Matthew 4 · Verse 3

Matthew 4:3

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Matthew 4:3, King James Version

Matthew 4:3 in other translations

BSBThe tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
WEBThe tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
ASVAnd the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.
YLTAnd the Tempter having come to him said, ‘If Son thou art of God--speak that these stones may become loaves.'
DARBYAnd the tempter coming up to him said, If thou be Son of God, speak, that these stones may become loaves of bread.
BBEAnd the Evil One came and said to him, If you are the Son of God, give the word for these stones to become bread.
WebsterAnd when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou art the son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

What does Matthew 4:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. And when the tempter came to him--Evidently we have here a new scene. he said, if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread--rather, "loaves," answering to "stones" in the plural; whereas Luke, having said, "Command this stone," in the singular, adds, "that it be made bread," in the singular (Lu 4:3). The sensation of hunger, unfelt during all the forty days, seems now to have come on in all its keenness--no doubt to open a door to the tempter, of which he is not slow to avail himself; "Thou still clingest to that vainglorious confidence that Thou art the Son of God, carried away by those illusory scenes at the Jordan. Thou wast born in a stable; but Thou art the Son of God! hurried off to Egypt for fear of Herod's wrath; but Thou art the Son of God! a carpenter's roof supplied Thee with a home, and in the obscurity of a despicable town of Galilee Thou hast spent thirty years, yet still Thou art the Son of God! and a voice from heaven, it seems, proclaimed it in Thine ears at the Jordan! Be it so; but after that, surely Thy days of obscurity and trial should have an end. Why linger for weeks in this desert, wandering among the wild beasts and craggy rocks, unhonored, unattended, unpitied, ready to starve for want of the necessaries of life? Is this befitting "the Son of God?" At the bidding of "the Son of God" surely those stones shall all be turned into loaves, and in a moment present an abundant repast."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 3. The tempter. The devil, or Satan. See Mt 4:1.

If thou be the Son of God. If thou art the Messiah--if God's own Son--then thou hast power to work a miracle; and here is a fit opportunity to try thy power, and show that thou art truly his Son.

Command that these stones, etc. The stones that were lying around him in the wilderness, No temptation could have been more plausible, or more likely to succeed, than this. He had just been declared to be the Son of God, (Mt 3:17) and here was an opportunity to show that he was really so. The circumstances were such as to make it appear plausible and proper to work this miracle. "Here you are," was the language of Satan, "hungry, cast out, alone, needy, poor, and yet the Son of God! If you have this power, how easy could you satisfy your wants! How foolish is it, then, for the Son of God, having all power, to be starving in this manner, when by a word he could show his power, and relieve his wants, and when in the thing itself there could be nothing wrong!"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 And when the tempter - This onset of Satan was made (speaking after the manner of men) judiciously: he came when Jesus, after having fasted forty days and forty nights, was hungry: now, as hunger naturally diminishes the strength of the body, the mind gets enfeebled, and becomes easily irritated; and if much watching and prayer be not employed, the uneasiness which is occasioned by a lack of food may soon produce impatience, and in this state of mind the tempter has great advantages. The following advice of an Arabian philosopher to his son is worthy of attention. "My son, never go out of the house in the morning, till thou hast eaten something: by so doing, thy mind will be more firm; and, shouldest thou be insulted by any person, thou wilt find thyself more disposed to suffer patiently: for hunger dries up and disorders the brain." Bibliot. Orient. Suppl. p. 449. The state of our bodily health and worldly circumstances may afford our adversary many opportunities of doing us immense mischief. In such cases, the sin to which we are tempted may be justly termed, as in Heb 12:1, την ευπεριστατον αμαρτιαν, the well circumstanced sin, because all the circumstances of time, place, and state of body and mind, are favorable to it. If thou be the Son of God - Or, a son of God, υιος του Θεου. υιος is here, and in Luk 4:3, written without the article; and therefore should not be translated The Son, as if it were ὁ υιος, which is a phrase that is applicable to Christ as the Messiah: but it is certain, whatever Satan might suspect, he did not fully know that the person he tempted was the true Messiah. Perhaps one grand object of his temptation was to find this out. Command that these stones - The meaning of this temptation is: "Distrust the Divine providence and support, and make use of illicit means to supply thy necessities."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 4:1-11

Concerning Christ's temptation, observe, that directly after he was declared to be the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world, he was tempted; great privileges, and special tokens of Divine favour, will not secure any from being tempted. But if the Holy Spirit witness to our being adopted as children of God, that will answer all the suggestions of the evil spirit. Christ was directed to the combat. If we presume…

Read the full comment on Matthew 4:1-11 →

Matthew 4:3 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
προσελθὼνproselthōnhaving comeG4334
ὁhothe [one]G3588
πειράζωνpeirazōntemptingG3985
εἶπενeipenhe saidG2036
αὐτῷ·autōto Him;G846
εἰeiIfG1487
υἱὸςhuiosSonG5207
εἶeiYou areG1510
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦ,theouof God,G2316
εἰπὲeipedo speakG2036
ἵναinathatG2443
οἱhoi<the>G3588
λίθοιlithoistonesG3037
οὗτοιhoutoitheseG3778
ἄρτοιartoiloaves of breadG740
γένωνται.¶genōntaimay become.G1096

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 4:3

  • 1 Thessalonians 3:5

    For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

  • Genesis 3:1-5

    Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: …

  • Numbers 11:4-6

    And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

  • Luke 22:31-32

    And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

  • Revelation 2:10

    Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

  • Psalms 78:17-20

    And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness. And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

  • Genesis 25:29-34

    And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? …

  • Job 2:4-7

    And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

  • Matthew 3:17

    And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

  • Job 1:9-12

    Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

  • Revelation 12:9-11

    And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

  • Hebrews 12:16

    Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the tempter.
Job 1:9-12; 2:4-7; Lu 22:31,32; 1Th 3:5; Re 2:10; 12:9-11
if.
3:17; Lu 4:3,9
command.
Ge 3:1-5; 25:29-34; Ex 16:3; Nu 11:4-6; Ps 78:17-20; Heb 12:16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 4:2

    And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

  • Matthew 4:3

    And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

  • Matthew 4:4

    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.

Read all of Matthew 4

Matthew 4:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y llegándose á él el tentador, dijo: Si eres Hijo de Dios, di que estas piedras se hagan pan.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le tentateur, s’approchant de lui, dit: Si tu es Fils de Dieu, dis que ces pierres deviennent des pains.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der Versucher trat zu ihm hin und sprach: Wenn du Gottes Sohn bist, so sprich, daß diese Steine Brot werden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et accedens tentator dixit ei: Si Filius Dei es, dic ut lapides isti panes fiant.