Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Matthew 4

Mat 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Jesus

The temptation of Christ, the "last Adam" (1Co 15:45), is best understood when contrasted with that of the "first man Adam." Adam was tempted in his place of lord of creation, a lordship with but one reservation, the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 1:26; 2:16, 17). Through the woman he was tempted to add that also to his dominion. Falling, he lost all. But Christ had taken the place of a lowly Servant, acting only from and in obedience to the Father (Phl 2:5-8; Jhn 5:19; 6:57; 8:28, 54. Cf. Scofield Isaiah 41:8, note), that He might redeem a fallen race and a creation under the curse (Gen 3:17-19; Rom 8:19-23). Satan's one object in the threefold temptation was to induce Christ to act from Himself, in independency of His Father. The first two temptations were a challenge to Christ from the god of this world to prove Himself indeed the Son of God (Mat 4:3, 6). The third was the offer of the usurping prince of this world to divest himself of that which rightfully belonged to Christ as Son of man and Son of David, on the condition that He accept the sceptre on Satan's world-principles (cf. Jhn 18:36; Scofield Revelation 13:8, note). Christ defeated Satan by a means open to His humblest follower, the intelligent use of the word of God (Mat 4:4, 7). In his second temptation Satan also used Scripture, but a promise available only to one in the path of obedience. The scene give emphasis to the vital importance of "rightly dividing the word of truth" (2Ti 2:15).

Spirit

Holy Spirit (N.T.). Mat 10:20. (Mat 1:18; Act 2:4.)

tempted

Temptation. Mat 4:1, 3, 7; 6:13. (Gen 3:1; Jas 1:14.)

devil

Satan, Greek diabolos, accuser. Mat 4:1, 5, 8, 10, 11; Mat 12:26. (Gen 3:1; Rev 20:10.)

Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Man shall not live by bread alone

Deu 8:3.

every word

Inspiration. Mat 4:4, 7, 10; Mat 5:18. (Exo 4:15; Rev 22:19.)

God

Jehovah. Deu 8:3.

Mat 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

holy

In the N.T. one Greek word, hagios, in its various forms, is rendered, "holy," "holiness," "sanctify," "sanctified," "sanctification." Like the Hebrew qodesh, it signifies "set apart for God."

Sanctify, holy (things) (N.T.). Mat 7:6. (Mat 4:5; Rev 22:11.)

Mat 4:6 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.

angels [See also Mat 4:11.]

Scofield Hebrews 1:4, note.

they shall bear thee up

Psa 91:11, 12.

Mat 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Lord

Jehovah. Deu 6:16.

Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

world

The Greek word kosmos means "order," "arrangement," and so, with the Greeks, "beauty"; for order and arrangement in the sense of system are at the bottom of the Greek conception of beauty.
When used in the N.T. of humanity, the "world" of men, it is organized humanity—humanity in families, tribes, nations—which is meant. The word for chaotic, unorganized humanity—the mere mass of man is thalassa, the "sea" of men (e.g. Rev 13:1). For "world" (kosmos) in the bad ethical sense, "world system" John 7:7.

Mat 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Lord

Jehovah. Deu 6:13; 10:20.

Mat 4:15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

Gentiles

Christ (First Advent). Mat 12:18-21. (Gen 3:15; Acts 1:9.)

Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

saw great light

Isa 42:6, 7.

shadow of death

Isa 9:1, 2.

Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Repent

Repentance. Mat 9:13. (Mat 3:2; Act 17:30.)

kingdom of heaven

Kingdom (N.T.). Scofield Matthew 5:2, 35, and note. (Luk 1:31-33; 1Co 15:28).

Scofield Matthew 3:2, note.

at hand

"At hand" is never a positive affirmation that the person or thing said to be "at hand" will immediately appear, but only that no known or predicted event must intervene. When Christ appeared to the Jewish people, the next thing, in the order of revelation as it then stood, should have been the setting up of the Davidic kingdom. In the knowledge of God, not yet disclosed, lay the rejection of the kingdom (and King), the long period of the mystery-form of the kingdom, the world-wide preaching of the cross, and the out-calling of the Church. But this was as yet locked up in the secret counsels of God (Mat 13:11, 17; Eph 3:3-10).

Mat 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

two brethren

Peter and John were already disciples, John 1:35-42. This is a call to service.

Mat 4:21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

James

Two persons are called by this name in the N.T.:

1. James the son of Zebedee, an apostle (Mat 10:2), and the brother of the apostle John, apart from whom he is never mentioned, and with whom, together with Peter, he was admitted to the especial intimacy of our Lord (Mat 17:1; Mar 5:37; 9:2; 14:33). He was martyred by Herod (Act 12:2).
2. A son of Alphaeus (or Cleopas) and of Mary the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus (see Scofield Matthew 1:16, note), and brother of Joses (Mar 15:40). He was, therefore, a cousin of the Lord Jesus. He is called James "the less" (Mar 15:40; literally little, i.e. of shorter stature than James the son of Zebedee). He was an apostle (Mat 10:3). It has been conjectured that "Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus" (Mat 10:3) was identical with the Judas of Luk 6:16, who is there called "of [i.e. 'son' or 'brother' as it has been variously translated] James." A Juda is mentioned with a James and Joses and Simon in Mar 6:3 as "brother" of our Lord (see Scofield Matthew 13:55, marg.). The Gospels mention no other James who could be called the brother of the Lord Jesus, but James the less was certainly the son of Alphaeus and Mary the sister of our Lord's mother. The conclusion seems, therefore, most probable that Mat 10:3; 13:55; Mar 3:18; 6:3; Luk 6:15; Act 1:13; 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; Gal 1:19; 2:9, 12; and Jas 1:1 refer to James the less, son of Alphaeus and Mary, and cousin, or, according to Jewish usage, "brother" of the Lord Jesus. He was the author of the Epistle of James.

ship

boat.

Mat 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

gospel

Gospel. Mat 9:35. (Gen 12:1-3; Rev 14:6.)

kingdom

Scofield Matthew 3:2, note.

Mat 4:24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

brought unto him all sick people

Mar 1:32, 33; Luk 4:40.

possessed

Greek daimonizomai, demonized. Scofield Matthew 7:22, note.

Mat 4:25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

great multitudes

Mat 5:1; Mar 3:7, 8; Mat 8:1, 18.