If You are the Son of God
This phrase is a direct challenge to Jesus' identity and mission. The Greek word for "if" (εἰ) can also be understood as "since," indicating that Satan acknowledges Jesus' divine sonship but is testing His response. The title "Son of God" is significant, affirming Jesus' divine nature and His unique relationship with the Father. This challenge echoes the temptation in the Garden of Eden, where Satan questioned God's word and authority. Here, Satan attempts to sow doubt and provoke Jesus to act outside of His divine mission.

throw Yourself down
Satan tempts Jesus to perform a miraculous act to prove His divinity. The act of throwing Himself down from the temple would be a public spectacle, appealing to human pride and the desire for recognition. This temptation is not just about physical safety but about testing God's protection and Jesus' trust in the Father. The historical context of the temple as a place of divine presence adds to the gravity of this temptation, as it would be a misuse of a sacred space for personal gain.

For it is written
Satan uses Scripture to justify his temptation, quoting Psalm 91:11-12. This highlights the danger of misusing Scripture for personal agendas. The phrase "it is written" (γέγραπται) is a common formula in Jewish tradition, emphasizing the authority of the Scriptures. However, Satan's use of Scripture is selective and manipulative, lacking the full context and intent of God's word. This serves as a warning to believers to discern and rightly divide the word of truth.

‘He will command His angels concerning You
This part of the verse is a promise of divine protection. The Greek word for "command" (ἐντελεῖται) implies a directive from a higher authority, emphasizing God's sovereign care over His Son. The mention of angels reflects the biblical understanding of angels as ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14). However, Satan's use of this promise is twisted, suggesting that Jesus should test God's faithfulness rather than trust it.

and they will lift You up in their hands
The imagery of angels lifting Jesus up conveys a sense of divine intervention and protection. The phrase "lift You up" (ἀροῦσιν) suggests a gentle and caring action, reinforcing the idea of God's tender care for His own. In the historical context, angels were often seen as protectors and messengers of God, highlighting the assurance of God's presence and help. Yet, the temptation lies in presuming upon this promise rather than resting in God's timing and will.

so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’
This final part of the verse speaks to God's protection from harm. The phrase "strike Your foot" (προσκόψῃς) implies an accidental stumble, symbolizing the trials and challenges of life. The promise is one of divine safeguarding, yet Satan's misuse of it suggests a reckless testing of God's promises. The historical and scriptural context reminds believers that while God promises protection, it is not a license for presumptuous or irresponsible behavior. Jesus' response to this temptation underscores the importance of trusting God's word in its entirety and living in obedience to His will.

(6) If thou be the Son of God.--In this case, as before, the temptation starts from the attestation of the character of Jesus as the Son of God. With this there is now joined an appeal to familiar and sacred words, and the subtlety of the Tempter lay in his perversion of their true meaning. Here, too, the words throw light on the previous spiritual life of the Son of Man. As in all analogous temptations (and the history would have but little significance or interest for us if it were not analogous to many human experiences) the words which were presented to the soul, with their true meaning obscured and perverted, must have been precisely those that had before been most precious. We can think of Him as having fed on those words, found in them the stay and comfort of His life, without ever dreaming (if one may venture so to speak) of putting them to the test by devices of His own imagining.

In their hands.--Better, on. The angelic hands are thought of as sustaining and up-bearing.

Verse 6. - If thou be the Son of God (ver. 3, note). For it is written. Psalm 91:11, 12, verbally from the LXX., but omitting the clause, "to keep thee in all thy ways." Luke omits only "in all thy ways." The clause, according to either record, was omitted possibly because the devil shrank from reminding Jesus of "ways" which he need not take; more probably because . ' ways" hardly fitted this case (cf. Weiss). Trench ('Studies,' p. 40), following St. Bernard, says that the omission of the clause alters the whole character of the quotation, considering that "ways" implies ways appointed by God. But this appears to be strained. The devil, appealing to Jesus' consciousness of abiding communion with God (Psalm 91:1), bids him enjoy to the full the promise of God's protection. There is no thought here of a "miracle of display" to the multitudes who were assembled, "as a matter of course," on the temple area (Meyer; cf. even Trench). Neither the devil's solicitation nor our Lord's reply hint at anything else than Divine protection. If it be urged that for this any one of the many precipices by the Dead Sea, e.g. those of the Quamntana (ver. 1, note) itself, would have been sufficient, the answer may be found in the fact that at the temple, the seat of God's special manifestation, God's special protection might be looked for. There is a slight doubt whether the ὅτι after γέγραπται is recitative (Westcott and Hort, and most) or part of the quotation (Rheims, Meyer, Weiss). In favour of the latter view is the fact that the recitative ὅτι is not used elsewhere in this section (vers. 4, 7, 10), but as in Luke 4:10 it can hardly be other than recitative (for another ὅτι is inserted before "on their hands"), the probability is that it was recitative in the oral source, and therefore recitative here. In their hands; Revised Version, on; ἐπὶ χειρῶν. The thought is not so much of surrounding care as of physical support through space. Lest at any time; Revised Version, lest haply; and so always, for "in the New Testament use of rids particle (μή ποτέ) the notion of time usual to ποτέ seems to recede before that of contingency" (Thayer).

Parallel Commentaries ...


“If
Εἰ (Ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

You are
εἶ (ei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

[the] Son
Υἱὸς (Huios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

of God,”
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

he said,
λέγει (legei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

“throw
βάλε (bale)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 906: (a) I cast, throw, rush, (b) often, in the weaker sense: I place, put, drop. A primary verb; to throw.

Yourself
σεαυτὸν (seauton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4572: Of yourself.

down.
κάτω (katō)
Adverb
Strong's 2736: (a) down, below, also: downwards, (b) lower, under, less, of a length of time. Also katotero; adverb from kata; downwards.

For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

it is written:
γέγραπται (gegraptai)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1125: A primary verb; to 'grave', especially to write; figuratively, to describe.

‘He will command
ἐντελεῖται (enteleitai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1781: To give orders (injunctions, instructions, commands). From en and the base of telos; to enjoin.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

angels
ἀγγέλοις (angelois)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 32: From aggello; a messenger; especially an 'angel'; by implication, a pastor.

concerning
περὶ (peri)
Preposition
Strong's 4012: From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.

You,
σοῦ (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

they will lift You up
ἀροῦσίν (arousin)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 142: To raise, lift up, take away, remove.

in
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

[their] hands,
χειρῶν (cheirōn)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural
Strong's 5495: A hand.

so that You will not strike
προσκόψῃς (proskopsēs)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4350: From pros and kopto; to strike at, i.e. Surge against; specially, to stub on, i.e. Trip up.

Your
σου (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

foot
πόδα (poda)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4228: The foot. A primary word; a 'foot'.

against
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

a stone.?”
λίθον (lithon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3037: A stone; met: of Jesus as the chief stone in a building. Apparently a primary word; a stone.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 4:6 And said to him If you (Matt. Mat Mt)