Luke 4:8

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:1-13 Christ's being led into the wilderness gave an advantage to the tempter; for there he was alone, none were with him by whose prayers and advice he might be helped in the hour of temptation. He who knew his own strength might give Satan advantage; but we may not, who know our own weakness. Being in all things made like unto his brethren, Jesus would, like the other children of God, live in dependence upon the Divine Providence and promise. The word of God is our sword, and faith in that word is our shield. God has many ways of providing for his people, and therefore is at all times to be depended upon in the way of duty. All Satan's promises are deceitful; and if he is permitted to have any influence in disposing of the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, he uses them as baits to insnare men to destruction. We should reject at once and with abhorrence, every opportunity of sinful gain or advancement, as a price offered for our souls; we should seek riches, honours, and happiness in the worship and service of God only. Christ will not worship Satan; nor, when he has the kingdoms of the world delivered to him by his Father, will he suffer any remains of the worship of the devil to continue in them. Satan also tempted Jesus to be his own murderer, by unfitting confidence in his Father's protection, such as he had no warrant for. Let not any abuse of Scripture by Satan or by men abate our esteem, or cause us to abandon its use; but let us study it still, seek to know it, and seek our defence from it in all kinds of assaults. Let this word dwell richly in us, for it is our life. Our victorious Redeemer conquered, not for himself only, but for us also. The devil ended all the temptation. Christ let him try all his force, and defeated him. Satan saw it was to no purpose to attack Christ, who had nothing in him for his fiery darts to fasten upon. And if we resist the devil, he will flee from us. Yet he departed but till the season when he was again to be let loose upon Jesus, not as a tempter, to draw him to sin, and so to strike at his head, at which he now aimed and was wholly defeated in; but as a persecutor, to bring Christ to suffer, and so to bruise his heel, which it was told him, he should have to do, and would do, though it would be the breaking of his own head, Ge 3:15. Though Satan depart for a season, we shall never be out of his reach till removed from this present evil world.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Being forty days tempted - That is, through forty days he was "tried" in various ways by the devil. The temptations, however, which are recorded by Matthew and Luke did not take place until the forty days were finished. See Matthew 4:2-3.

He did eat nothing - He was sustained by the power of God during this season of extraordinary fasting.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 4

Lu 4:1-13. Temptation of Christ.

(See on [1564]Mt 4:1-11.)

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 3:5"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Jesus answered and said unto him,.... The following words, with indignation at him, and detestation of his proposals:

get thee behind me, Satan; which are omitted in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, and in three ancient copies of Beza's, and in his most ancient one; but stand in other copies, and in the Arabic version.

For it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. This passage stands in Deuteronomy 6:13 where the words are, "thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and thou shalt swear by his name": the last clause is not cited by Christ at all, swearing being only a species, or part of religious worship; and the other two clauses are somewhat different from the original text, as here cited, and may be accounted for: instead of "fear the Lord", it is "worship the Lord"; and the one well explains the other; the fear of God being often, in Scripture, put for the whole worship of God, both internal and external: and in the next clause, the word "only" is added by Christ, as expressing the true sense of it, and agreeably to other places of Scripture, particularly 1 Samuel 7:3; see Gill on Matthew 4:10.

Geneva Study Bible

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 4:8. ὕπαγε Σατανᾶ is no part of the true text, imported from Mt.; suitable there, not here, as another temptation follows.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. Get thee behind me, Satan] These words should here be omitted with א, B, D, L, &c., as having been added from Matthew 4:10. Similar words were used to Peter (Matthew 16:23).

Thou shalt worship … and him only] The quotation is slightly altered from Deuteronomy 6:13, “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve Him.” St Matthew has the same variation, this being one of his cyclic quotations (i. e. those common to him with other Evangelists). Since Satan had now revealed himself in his true character, there was no need for Jesus to tell him of another and a divine Kingdom over which he had no power. It was sufficient to reprove his impious blasphemy.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 4:8. Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου Σατανᾶ) The more modern Greek copies have transferred these words from Matthew, and introduced them into this place. This was a mistake; for Luke records this particular temptation as the second in order; for which reason it would not have been appropriate for Luke to have introduced these words which drove the Tempter to flight.[41] We have observed, in its proper place, that even the words ὀπίσω μου do not belong to Matthew.[42] At the beginning of the 9th verse, the Gothic Version renders the καὶ thathro, i.e. thence.[43]

[41] No room would have been left for a third temptation had these words been expressed in Luke.—ED. and TRANSL.

[42] Tisch. with BDL omits ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου Σατανᾶ. So also Vulg. and ac omit the words. Lachm. retains them but in brackets. Ab and Rec. Text support them.—ED. and TRANSL.

[43] BL Memph. Theb. read ἤγαγεν δὲ. Lachm. however, with old authorities, supports the καὶ ἤγ. of Rec. Text.—ED. and TRANSL.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 8. - Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Jesus repelled the offer with stern indignation. He would receive the splendid inheritance which he felt was his at no other hands than his Father's; he would win all and more than the tempter offered him, but it would be by a slow and painful process - by self-denial, self-sacrifice, self-surrender; the glorious consummation would only be attained at the end of a long vista of centuries. The words, "Get thee behind me, Satan," do not occur in the older manuscripts containing St. Luke's Gospel. These are evidently a later addition from the parallel passage in St. Matthew. Luke 4:8

Vincent's Word Studies

Serve

See on Luke 1:74.