Luke 4:6 kjv
And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luke 4:6 nkjv
And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
Luke 4:6 niv
And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.
Luke 4:6 esv
and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.
Luke 4:6 nlt
"I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them," the devil said, "because they are mine to give to anyone I please.
Luke 4 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text (Shortened) | Reference (Short Note) |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 3:6 | ...when the woman saw that the tree was good for food... she took of its fruit and ate... | Humanity's fall, relinquishing original dominion. |
| Dt 6:13 | You shall fear the LORD your God, and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. | Jesus' rebuttal: worship and serve God alone. |
| Ps 2:8 | Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance... | The Father grants the nations to His Son legitimately. |
| Ps 24:1 | The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness... | God's absolute ownership and ultimate sovereignty. |
| Ps 50:10-12 | For every beast of the forest is Mine... the world and all its fullness are Mine. | God's total dominion over creation. |
| 1 Chron 29:11-12 | Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power... for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours... | Acknowledging God's sole, universal sovereignty. |
| Dan 4:17 | ...to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men... | God's absolute rule over earthly rulers and kingdoms. |
| Dan 4:35 | All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will... | God's sovereign control over all humanity. |
| Dan 7:14 | Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations... | Prophecy of the Son of Man's legitimate, everlasting reign. |
| Mt 4:8-9 | Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain... All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me. | Parallel account in Matthew's Gospel. |
| Lk 4:8 | And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" | Jesus' direct biblical rebuttal to the devil's demand. |
| Jn 12:31 | Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. | Satan is identified as the "ruler of this world," but his defeat is proclaimed. |
| Jn 14:30 | I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. | Another reference to Satan's influence in the world, with Jesus' blamelessness. |
| Jn 16:11 | ...of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. | The defeat of Satan through Christ's redemptive work. |
| Jn 18:36 | Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world..." | Jesus' clarification on the spiritual nature of His true kingdom. |
| Rom 12:2 | And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind... | Contrasting alignment with worldly values versus God's will. |
| 2 Cor 4:4 | ...whose minds the god of this age has blinded... | Satan as "god of this age," highlighting his power over the unsaved. |
| Eph 2:2 | ...according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. | Satan's dominion over unregenerate humanity and the spiritual realm. |
| Heb 4:15 | For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. | Jesus' complete identification with human temptation, including this one. |
| 1 Pet 5:8 | Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion... | The devil as an active, powerful adversary seeking to devour believers. |
| 1 Jn 2:15-17 | Do not love the world or the things in the world... | Warning against worldly temptations, glory, and pride. |
| 1 Jn 5:19 | ...we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the wicked one. | Affirmation of the devil's present influence over the fallen world. |
| Rev 1:5 | ...and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. | Jesus' true and ultimate authority over earthly rulers. |
| Rev 1:18 | I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. | Jesus' supreme victory and legitimate authority over life and death. |
| Rev 5:12-13 | ...Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom... Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him... | The legitimate, divine power and glory of the resurrected Christ. |
| Mt 28:18 | And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." | Jesus' declaration of His complete, universal, and rightful authority after His resurrection. |
Luke 4 verses
Luke 4 6 Meaning
Luke 4:6 records a pivotal moment during Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. The devil presents an offer, proposing to give Jesus dominion over all the kingdoms of the world and their associated splendor. The devil claims this authority has been transferred to him, implying he possesses the right to bestow it upon anyone he chooses. This temptation seeks to divert Jesus from His divine mission and the path ordained by God, attempting to entice Him into securing an earthly kingdom through compromise with evil, thereby bypassing the redemptive suffering and sacrifice necessary for true, God-given authority.
Luke 4 6 Context
Luke 4:6 is situated within the narrative of Jesus' temptations in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13). Following His baptism, during which the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and the Father affirmed Him, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was led into the wilderness for forty days, where He fasted and was tempted by the devil. This particular temptation, presenting worldly dominion, occurs after the devil's initial attempt to make Jesus turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger. Historically and culturally, the Jewish people were living under Roman occupation and eagerly awaited a Messiah who would establish an earthly kingdom, throwing off their oppressors. Satan's offer thus resonates with a strong contemporary expectation for a powerful, political king, subtly urging Jesus to bypass God's intended path of suffering and servanthood for an immediate, humanly appealing form of sovereignty.
Luke 4 6 Word analysis
- And the devil (διαβολος - diabolos) said to Him: "Diabolos" is the Greek word meaning "slanderer" or "accuser," directly identifying the speaker as God's primary adversary, characterized by deceit and opposition.
- All this authority (εξουσια - exousia): Exousia refers to delegated power, right, or jurisdiction. It implies not just force, but a claim to a legitimate right to rule. Satan presents himself as holding a significant position of control.
- I will give You: This phrase establishes a direct proposition of a transaction. The devil suggests he possesses the ability and right to transfer these vast powers to Jesus, implying a shortcut to universal reign.
- and their glory (δοξα - doxa): Doxa denotes splendor, honor, renown, and impressive display. The temptation extends beyond mere political control to the visible majesty, prestige, and wealth associated with earthly kingdoms.
- for it has been delivered (παραδεδοται - paradidotai) to me: Paradidotai is a perfect passive verb, indicating a past action with ongoing results. Satan claims this authority was handed over to him. Theologically, this refers to humanity's forfeiture of its dominion over creation (Gen 1:26-28) to Satan through Adam's sin and disobedience (Gen 3), thereby making humanity subject to spiritual bondage and establishing Satan's temporary, usurped influence over the world.
- and I give it to whomever I wish: This assertion underlines the devil's claim of sovereign distribution, positioning himself as the one with discretionary power over the world's kingdoms. It presents him as an ultimate arbiter of power, in direct challenge to God's ultimate authority.
Luke 4 6 Bonus section
The temptation in Luke 4:6 represents a fundamental spiritual conflict, paralleling the original temptation of Adam in the Garden of Eden. Just as Adam sought dominion and god-like status apart from God's way, so Satan tempted Jesus with worldly rule apart from the Father's method. Jesus, as the "Second Adam," instead chooses perfect obedience to God, thereby reversing humanity's original fall and securing legitimate, divine dominion not by compromise, but through sacrificial redemption. This exchange fundamentally clarifies that Jesus' kingdom is not of this world (Jn 18:36), and His authority is ultimately from above (Mt 28:18), distinct from and superior to any power wielded by the adversary.
Luke 4 6 Commentary
In Luke 4:6, the devil's temptation of Jesus exposes the insidious nature of evil. Satan offers Jesus the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, asserting his right to bestow them because he claims they have been "delivered" to him. This is a profound and dangerous offer, playing on both messianic expectations and a path of least resistance. Satan's claim reflects the biblical understanding of his significant, albeit temporary and ultimately illegitimate, power over the fallen world system, granted through humanity's original sin and disobedience. He presents a counterfeit shortcut to the Messianic reign, bypassing God's chosen path of humble servitude, suffering, and the cross, which alone would legitimately earn Jesus all authority. By rejecting this offer, Jesus firmly declares His unwavering allegiance to God alone, affirming that true, divine authority cannot be obtained through pacts with the adversary, but only through submission to the Father's perfect will.