Matthew 4:7

7 Jesus said to him again, `It hath been written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'

Matthew 4:7 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 4:7

Jesus saith unto him, it is written again
Christ takes no notice of the false and wrong citation of scripture made by the devil, nor of any misapplication of it; but mildly replies, by opposing another passage of scripture to him, ( Deuteronomy 6:16 )

ye shall not tempt the Lord your God,
thereby tacitly showing, that he had produced scripture to a very wrong purpose, since that could never contradict itself; and also, that for a person to neglect the ordinary means of safety, and to expect, that as God can, so he will, preserve without the use of such means, is a tempting him. The Hebrew word (wont) "tempt", as Manasseh ben ^F6 Israel observes, is always taken in an ill part, and is to be understood of such who would try the power, goodness, or will of God. And which, as it is not fitting it should be done by any man, so not by himself; and perhaps he hereby intimates too, that he himself was God; and therefore as it was not right in him to tempt God the Father, by taking such a step as Satan solicited him to; nor would it be right in any other; so it was iniquitous in the devil to tempt him who was God over all, blessed for ever.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F6 Conciliat. in Deut. Quaest. 3. p. 223.

Matthew 4:7 In-Context

5 Then doth the Devil take him to the [holy] city, and doth set him on the pinnacle of the temple,

6 and saith to him, `If Son thou art of God -- cast thyself down, for it hath been written, that, His messengers He shall charge concerning thee, and on hands they shall bear thee up, that thou mayest not dash on a stone thy foot.'

7 Jesus said to him again, `It hath been written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'

8 Again doth the Devil take him to a very high mount, and doth shew to him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them,

9 and saith to him, `All these to thee I will give, if falling down thou mayest bow to me.'