Matthew · Chapter 4
Matthew 4
Berean Standard Bible · Public domain · Source credits
The Temptation of Jesus
(Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13)
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.
3The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4But Jesus answered, “It is written:‘Man shall not live on bread alone,but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”*
5Then the devil took Him to the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple.
6“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 footagainst a stone.’”*
7Jesus replied, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”*
8Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9“All this I will give You,” he said, “if You will fall down and worship me.”
10“Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus declared. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”*
11Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.
Jesus Begins His Ministry
(Isaiah 9:1–7; Mark 1:14–15; Luke 4:14–15)
12When Jesus heard that John had been imprisoned, He withdrew to Galilee.
13Leaving Nazareth, He went and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
14to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
15“Land of Zebulunand land of Naphtali,the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,Galilee of the Gentiles—
16the people living in darknesshave seen a great light;on those living in the land of the shadow of death,a light has dawned.”*
17From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
The First Disciples
(Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:1–11; John 1:35–42)
18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
19“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
20And at once they left their nets and followed Him.
21Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them,
22and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.
Jesus Heals the Multitudes
(Mark 3:7–12; Luke 6:17–19)
23Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
24News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed—and He healed them.
25The large crowds that followed Him came from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.*
Source notes
- 4:4 Deuteronomy 8:3 Read Deuteronomy 8:3
- 4:6 Psalms 91:11–12 Read Psalms 91:11
- 4:7 Deuteronomy 6:16 Read Deuteronomy 6:16
- 4:10 Deuteronomy 6:13 Read Deuteronomy 6:13
- 4:16 Isaiah 9:1–2 Read Isaiah 9:1
- 4:25 That is, the Ten Cities
Old Testament references
References from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Text from the Berean Standard Bible.
Deuteronomy 8:3He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known, so that you might understand that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
Psalms 91:11For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
Deuteronomy 6:16Do not test the LORD your God as you tested Him at Massah.
Deuteronomy 6:13Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.
Isaiah 9:1Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations:
1 Kings 18:12I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.
2 Kings 2:16“Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.” “Do not send them,” Elisha replied.
Ezekiel 3:12Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me: ‘Blessed be the glory of the LORD in His dwelling place!’
Ezekiel 3:14So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.
Ezekiel 8:3He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes jealousy was seated.
Ezekiel 11:1Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the LORD that faces east. And there at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, who were leaders of the people.
Ezekiel 11:24And the Spirit lifted me up and carried me back to Chaldea, to the exiles in the vision given by the Spirit of God. After the vision had gone up from me,
Ezekiel 40:2In visions of God He took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose southern slope was a structure that resembled a city.
Ezekiel 43:5Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
Genesis 3:15And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Exodus 24:18Moses entered the cloud as he went up on the mountain, and he remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Exodus 34:28So Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.