Matthew 4 6

Matthew 4:6 kjv

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 nkjv

and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' "

Matthew 4:6 niv

"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.'"

Matthew 4:6 esv

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, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

Matthew 4:6 nlt

and said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, 'He will order his angels to protect you.
And they will hold you up with their hands
so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.' "

Matthew 4 verses

Matthew 4 6 Meaning

Matthew 4:6 records the second temptation of Jesus by Satan in the wilderness. The Tempter urges Jesus, "If thou be the Son of God," to jump from the pinnacle of the temple, citing Psalm 91:11-12 as a guarantee of divine protection by angels. This temptation seeks to challenge Jesus's identity, push Him to presumptuously test God's faithfulness, and coerce Him into a spectacular, self-initiated display of power rather than walking in the path of humble obedience.

Matthew 4 6 Context

Matthew chapter 4 begins with Jesus being led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, immediately after His baptism and God's declaration, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Mt 3:17). Jesus undergoes a forty-day fast, paralleling Israel's forty years in the wilderness and the Mosaic period of divine encounter. This period of isolation and deprivation sets the stage for Satan's temptations, which directly attack Jesus's identity as the Son of God and aim to divert Him from God's intended path for His ministry.

This particular temptation (jumping from the temple) follows the first (turning stones into bread). While the first targeted hunger, this one targets pride, divine confirmation, and perhaps public display of power. It represents a subtle but profound assault on Jesus's mission and His relationship with the Father, urging Him to demonstrate power through a reckless act rather than through faithful obedience. The temple setting in Jerusalem adds symbolic weight, suggesting a desire for immediate, popular messianic acclaim, in contrast to Jesus's eventual suffering and sacrifice.

Matthew 4 6 Word analysis

• And saith unto him,: Establishes continuity from the previous temptation.
• If thou be the Son of God,: This is a direct challenge to Jesus's divine identity and authority, declared by God at His baptism. Satan seeks to provoke Jesus to "prove" this identity on his terms, implying doubt. The Greek Huios tou Theou (Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ) is a messianic and divine title.
• cast thyself down:: The Greek bale seauton katō (βάλε σεαυτὸν κάτω) means to throw or hurl oneself down. This is an invitation to a presumptuous and self-destructive act. It suggests testing God, essentially demanding a spectacular intervention, which borders on suicide in an ordinary context.
• for it is written,: Greek gegraptai (γέγραπται) is a common phrase to introduce a Scriptural citation, emphasizing its authority. Satan correctly states the phrase, but immediately misapplies the Scripture.
• He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:: Directly quoted from Ps 91:11, conveying divine protection through angelic ministry. The Greek enteleitai peri sou (ἐντελεῖται περὶ σοῦ) means "He will command concerning you." Satan exploits a promise of protection for normal circumstances, removing its contextual boundaries.
• and in their hands they shall bear thee up,: Again from Ps 91:12, emphasizing miraculous deliverance from harm. The Greek arousin se (ἀροῦσίν σε) means "they will lift you up."
• lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.: Completes the Ps 91:12 quotation, indicating protection even from minor injury or stumble. The Greek proskopsēs ton poda sou (προσκόψῃς τὸν πόδα σου) signifies to stumble or strike one's foot. The Psalm promises comprehensive protection in life's pathways, but Satan misconstrues this as an unconditional promise for self-induced peril.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down": This is a conditional challenge aimed at Jesus's very core identity. It's a temptation to perform a miraculous sign, to seize glory prematurely, and to dictate God's actions rather than obey His will. This directly opposes Jesus's humble and obedient path to salvation.
• "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.": Satan's use of Scripture here is deceptive. He correctly quotes Psalm 91:11-12 but omits the crucial preceding phrase from Ps 91:11: "to keep you in all your ways." This omission is vital because God promises protection within His divine will and "ways," not when one presumes upon His power by deliberately entering danger outside His command. Satan presents a distorted view of God's promise, separating it from the context of righteous living and humble reliance. He employs the letter of the Scripture to tempt a violation of its spirit – presumptuously testing God.

Matthew 4 6 Bonus section

The temptations of Jesus in the wilderness reveal the strategic nature of spiritual warfare. Satan, a master deceiver, does not always appear as a monstrous figure but often uses subtlety, even quoting Scripture, to lead astray. This highlights the importance of spiritual discernment and deep knowledge of God's Word to detect deception. The temptation to "throw oneself down" also reflects the lure of immediate gratification, worldly acclamation, and circumventing suffering or a humble path—a constant battle for believers to trust God's timeline and methods, not to force miraculous displays. Jesus's resistance provides a perfect model for enduring such spiritual attacks through steadfast faith, humble obedience, and accurate application of God's truth.

Matthew 4 6 Commentary

The temptation to cast oneself down from the temple pinnacle encapsulates the perennial struggle between faith and presumption. Satan, recognizing the authority of Scripture ("it is written"), uses it as a weapon, twisting its meaning to entice Jesus into an act of self-glorification and distrust. The core of this temptation is to challenge God's faithfulness: "If God truly protects you, prove it by forcing His hand." This is fundamentally different from humble faith, which trusts God's provision and protection while walking in His ordained path, rather than seeking to compel Him to intervene spectacularly in a situation of one's own making.

Jesus's eventual response (Mt 4:7), quoting Dt 6:16, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God," exposes Satan's perversion of Scripture. True faith obeys God, never tests Him by putting Him in a position where He must either rescue or seem unfaithful. This incident teaches believers the critical importance of interpreting Scripture within its proper context, discerning the spirit behind the letter, and understanding the vital distinction between trusting God in danger and recklessly inviting danger to test God. It underlines Jesus's steadfast obedience, rejecting any path to power that deviates from His Father's will and true reliance on Him.