1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. [4:2] For forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was hungry. [4:3] The devil said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.' [4:4] Jesus answered him, 'It is written:
LUK 4:1-13
The Temptation of Jesus
In the world it was spoken into
In the 1st-century Jewish context, the wilderness held deep symbolic significance as a place of testing and divine encounter, recalling Israel’s 40 years of wandering. The devil’s temptations target Jesus’ identity as the Son of God, challenging Him to prove it through miraculous acts. The first temptation, turning stones into bread, appeals to self-sufficiency, a stark contrast to the Jewish reliance on God’s provision, as seen in the manna narrative. Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, affirming reliance on God’s word over self-sufficiency. The second temptation, offering authority over the (the Roman Empire), leverages the political aspirations of many Jews under Roman rule. Jesus rejects this by citing Deuteronomy 6:13, emphasizing exclusive worship of God. The third temptation, testing God’s protection, mirrors the Israelites’ testing at Massah. Jesus counters with Deuteronomy 6:16, upholding trust in God without presumption. These exchanges highlight Jesus’ fidelity to Torah and His role as the true Israel.
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How other translations render this
LUK 4:1
- KJV
- And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
- BSB
- Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
- Koinōnos
- Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
LUK 4:2
- KJV
- Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
- BSB
- where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry.
- Koinōnos
- For forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was hungry.
LUK 4:3
- KJV
- And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
- BSB
- The devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
- Koinōnos
- The devil said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.
LUK 4:4
- KJV
- And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
- BSB
- But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
- Koinōnos
- Jesus answered him, 'It is written:
LUK 4:5
- KJV
- And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
- BSB
- Then the devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
LUK 4:6
- KJV
- And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
- BSB
- “I will give You authority over all these kingdoms and all their glory,” he said. “For it has been relinquished to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish.
LUK 4:7
- KJV
- If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
- BSB
- So if You worship me, it will all be Yours.”
LUK 4:8
- KJV
- And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
- BSB
- But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”
LUK 4:9
- KJV
- And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
- BSB
- Then the devil led Him to Jerusalem and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple. “If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down from here.
LUK 4:10
- KJV
- For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
- BSB
- For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You carefully,
LUK 4:11
- KJV
- And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
- BSB
- and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”
LUK 4:12
- KJV
- And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
- BSB
- But Jesus answered, “It also says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
LUK 4:13
- KJV
- And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
- BSB
- When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
LUK 4:2
- being tempted:The word translated 'being tempted' carries the dual sense of both testing with a good intention (to prove or refine) and tempting with a bad intention (to entice to evil). The context determines which nuance is primary.
LUK 4:5
- to Him:The term used here for 'world' specifically refers to the inhabited earth, often with the connotation of the Roman Empire or the known civilized world, rather than the entire planet or cosmos.
LUK 4:6
- authority:The word translated 'authority' implies not just power, but also the right or permission to exercise that power. It suggests a legitimate claim to act.
LUK 4:13
- temptation:The word translated 'temptation' can mean both an enticement to sin and a trial or test that one endures. It encompasses both the negative pull towards evil and the challenging circumstances that prove one's character.