Matthew 4: Jesus is tested, and the first disciples are called
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Greek. How to read a study
What happens?
The Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness, where he fasts forty days and forty nights and the devil tempts (or tests) him three times. After John is delivered up, Jesus moves to Capernaum, begins to preach, and calls Simon, Andrew, James and John to follow him. He goes through all Galilee teaching and healing, and great crowds follow him.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. The devil (the tempter) speaks in verses 3, 6 and 9. Jesus speaks in verses 4, 7, 10, 17 and 19. Verses 15 and 16 give words spoken through Isaiah. No verse is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
In plain English: Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness to be tempted (or: tested) by the devil.
The Greek word: "Tempted" is peirazo. The dictionary gives "to test (objectively), i.e. endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline". It is in 6 verses of Matthew. The English of those verses has "tempt" in 2 and "test" in 4.
How it is translated: This Bible has "tempted" here and "the tempter" in verse 3.
What changes: Read as "tempted", the devil tries to lure Jesus into wrong. Read as "tested", the devil puts him to the test. The verse says the Spirit led him up so that this would happen.
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2When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.
In plain English: He fasted forty days and forty nights. After that he was hungry.
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3The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
In plain English: The tempter (or: the one testing him) came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread."
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4But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.’”
In plain English: But Jesus answered, "It is written, 'A person will not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of God's mouth.'"
Good to know: Jesus quotes , which in this Bible reads: "man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of Yahweh's mouth." Where Deuteronomy has "Yahweh", this Bible's Matthew has "God".
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5Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
In plain English: Then the devil took him into the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
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6and 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, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”
In plain English: 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, so that you do not strike your foot against a stone.'"
Good to know: The devil quotes and . Verse 11 in this Bible reads: "For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways." Verse 12 reads: "They will bear you up in their hands, so that you won't dash your foot against a stone." The quotation leaves out the end of verse 11, "to guard you in all your ways".
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7Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’”
In plain English: Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not test the Lord your God.'"
Good to know: Jesus quotes : "You shall not tempt Yahweh your God, as you tempted him in Massah." Where Deuteronomy has "tempt" and "Yahweh", this Bible's Matthew has "test" and "the Lord".
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8Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
In plain English: Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
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9He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.”
In plain English: He said to him, "I will give you all of these things if you fall down and worship me."
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10Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
In plain English: Then Jesus said to him, "Get behind me (or: Go away), Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.'"
Good to know: Jesus quotes words close to : "You shall fear Yahweh your God; and you shall serve him, and shall swear by his name." Matthew's wording differs: "worship" where Deuteronomy has "fear", and "only" is added. "Worship" is proskyneo again, as in verse 9 and in . Where Deuteronomy has "Yahweh", this Bible's Matthew has "the Lord".
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11Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.
In plain English: Then the devil left him, and look, angels came and served him.
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12Now when Jesus heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee.
In plain English: Now when Jesus heard that John was delivered up (or: handed over), he withdrew into Galilee.
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13Leaving Nazareth, he came and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
In plain English: He left Nazareth and came and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
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14that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
In plain English: so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled. He said,
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15“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles,
In plain English: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles (or: nations):
Good to know: Matthew says Isaiah spoke these words. They are close to and . Isaiah 9:1 has "Galilee of the nations", and 9:2 has "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light."
The Greek word: "Gentiles" is ethnos. The dictionary gives "a race (as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one". It is in 14 verses of Matthew. The English of those verses has "nation" in 10 and "Gentile" in 4.
What changes: Read as "nations", Galilee is named as a region among the peoples, as in Isaiah 9:1. Read as "Gentiles", it is named as a region of non-Jewish people.
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16the people who sat in darkness saw a great light; to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, to them light has dawned.”
In plain English: the people who sat in darkness saw a great light. To those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned."
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17From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
In plain English: From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent (or: change your mind), because the Kingdom of Heaven has come near."
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18Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
In plain English: As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother. They were casting a net into the sea, because they were fishermen.
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19He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men.”
In plain English: He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men (or: of people)."
The Greek word: "Men" is anthropon, from anthropos. The dictionary gives "man-faced, i.e. a human being". It is in 106 verses of Matthew. The English of those verses has "man" in 70 and "men" in 31, and "people" in 1.
How it is translated: This Bible has "men".
What changes: Read as "people", the line says fishers of human beings in general. The Greek word is the general word for a human being.
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20They immediately left their nets and followed him.
In plain English: They left their nets at once and followed him.
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21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them.
In plain English: Going on from there, he saw two other brothers: James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother. They were in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them.
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22They immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him.
In plain English: They left the boat and their father at once and followed him.
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23Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
In plain English: Jesus went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
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24The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them.
In plain English: The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, with various diseases and torments, those possessed by demons, epileptics and paralytics, and he healed them.
The Greek word: "Epileptics" is seleniazomenous. The dictionary gives "to be moon-struck, i.e. crazy". The word comes from the Greek word for the moon. It is in 2 verses of the New Testament: here and .
How it is translated: This Bible has "epileptics" here and "epileptic" in 17:15.
What changes: Read as "epileptics", the word names a known illness. Read as "moon-struck", it describes people by the moon, and the verse does not say what the illness was.
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25Great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan followed him.
In plain English: Great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and beyond the Jordan followed him.
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