Luke 4:3
New International Version
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

New Living Translation
Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”

English Standard Version
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

Berean Standard Bible
The devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Berean Literal Bible
And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, speak to this stone, that it should become bread."

King James Bible
And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

New King James Version
And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

New American Standard Bible
And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

NASB 1995
And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

NASB 1977
And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Amplified Bible
Then the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to turn into bread.”

Christian Standard Bible
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

American Standard Version
And the devil said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command this stone that it become bread.

Contemporary English Version
The devil said to Jesus, "If you are God's Son, tell this stone to turn into bread."

English Revised Version
And the devil said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command this stone that it become bread.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread."

Good News Translation
The Devil said to him, "If you are God's Son, order this stone to turn into bread."

International Standard Version
The devil told him, "Since you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread."

Majority Standard Bible
The devil said to Him, ?If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.?

NET Bible
The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."

New Heart English Bible
The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."

Webster's Bible Translation
And the devil said to him, If thou art the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

Weymouth New Testament
Then the Devil said to Him, "If you are God's Son, tell this stone to become bread."

World English Bible
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the Devil said to Him, “If You are [the] Son of God, speak to this stone that it may become bread.”

Berean Literal Bible
And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, speak to this stone, that it should become bread."

Young's Literal Translation
and the Devil said to him, 'If Son thou art of God, speak to this stone that it may become bread.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And the devil said to him, If thou art the Son of God, say thou to this stone that it might be bread.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the devil said to him: If thou be the Son of God, say to this stone that it be made bread.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, speak to this stone, so that it may be made into bread.”

New American Bible
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

New Revised Standard Version
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the adversary said to him, If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And The Devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And the devil said to him: If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.

Godbey New Testament
And the devil said to Him, If thou art the Son of God, speak to this stone, in order that it may become bread.

Haweis New Testament
And the devil said to him, If thou art the Son of God, command this stone that it become a loaf.

Mace New Testament
then the devil said to him; if you are the son of God, command this stone to become bread.

Weymouth New Testament
Then the Devil said to Him, "If you are God's Son, tell this stone to become bread."

Worrell New Testament
And the Devil said to Him, "If Thou art God's Son, command this stone, that it become bread."

Worsley New Testament
And the devil said to Him, If thou art the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Temptation of Jesus
2where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry. 3 The devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’ ”…

Cross References
Matthew 4:3
The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. / After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. / The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” ...

Mark 1:12-13
At once the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness, / and He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered to Him.

John 6:30-31
So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do? / Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

John 6:26-27
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. / Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

Hebrews 2:18
Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.

1 John 3:8
The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

Genesis 3:1-5
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” / The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, / but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.’” ...

Exodus 16:4
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.

Exodus 16:15
When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. So Moses told them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.

Deuteronomy 8:3
He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known, so that you might understand that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Psalm 78:18-20
They willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved. / They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness? / When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?”

Psalm 91:11-12
For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. / They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.


Treasury of Scripture

And the devil said to him, If you be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

Luke 3:22
And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Matthew 4:3
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

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Luke 4
1. The fasting and temptation of Jesus.
14. He begins to preach.
16. The people of Nazareth marvel at words, but seek to kill him.
33. He cures one possessed of a demon,
38. Peter's mother-in-law,
40. and various other sick persons.
41. The demons acknowledge Jesus, and are reproved for it.
42. He preaches through the cities of Galilee.














The devil
In this passage, "the devil" refers to Satan, the adversary of God and humanity. The Greek word used here is "διάβολος" (diabolos), meaning "slanderer" or "accuser." This term highlights Satan's role as one who opposes and seeks to undermine God's work. Historically, Satan is seen as a fallen angel who rebelled against God, and his presence in this narrative underscores the spiritual battle between good and evil. In the broader scriptural context, the devil is often depicted as a tempter, as seen in the Book of Job and throughout the New Testament.

said to Him
The phrase "said to Him" indicates a direct confrontation between the devil and Jesus. The Greek verb "εἶπεν" (eipen) is used here, which is a common term for speaking or saying. This interaction is significant because it shows the devil's boldness in approaching Jesus, the Son of God, and attempting to sway Him from His divine mission. It also sets the stage for the ensuing temptation, highlighting the devil's strategy of using words to deceive and manipulate.

If You are the Son of God
This phrase is a conditional statement that challenges Jesus' identity. The Greek word "εἰ" (ei) translates to "if," introducing doubt and testing. The devil's use of "the Son of God" acknowledges Jesus' divine nature but simultaneously questions it, attempting to provoke Jesus into proving His identity through miraculous means. This temptation is reminiscent of the serpent's tactics in Genesis, where doubt is sown to lead to disobedience. Theologically, this challenge is significant because it targets the core of Jesus' mission and identity.

tell this stone
Here, the devil instructs Jesus to "tell this stone," using the Greek word "εἰπὲ" (eipe), a command form of "to say." The stone represents a mundane, earthly object, and the devil's challenge is for Jesus to use His divine power for personal gain. This temptation is rooted in the physical needs of Jesus, who was fasting and hungry, and it reflects a broader temptation to misuse divine authority for selfish purposes. The stone symbolizes the ordinary, and the devil's suggestion is to transform it into something extraordinary, thus testing Jesus' reliance on God.

to become bread
The phrase "to become bread" is the culmination of the devil's temptation, appealing to Jesus' physical hunger after fasting for forty days. The Greek word "ἄρτος" (artos) means bread, a staple of life and a symbol of sustenance. This temptation is not merely about satisfying hunger but about prioritizing physical needs over spiritual obedience. In the historical context, bread was essential for survival, and the devil's suggestion is to prioritize immediate physical satisfaction over trust in God's provision. This temptation echoes the Israelites' reliance on manna in the wilderness, where dependence on God was paramount. Jesus' response to this temptation, which follows in the subsequent verses, emphasizes the importance of spiritual nourishment over physical needs, aligning with the broader biblical theme of trusting in God's provision and timing.

(3) Command this stone.--The singular form is somewhat more vivid than the plural, "these stones," in St. Matthew.

Verse 3. - And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. It has been quaintly said of the tempter "that he had sped so successfully to his own mind by a temptation about a matter of eating with the first Adam, that he practiced the old manner of his trading with the second." These diabolical promptings have been spoken of already in this Commentary as "typical." They represent, indeed, some of the principal temptations to which different classes of men and women in all ages are subject; the hard task of bread-winning, after all, suggests very many of the evil thoughts and imaginings to which men are subject, though, perhaps, they suspect it not. Weakened and exhausted by long abstinence from food, the temptation to supply his wants by this easy means at once was great. Still, had he consented to the tempter's suggestion, Jesus was aware that he would have broken the conditions of that human existence to which, in his deep love for us fallen beings, he had voluntarily consented and submitted himself. Should he, then, use his miraculous power for his own advantage? Then, re-membering his own late experience, the long fast from all human food, and yet life enduring through it all; calling to mind the miraculous supply of manna in the old desert days, the preservation of Elijah's life through a similar fast, - Jesus, all faint and weary, exclaims in reply, "Man shall not live by bread alone."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
The
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

devil
διάβολος (diabolos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1228: From diaballo; a traducer; specially, Satan.

said
Εἶπεν (Eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

to Him,
αὐτῷ (autō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 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.

“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.

tell
εἰπὲ (eipe)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

this
τούτῳ (toutō)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

stone
λίθῳ (lithō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3037: A stone; met: of Jesus as the chief stone in a building. Apparently a primary word; a stone.

to
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

become
γένηται (genētai)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.

bread.”
ἄρτος (artos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 740: Bread, a loaf, food. From airo; bread or a loaf.


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