But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
What does Matthew 4:4 mean?
Concerning Christ's temptation, observe, that directly after he was declared to be the Son of God, and the Savior of the world, he was tempted; great privileges, and special tokens of Divine favour, will not secure any from being tempted.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Matthew 4:1-5 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Matthew 4:4
But he answered and said ... - In reply to this artful temptation Christ answered by a quotation from the Old Testament. The passage is found in Deuteronomy 8:3 . In that place the discourse is respecting manna. Moses says that the Lord humbled the people, and fed them with manna, an unusual kind of food, that they might learn that man did not live by bread only, but that there were other things to support life, and that everything which God had commanded was proper for this. The term "word," used in this place, means very often, in Hebrew, thing, and clearly in this place has that meaning.
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Context in Matthew 4
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Matthew 4 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as birth and preparation. Matthew presents Jesus as Davidic Messiah, new Moses, teacher of the kingdom, suffering Son of Man, and risen Lord who commissions the nations. Read this chapter with the wider themes of fulfillment, kingdom of heaven, and discipleship in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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What Scripture teaches about resisting temptation, the source of temptation, overcoming sin, and the faithfulness of God in providing a way out.
Passages on the nature of truth, honesty, deception, the word of God as truth, and Jesus' claim to be the truth.