few versional and patristic representatives lack “in the Lord” (ἐν κυρίῳ, en kuriw), while the phrase is well represented in Ì⁴⁶ א A D¹ I^vid Ψ 0278 0285 33 1739 1881 Ï sy co. Scribes may have thought that the phrase could be regarded a qualifier on the kind of parents a child should obey (viz., only Christian parents), and would thus be tempted to delete the phrase to counter such an interpretation. It is unlikely that the phrase would have been added, since the form used to express such sentiment in this Haustafel is ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ/Χριστῷ (Jw" tw kuriw/Cristw, “as to the Lord/Christ”; see 5:22; 6:5). Even though the witnesses for the omission are impressive, it is more likely that the phrase was deleted than added by scribal activity.

⁶⁴ tn The verb “you are” is implied in the Greek text, but is supplied in the English translation to make it clear.

⁶⁵ tc Several mss (Ì⁴⁶ D² Ψ Ï) have πνεύματος (pneumatos, “Spirit”) instead of φωτός (fwtos, “light”). Although most today regard φωτός as obviously original (UBS⁴ gives it an “A” rating), a case could be made that πνεύματος is what the author wrote. First, although this is largely a Byzantine reading (D² often, if not normally, assimilates to the Byzantine text), Ì⁴⁶ gives the reading much greater credibility. Internally, the φωτός at the end of v. 8 could have lined up above the πνεύματος in v. 9 in a scribe’s exemplar, thus occasioning dittography. (It is interesting to note that in both Ì⁴⁹ and א the two instances of φωτός line up.) However, written in a contracted form, as a nomen sacrum (pMnMs) – a practice found even in the earliest mss – πνεύματος would not have been easily confused with fwtos (there being only the last letter to occasion homoioteleuton rather than the last three). Further, the external evidence for φωτός is quite compelling (Ì⁴⁹ א A B D* F G P 33 81 1739 1881 2464 pc latt co); it is rather doubtful that the early and widespread witnesses all mistook πνεύματος for φωτός. In addition, πνεύματος can be readily explained as harking back to Gal 5:22 (“the fruit of the Spirit”). Thus, on balance, φωτός appears to be original, giving rise to the reading πνεύματος.

⁶⁶ tn Grk “in.” The idea is that the fruit of the light is “expressed in” or “consists of.”

⁶⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the war in heaven.

⁶⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

⁶⁹ tn Or “the right of his Messiah to rule.” See L&N 37.35.

⁷⁰ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

⁷¹ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). The translation “fellow believer” would normally apply (L&N 11.23), but since the speaker(s) are not specified in this context, it is not clear if such a translation would be appropriate here. The more generic “brothers and sisters” was chosen to emphasize the fact of a relationship without specifying its type.

⁷² tn Or “who accuses them continually.”

⁷³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.

⁷⁴ sn They did not love their lives. See Matt 16:25; Luke 17:33; John 12:25.