1 Then Jesus was led up to the wilderness by the Spirit, to be tempted by the Devil, 2 and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he did hunger. 3 And the Tempter having come to him said, 'If Son thou art of God — speak that these stones may become loaves.' 4 But he answering said, 'It hath been written, Not upon bread alone doth man live, but upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God.' 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.' 10 Then saith Jesus to him, 'Go — Adversary, for it hath been written, The Lord thy God thou shalt bow to, and Him only thou shalt serve.' 11 Then doth the Devil leave him, and lo, messengers came and were ministering to him. 12 And Jesus having heard that John was delivered up, did withdraw to Galilee, 13 and having left Nazareth, having come, he dwelt at Capernaum that is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtalim, 14 that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, 15 'Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations! — 16 the people that is sitting in darkness saw a great light, and to those sitting in a region and shadow of death — light arose to them.' 17 From that time began Jesus to proclaim and to say, 'Reform ye, for come nigh hath the reign of the heavens.' 18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon named Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a drag into the sea — for they were fishers — 19 and he saith to them, 'Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men,' 20 and they, immediately, having left the nets, did follow him. 21 And having advanced thence, he saw other two brothers, James of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, refitting their nets, and he called them, 22 and they, immediately, having left the boat and their father, did follow him. 23 And Jesus was going about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the reign, and healing every disease, and every malady among the people, 24 and his fame went forth to all Syria, and they brought to him all having ailments, pressed with manifold sicknesses and pains, and demoniacs, and lunatics, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And there followed him many multitudes from Galilee, and Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
Matthew · Young's Literal Translation
Matthew 4 Young's Literal Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
James
A fisherman called by Jesus together with his brother John, one of the Twelve, to whom Jesus gave the name Boanerges, 'Sons of Thunder'.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 4:21; Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:17
John
A fisherman called together with his brother James, one of the Twelve, to whom Jesus gave the name Boanerges, 'Sons of Thunder'.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 4:21; Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:17
Zebedee
A fisherman in whose boat his sons James and John were mending nets when Jesus called them; they left him in the boat with the hired men.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 4:21; Matthew 20:20; Mark 1:20
Places
Capernaum
A fishing and customs town on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus healed, taught, and called disciples. Its ruins include a 4th–5th c. synagogue built over an earlier one.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 4:13; Mark 2:1; Matthew 11:23
Cross references (25)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Hebrews 2:18; Luke 4:1–13; Mark 1:12–15; Hebrews 4:15–16; Romans 8:14
- 2 Deuteronomy 9:18; Exodus 34:28; 1 Kings 19:8; Luke 4:2; Deuteronomy 9:9
- 3 1 Thessalonians 3:5; Genesis 3:1–5; Numbers 11:4–6; Luke 22:31–32; Revelation 2:10
- 4 Deuteronomy 8:3; Luke 4:4; John 6:63; John 6:31–59; Romans 15:4
- 5 Luke 4:9; Revelation 11:2; Matthew 27:53; Isaiah 48:2; Nehemiah 11:1
- 6 Psalm 91:11–12; Hebrews 1:14; Psalm 34:7; 2 Corinthians 11:14; Psalm 34:20
- 7 Deuteronomy 6:16; 1 Corinthians 10:9; Psalm 78:41; Psalm 78:18; Hebrews 3:9
- 8 1 John 2:15–16; Revelation 11:15; Psalm 49:16–17; Matthew 16:26; Luke 4:5–7
- 9 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 22:8–9; John 16:11; Revelation 19:10; Daniel 5:18–19
- 10 Deuteronomy 6:13–14; Deuteronomy 10:20; Joshua 24:14; Luke 4:8; 1 Samuel 7:3
- 11 Matthew 26:53; Luke 22:43; Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 5:11–12; Luke 4:13
- 12 Mark 1:14; Luke 3:20; Matthew 14:3; Luke 4:14; Mark 6:17
- 13 John 4:46; Mark 1:21; Matthew 11:23; John 6:24; John 6:59
- 14 Isaiah 9:1–2; Matthew 2:23; Luke 24:44; Matthew 12:17–21; Luke 22:37
- 15 Isaiah 9:1
- 16 Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 42:6–7; Luke 1:78–79; Isaiah 60:1–3; Micah 7:8
- 17 Matthew 3:2; Acts 2:38; Mark 1:14–15; Luke 5:32; Luke 24:47
- 18 John 1:40–42; Matthew 10:2; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 6:14; Luke 5:1–11
- 19 Mark 1:17–18; John 12:26; Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:59; John 1:43
- 20 Mark 10:28–31; Matthew 19:27; Luke 18:28–30; Psalm 119:60; 1 Kings 19:21
- 21 Mark 3:17; Mark 1:19–20; Matthew 10:2; John 21:2; Acts 12:2
- 22 Matthew 10:37; Luke 14:26; Deuteronomy 33:9–10; Luke 9:59–60; Mark 1:20
- 23 Matthew 9:35; Mark 1:39; Luke 7:22; Acts 10:38; Matthew 11:5
- 24 Matthew 17:15; Matthew 8:6; Matthew 12:22; Luke 5:15; Luke 2:2
- 25 Luke 6:17; Mark 5:20; Mark 7:31; Mark 3:7–8; Matthew 19:2
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Then. When? After the descent of the Spirit, after the voice that was borne from above, and said, "This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And what was marvellous, it was of the Holy Spirit; for this, he here saith, led Him up.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For, when tempting Him, he said, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." But the Lord repulsed him by the commandment of the law, saying, "It is written, Man doth not live by bread alone." As to those words [of His enemy,] "If thou be the Son of God," [the Lord] made no …
… two societies of angels,--the one enjoying God, the other swelling with pride; the one to whom it is said, "Praise ye Him, all His angels," the other whose prince says, "All these things will I give Thee if Thou wilt fall down and worship me;" the one blazing with the holy love of God, the other reeking with the unclean …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Thus, after He was an hungered, it is said, "The tempter came, and said unto Him, If Thou be Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." For, because he had heard a voice borne from above, and saying, "This is My beloved Son;" and had heard also John bearing so large witness concerning Him, and after that …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
If the Master Himself followed the right time in due order, ought we, His servants, to venture out of order? From that time Jesus began to preach, when the Holy Spirit had descended upon Him in a bodily shape, like a dove; not that Jesus might see Him first, for He knew Him even before He came in a …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)