Matthew 4 · Verse 6

Matthew 4:6

And saith 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.

Matthew 4:6, King James Version

Matthew 4:6 in other translations

BSB	“If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”
WEB	and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”
ASV	and saith unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone.
YLT	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.'
DARBY	and says to him, If thou be Son of God cast thyself down; for it is written, He shall give charge to his angels concerning thee, and on their hands shall they bear thee, lest in anywise thou strike thy foot against a stone.
BBE	If you are the Son of God, let yourself go down; for it is in the Writings, He will give his angels care over you; and, In their hands they will keep you up, so that your foot may not be crushed against a stone.
Webster	And saith to him, If thou art 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 uphold thee, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

What does Matthew 4:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

6. And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God--As this temptation starts with the same point as the first--our Lord's determination not to be disputed out of His Sonship--it seems to us clear that the one came directly after the other; and as the remaining temptation shows that the hope of carrying that point was abandoned, and all was staked upon a desperate venture, we think that remaining temptation is thus shown to be the last; as will appear still more when we come to it. cast thyself down--"from hence" (Lu 4:9). for it is written--(Psa 91:11, 12). "But what is this I see?" exclaims stately Bishop Hall. "Satan himself with a Bible under his arm and a text in his mouth!" Doubtless the tempter, having felt the power of God's Word in the former temptation, was eager to try the effect of it from his own mouth (2Co 11:14). He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands--rather, "on their hands." they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone--The quotation is, precisely as it stands in the Hebrew and the Septuagint, save that after the first clause the words, "to keep thee in all thy ways," are here omitted. Not a few good expositors have thought that this omission was intentional, to conceal the fact that this would not have been one of "His ways," that is, of duty. But as our Lord's reply makes no allusion to this, but seizes on the great principle involved in the promise quoted, so when we look at the promise itself, it is plain that the sense of it is precisely the same whether the clause in question be inserted or not.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 6.

(e) "for it is written" Ps 91:11,12

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 6 Cast thyself down - Our Lord had repelled the first temptation by an act of confidence in the power and goodness of God; and now Satan solicits him to make trial of it. Through the unparalleled subtlety of Satan, the very means we make use of to repel one temptation may he used by him as the groundwork of another. This method he often uses, in order to confound us in our confidence. He shall give his angels charge, etc. - This is a mutilated quotation of Psa 91:11. The clause, to keep thee in all thy ways, Satan chose to leave out, as quite unsuitable to his design. That God has promised to protect and support his servants, admits of no dispute; but, as the path of duty is the way of safety, they are entitled to no good when they walk out of it. In their hands they shall bear thee up - This quotation from Psa 91:11, is a metaphor taken from a nurse's management of her child: in teaching it to walk, she guides it along plain ground; but, when stones or other obstacles occur, she lifts up the child, and carries it over them, and then sets it down to walk again. Thus she keeps it in all its ways, watching over, and guarding every step it takes. To this St. Paul seems also to allude, 1Thes 2:7. We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children. Thus the most merciful God deals with the children of men, ever guarding them by his eye, and defending them by his power.

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 4:6 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

λέγειlegeisaysG3004

αὐτῷ·autōto him;G846

εἰeiIfG1487

υἱὸςhuiosSonG5207

εἶeiYou areG1510

τοῦtou<the>G3588

θεοῦ,theouof God,G2316

βάλεbaledo throwG906

σεαυτὸνseautonYourselfG4771

κάτω·katōdown;G2736

γέγραπταιgegraptaiit has been writtenG1125

γὰρgarforG1063

ὅτιhotithatG3754

τοῖςtoisTo theG3588

ἀγγέλοιςangeloisangelsG32

αὐτοῦautouof HimG846

ἐντελεῖταιenteleitaiHe will give ordersG1781

περὶpericoncerningG4012

σοῦ,souYou,G4771

καὶkaiandG2532

ἐπὶepiinG1909

χειρῶνcheirōn[their] handsG5495

ἀροῦσίνarousinwill they bear upG142

σεseYouG4771

μήποτεmēpoteotherwiseG3361

προσκόψῃςproskopsēsYou may strikeG4350

πρὸςprosagainstG4314

λίθονlithona stoneG3037

τὸνtontheG3588

πόδαpodafootG4228

σου.souof You.’G4771

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

Cross references for Matthew 4:6

Psalms 91:11-12
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Hebrews 1:14
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Psalms 34:7
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
2 Corinthians 11:14
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Psalms 34:20
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
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.
Job 5:23
For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
Job 1:10
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.
Luke 4:9-12
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: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

for.
4; 2Co 11:14
He shall.
Ps 91:11,12; Lu 4:9-12; Heb 1:14
test.
Job 1:10; 5:23; Ps 34:7,20

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

Context

Matthew 4:5
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Matthew 4:6
And saith 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.
Matthew 4:7
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Read all of Matthew 4

Matthew 4:6 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y le dice: Si eres Hijo de Dios, échate abajo; que escrito está: A sus ángeles mandará por ti, y te alzarán en las manos, para que nunca tropieces con tu pie en piedra.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	et lui dit: Si tu es Fils de Dieu, jette-toi en bas, car il est écrit: « Il donnera des ordres à ses anges à ton sujet, et ils te porteront sur leurs mains, de peur que tu ne heurtes ton pied contre une pierre ».
German Elberfelder 1871	und spricht zu ihm: Wenn du Gottes Sohn bist, so wirf dich hinab; denn es steht geschrieben: "Er wird seinen Engeln über dir befehlen, und sie werden dich auf den Händen tragen, damit du nicht etwa deinen Fuß an einen Stein stoßest."
Latin Clementine Vulgate	et dixit ei: Si Filius Dei es, mitte te deorsum. Scriptum est enim: Quia angelis suis mandavit de te, et in manibus tollent te, ne forte offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum.