Matthew 4:7

7 Jesus said unto him, "It is written again: `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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Matthew 4:7 In-Context

5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and

6 said unto Him, "If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down. For it is written: `He shall give His angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.'"

7 Jesus said unto him, "It is written again: `Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'"

8 Again, the devil took Him up onto an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them,

9 and said unto Him, "All these things will I give Thee if Thou wilt fall down and worship me."