Christ, fasting forty days, is tempted by the devil and ministered to by angels, 1-11. He dwells in Capernaum, 12-16; begins to preach, 17; calls Peter and Andrew, 18-20, James and John, 21, 22; teaches and heals all the diseased, 23-25.
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungry. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, "If you are the son of God, command that these stones be made bread." 4 But he answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'"
5 Then the devil takes him up into the holy city and sets him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And says to him, "If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down, for it is written,
'He shall give his angels charge concerning you./
And in their hands they shall uphold you,/
lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone.'"
7 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not test the Lord your God.'"
8 Again, the devil takes him up upon an exceedingly high mountain and shows him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, 9 And says to him, "All these things I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus says to him, "Be gone, Satan, for it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.'" 11 Then the devil leaves him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 So that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying,
15 "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,/
toward the sea, beyond the Jordan,/
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 The people who sat in darkness/
saw great light./
And to those who sat in the region and shadow of death,/
light has arisen."
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he says to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 And they immediately left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.
23 And Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24 And his fame spread throughout all Syria. And they brought to him all sick people who were taken with various diseases and torments, those who were possessed with demons, those who were lunatic, and those who were paralyzed, and he healed them. 25 And great multitudes of people followed him from Galilee, from Decapolis, from Jerusalem, from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Matthew, Chapter 4[➚]
[v.1-4] - Gospel Link: Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-4.
[v.1] - "tempted" - The context of this verse shows this temptation to be a testing, or a proving of Christ. Christ knew no sin (2nd Corinthians 5:21). The passage of verses 1-11 shows that Christ wouldn't fall to sin, even when confronted by Satan himself. God allowed Satan to tempt and afflict Job (see Job 1:8, 12). Similarly in this passage, Satan tempted Christ, but Christ had proven Himself to be, as His title implies, the Anointed One.
[v.4] - Quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 (LXX).
[v.5-11] - Gospel Link: Mark 1:13; Luke 4:5-13.
[v.6] - Quoting Psalm 91:11-12 (LXX).
[v.7] - Quoting Deuteronomy 6:16 (LXX).
[v.10] - Quoting Deuteronomy 6:13 (LXX).
[v.12] - Gospel Link: Mark 1:14; Luke 4:14.
[v.15] - Quoting Isaiah 9:1.
[v.16] - Quoting Isaiah 9:2.
[v.17] - Gospel Link: Mark 1:15; Luke 4:15.
[v.18-25] - Gospel Link: Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11.
[v.21] - "James" - Properly, Jacob. Greek: Ἰάκωβον