Satan's Temptation to Turn Stones into Bread in Matthew 4
Satan's Temptation to Turn Stones into Bread in Matthew 4
The temptation of Jesus to turn stones into bread is recorded in Matthew 4:3 and Luke 4:3. In Matthew's account, the tempter says, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread" [1]. Luke's version is similar, with the devil saying, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread" [2].
The literary context of this passage is Jesus' forty-day fast in the wilderness, which parallels Israel's forty years of testing in the wilderness [5]. This period of fasting and temptation serves as a preparation for Jesus' ministry, testing his resolve and character. The surrounding narrative in Matthew's Gospel highlights Jesus' divine sonship, as he is declared the Son of God at his baptism (Matthew 3:17) and is now tempted to act in ways that would confirm or deny this identity.
The historical setting of this event is the wilderness, a desolate and barren region where Jesus has gone to fast and pray. The presence of stones in this environment is noted in the biblical text, and it is worth observing that stones were a common feature of the Palestinian landscape, often used for buildings and as memorials of important events [3].
The key terms in this passage include "stones" and "bread." The word "stones" (Greek: λίθοι, lithoi) refers to the rocky terrain of the wilderness. The term "bread" (Greek: ἄρτος, artos) is used to represent physical sustenance, highlighting Jesus' hunger after forty days of fasting [1, 2].
One major exegetical decision in interpreting this passage is understanding the nature of the temptation. Is Satan tempting Jesus to satisfy his physical hunger, or is the temptation more profound, challenging Jesus' identity and mission? According to Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, the temptation is an attempt to get Jesus to "cling to that vainglorious confidence in His Sonship" and to act independently of God's plan [4]. This interpretation is supported by the fact that Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, emphasizing that true life comes not from bread alone but from every word that proceeds from the mouth of God [7].
The range of interpretations on this passage is diverse. Some see the temptation as a straightforward attempt to satisfy physical hunger, while others view it as a more complex challenge to Jesus' identity and mission. John Gill interprets the temptation as an attempt to get Jesus to demonstrate his divine power, while also highlighting Jesus' humanity and hunger [6]. Matthew Henry views the temptation as part of a larger spiritual conflict between Jesus and Satan, with Jesus emerging victorious [8].
This passage has functioned in Christian tradition as a demonstration of Jesus' character and resolve. It has been used to illustrate the nature of temptation and the importance of relying on God's word rather than one's own desires or powers. In liturgical contexts, the passage is often read during Lent, highlighting the themes of fasting, temptation, and spiritual preparation.
The significance of this passage extends beyond its immediate context, speaking to the broader themes of Jesus' identity, mission, and character. As Jesus resists Satan's temptation, he demonstrates his commitment to following God's plan, even when it involves hardship and sacrifice. This passage serves as a model for Christian discipleship, encouraging believers to rely on God's word and to resist the temptations of the world.
Sources
- Matthew “The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” -- Matthew 4:3”
- Luke “The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” -- Luke 4:3”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Stone — Stones were commonly used for buildings, also as memorials of important events (Gen. 28:18; Josh. 24:26, 27; 1 Sam. 7:12, etc.). They were gathered out of cultivated fields (Isa. 5:2; comp. 2 Kings 3:19). This word is also used figuratively of believers (1 Pet. 2:4, 5), and of the Messiah (Ps. 118:22; Isa. 28:16; Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11, etc.). In Dan. 2:45 it refers also to the Messiah. He is there described as "cut out of the mountain." (See [611]ROCK.) A "heart of stone" denotes great insensibility (1 Sam. 25:37). Stones were set up to commemorate remarkabl”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 4:3: And when the tempter came to him--Evidently we have here a new scene. he said, if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread--rather, "loaves," answering to "stones" in the plural; whereas Luke, having said, "Command this stone," in the singular, adds, "that it be made bread," in the singular (Luk 4:3). The sensation of hunger, unfelt during all the forty days, seems now to have come on in all its keenness--no doubt to open a door to the tempter, of which he is not slow to avail himself; "Thou still clingest to that vainglorious ”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 4:1: 4:1-13 Satan tempted Jesus to bypass his Father’s plan of salvation by taking power and glory for himself. The forty-day temptation in the wilderness parallels Israel’s forty years of testing in the wilderness. Israel failed when tested, but Jesus was victorious.”
- Luke (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Luke 4:3: And the devil said unto him,.... Who now visibly appeared, and spoke unto him with an articulate voice: if thou be the Son of God; as has been just now declared by a voice from heaven; or seeing thou art in such a relation to God, and so equal to him, and possessed of all divine perfections, and among the rest, of almighty power; wherefore, since thou art hungry, and in a wilderness, where no food is to be had, command this stone that it be made bread; say but the word, and this stone, which he held out to him, or pointed at, as lying before them, or any one of the s”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 4:4: But he answered and said, It is written-- (Deu 8:3). Man shall not live by bread alone--more emphatically, as in the Greek, "Not by bread alone shall man live." but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God--Of all passages in Old Testament Scripture, none could have been pitched upon more apposite, perhaps not one so apposite, to our Lord's purpose. "The Lord . . . led thee (said Moses to Israel, at the close of their journeyings) these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, w”
- Matthew (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Matthew 4:1: We have here the story of a famous duel, fought hand to hand, between Michael and the dragon, the Seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, nay, the serpent himself; in which the seed of the woman suffers, being tempted, and so has his heel bruised; but the serpent is quite baffled in his temptations, and so has his head broken; and our Lord Jesus comes off a Conqueror, and so secures not only comfort, but conquest at last, to all his faithful followers. Concerning Christ's temptation, observe, I. The time when it happened: Then; there is an emphasis laid upo”