Luke 4:3 kjv
And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
Luke 4:3 nkjv
And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."
Luke 4:3 niv
The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
Luke 4:3 esv
The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."
Luke 4:3 nlt
Then the devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread."
Luke 4 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mt 4:3 | The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” | Parallel temptation account. |
| Lk 3:22 | ...a voice came from heaven: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” | Immediate preceding divine affirmation of Sonship. |
| Ps 2:7 | "You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” | Old Testament messianic prophecy of Sonship. |
| Deut 8:3 | "...that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” | Jesus' ultimate response, emphasizing reliance on God's word. |
| Mt 6:33 | But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. | Prioritizing God's will over material provision. |
| Jn 6:35 | Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life.” | Jesus as the true spiritual sustenance, not physical bread. |
| Heb 4:15 | For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet without sin. | Jesus' human experience of temptation. |
| 1 Jn 4:1 | ...test the spirits to see whether they are from God... | The importance of discerning challenges and temptations. |
| Mk 1:12-13 | The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan... | Mark's brief account of Jesus' temptation. |
| Gen 3:1-5 | Now the serpent was more crafty... "Did God really say...?" | The devil's method of questioning God's word and causing doubt. |
| Deut 6:16 | Do not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. | Israel's failure to trust God; Jesus resists testing. |
| Lk 10:18 | He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” | Jesus' knowledge of Satan's origin and power. |
| Job 1:9-11 | "Does Job fear God for nothing?... Stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” | Satan as the accuser who challenges genuine devotion. |
| 1 Pet 5:8 | Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. | Warning about the devil's predatory nature. |
| Lk 22:31 | "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.” | Satan's desire to test and destroy disciples. |
| Phil 2:6-8 | Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage... becoming obedient to death. | Jesus' example of humility and obedience instead of self-exaltation. |
| Jn 14:30 | "...the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me.” | Jesus' immunity to Satan's power. |
| Rom 8:37 | ...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. | Believers can overcome temptation through Christ. |
| 2 Cor 11:14 | And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. | Satan's deceptive nature, making temptations appear appealing. |
| Jas 1:13-14 | When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. | Nature of temptation; God doesn't tempt, but allows testing. |
| Lk 11:3 | Give us each day our daily bread. | Jesus teaches reliance on God for daily provision. |
| 1 Kgs 19:4-8 | Elijah asks for death but is miraculously fed by an angel to sustain him. | God provides for His servants, not through self-will. |
Luke 4 verses
Luke 4 3 Meaning
The devil's temptation of Jesus in Luke 4:3 is a direct challenge to Jesus' divine identity as the Son of God, attempting to compel Him to misuse His divine power for personal sustenance and to bypass God's intended path. The devil prompts Jesus to command a stone to become bread, preying on Jesus' physical hunger after forty days of fasting, thereby inviting Him to doubt the Father's provision and act independently, contrary to the will of God.
Luke 4 3 Context
Luke 4:3 is the first direct temptation Jesus faces from the devil during His forty days of fasting in the Judean wilderness. This intense period of spiritual preparation immediately follows His baptism (Luke 3:21-22), where the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and the voice of the Father publicly affirmed, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." The devil's challenge directly assaults this newly proclaimed divine identity. The wilderness setting evokes the Israelites' forty years of wandering and testing, establishing a parallel where Jesus succeeds in obedience where Israel failed. This temptation is not just about physical hunger but represents a deeper challenge to Jesus' core identity and the very nature of His messianic mission: whether He would rely on divine provision and the Father's timing or seize power for selfish ends.
Luke 4 3 Word analysis
- And (καὶ - kai): A simple conjunction connecting this specific temptation to the general period of temptation Jesus endured.
- the devil (ὁ διάβολος - ho diabolos): This term, used with the definite article, refers to the specific, known adversary of God and humanity. The Greek word diabolos means "slanderer" or "accuser," fitting his nature in challenging God's declaration about Jesus.
- said (εἶπεν - eipein): A straightforward past tense verb, indicating direct speech.
- to him (αὐτῷ - autō): Referring to Jesus, indicating a direct confrontation.
- "If (Εἰ - Ei)": This is a first-class conditional particle in Greek, often translated as "If... and it is true," or "Since." However, in contexts of a challenge, it's best understood as "If," creating a real condition or test, rather than simply stating a known truth. The devil presents it as a test, challenging Jesus to prove what God just declared.
- you are the Son of God (υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ θεοῦ - huios ei tou theou): This is the heart of the challenge. The devil directly quotes or references the Father's recent affirmation at Jesus' baptism, seeking to distort its meaning or force a premature demonstration of power, bypassing God's plan. It’s a demand for Jesus to prove His Sonship on the devil's terms, using His power for self-gratification rather than the Father’s glory and mission.
- command (εἰπὲ - eipe): An imperative verb, an immediate order or instruction from the tempter. It suggests an action of divine power and authority.
- this stone (τῷ λίθῳ τούτῳ - tō lithō toutō): Specificity emphasizes the immediate physical surroundings. The temptation is concrete and present, easily accessible to Jesus.
- to become bread (ἵνα γένηται ἄρτος - hina genētai artos): hina genētai ("in order that it might become") expresses purpose. Artos is the common word for "bread," representing basic sustenance. The temptation appeals to immediate physical need and the desire to control one's circumstances. It contrasts reliance on God's provision with self-provision by divine power.
The phrase "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread" functions as a full tempting proposition. It links Jesus' divine identity to an act of immediate self-gratification, suggesting that if He truly is God's Son, He should not suffer hunger but instead use His power to fulfill His own desires. This tests Jesus' trust in the Father, His dependence on God's word, and His understanding of His own Messianic role—a role defined not by miraculous self-provision, but by humble obedience and ultimate sacrifice.
Luke 4 3 Bonus section
The temptation in Luke 4:3 echoes the wilderness temptations of Israel (Ex 16:2-3, 17:1-7; Num 11:4-6), particularly their murmuring for food and testing God. Unlike Israel, Jesus perfectly obeys. This passage emphasizes that divine Sonship, while conferring immense power, demands ultimate obedience and trust, not self-serving displays. It is a fundamental statement about Jesus' true messianic identity—He is the Son who trusts His Father fully, even in hunger, choosing reliance on God's word over fulfilling physical desires by bypassing divine means. The specific choice of "stone to bread" might also have implications in Jewish thought concerning God's provision and the Messianic banquet, with the devil inviting Jesus to shortcut the true, divinely ordained provision.
Luke 4 3 Commentary
Luke 4:3 reveals the devil's cunning in spiritual warfare: he attacks at points of vulnerability (Jesus' physical hunger after prolonged fasting) and identity (questioning "Son of God" status). The core temptation is to misuse divine power for selfish ends—to perform a miracle for self-provision and instant gratification, bypassing God's will and timing. This is not about Jesus' ability, but His obedience. Resisting this temptation affirms Jesus' complete reliance on God and His unwavering commitment to fulfilling His mission through dependence on the Father, setting the stage for His messianic path of humble service and suffering rather than worldly power and immediate self-benefit. The temptation exposes the devil's strategy of doubt, distortion, and deviation from God's plan, inviting us to rely on God's word and trust His provision rather than our own efforts.