Matthew 4:2
New International Version
After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

New Living Translation
For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.

English Standard Version
And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Berean Standard Bible
After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.

Berean Literal Bible
And having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

King James Bible
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

New King James Version
And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

New American Standard Bible
And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.

NASB 1995
And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.

NASB 1977
And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.

Legacy Standard Bible
And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.

Amplified Bible
After He had gone without food for forty days and forty nights, He became hungry.

Christian Standard Bible
After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
After He had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, He was hungry.

American Standard Version
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered.

Contemporary English Version
After Jesus had gone without eating for 40 days and nights, he was very hungry.

English Revised Version
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus did not eat anything for 40 days and 40 nights. At the end of that time, he was hungry.

Good News Translation
After spending forty days and nights without food, Jesus was hungry.

International Standard Version
After fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, he finally became hungry.

Majority Standard Bible
After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.

NET Bible
After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished.

New Heart English Bible
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungry.

Weymouth New Testament
There He fasted for forty days and nights; and after that He suffered from hunger.

World English Bible
When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He hungered.

Berean Literal Bible
And having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

Young's Literal Translation
and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he did hunger.

Smith's Literal Translation
And having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when he had fasted for forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry.

New American Bible
He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry.

New Revised Standard Version
He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So he fasted forty days and forty nights; but at last he was hungry.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward hungry.

Godbey New Testament
And having fasted forty days and forty nights, He afterward hungered.

Haweis New Testament
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he became hungry.

Mace New Testament
there having fasted forty days and forty nights, he at length grew hungry.

Weymouth New Testament
There He fasted for forty days and nights; and after that He suffered from hunger.

Worrell New Testament
And, having fasted forty days and forty nights, He afterwards hungered.

Worsley New Testament
and when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, at last He was very hungry.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Temptation of Jesus
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. 3The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”…

Cross References
Exodus 34:28
So Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.

Deuteronomy 9:9
When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I ate no bread and drank no water.

Deuteronomy 9:18
Then I fell down before the LORD for forty days and forty nights, as I had done the first time. I did not eat bread or drink water because of all the sin you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD and provoking Him to anger.

1 Kings 19:8
So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

Luke 4:2
where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry.

Mark 1:13
and He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered to Him.

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.

Matthew 6:16-18
When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. / But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, / so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 9:14-15
Then John’s disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast so often, but Your disciples do not fast?” / Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

Matthew 17:21
But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Luke 2:37
and then was a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

Acts 13:2-3
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” / And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Acts 14:23
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church, praying and fasting as they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.

2 Corinthians 11:27
in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.

Jonah 3:5
And the Ninevites believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least.


Treasury of Scripture

And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.

fasted.

Exodus 24:18
And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

Exodus 34:28
And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Deuteronomy 9:9,18,25
When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water: …

he was.

Matthew 21:18
Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

Mark 11:12
And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

John 4:6
Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

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Afterward Afterwards Fasted Fasting Food Forty Hunger Hungered Hungred Hungry Need Nights Suffered
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Afterward Afterwards Fasted Fasting Food Forty Hunger Hungered Hungred Hungry Need Nights Suffered
Matthew 4
1. Jesus, fasting forty days,
3. is tempted by the devil and ministered unto by angels.
12. He dwells in Capernaum;
17. begins to preach;
18. calls Peter and Andrew,
21. James and John;
23. teaches and heals all the diseased.














After fasting forty days and forty nights
The number forty is significant in biblical history, often associated with periods of testing, trial, and preparation. For example, Moses fasted for forty days and nights on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28), and Elijah did the same on his journey to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8). The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years (Numbers 14:33-34). This period of fasting by Jesus in the wilderness symbolizes a time of spiritual preparation and mirrors these Old Testament events, highlighting Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. The wilderness itself is a place of desolation and testing, reminiscent of the Israelites' journey and their reliance on God for sustenance.

He was hungry
This phrase emphasizes the humanity of Jesus, showing that He experienced physical needs and limitations like any other human. It underscores the reality of the Incarnation, where Jesus, though fully divine, took on human flesh and its accompanying frailties (Philippians 2:7-8). The hunger also sets the stage for the subsequent temptation by Satan, where Jesus' physical weakness contrasts with His spiritual strength and reliance on God's Word. This moment foreshadows Jesus' role as the Bread of Life (John 6:35), who provides spiritual nourishment to those who believe in Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The central figure in this passage, Jesus is the Son of God who has come to fulfill His mission on earth. In this context, He is preparing for His public ministry through fasting and prayer.

2. The Wilderness
A desolate and isolated place where Jesus went to fast and pray. It symbolizes a place of testing and spiritual preparation.

3. Fasting
A spiritual discipline that Jesus undertakes for forty days and nights, signifying a period of intense spiritual focus and reliance on God.

4. Forty Days and Forty Nights
A significant period in biblical terms, often associated with testing, trial, and preparation (e.g., the Israelites' 40 years in the desert, Moses' 40 days on Mount Sinai).

5. Hunger
A natural human response to fasting, highlighting Jesus' humanity and His reliance on God for strength and sustenance.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Spiritual Preparation
Jesus' fasting underscores the necessity of spiritual preparation before undertaking significant tasks or ministries. Believers are encouraged to seek God earnestly in prayer and fasting to align their hearts with His will.

Reliance on God in Weakness
Jesus' hunger reminds us of His humanity and His reliance on God. In our own times of weakness, we are called to depend on God's strength and provision.

The Significance of Fasting
Fasting is a powerful spiritual discipline that helps believers focus on God, deny the flesh, and grow in spiritual strength. It is a practice that can lead to deeper intimacy with God and clarity in hearing His voice.

Endurance Through Trials
The forty days and nights symbolize a period of testing. Believers can take comfort in knowing that God is with them during trials, providing the endurance needed to overcome.(2) Forty days and forty nights.--Here we have an obvious parallelism with the fasts of Moses (Exodus 34:28) and Elijah (1Kings 19:8), and we may well think of it as deliberately planned. Prolonged fasts of nearly the same extent have been recorded in later times. The effect of such a fast on any human organism, and therefore on our Lord's real humanity, would be to interrupt the ordinary continuity of life, and quicken all perceptions of the spiritual world into a new intensity. It may be noted that St. Luke describes the Temptation as continuing through the whole period, so that what is recorded was but the crowning conflict, gathering into one the struggles by which it had been preluded. The one feature peculiar to St. Mark (who omits the specific history of the temptations), that our Lord "was with the wild beasts" (Mark 1:13). suggests that their presence, their yells of hunger, their ravening fierceness, their wild glaring eyes, had left, as it were, an ineffable and ineffaceable impression of horror, in addition to the terrors and loneliness of the wilderness as such.

He was afterward an hungred.--The words imply a partial return to the common life of sensation. The cravings of the body at last made themselves felt, and in them, together with the memory of the divine witness that had been borne forty days before, the Tempter found the starting-point of his first attack. Of that attack there may well have been preludes during the previous time of trial. Now it came more distinctly.

Verse 2. - And when he had fasted... he was afterwards an hungred. He was so absorbed in prayer that it was only after his six weeks meditation that he felt the need of food. But though his humanity had been elevated and his spiritual sense quickened by this at the time almost unconscious fast, it left him physically prostrate and completely exposed to attack. "In certain morbid conditions, which involve a more or less entire abstinence from food, a period of six weeks generally brings about a crisis, after which the demand for nourishment is renewed with extreme urgency. The exhausted body becomes a prey to a deathly sinking. Such, doubtless, was the condition of Jesus; he felt himself dying. It was the moment the tempter had waited for to make his decisive assault" (Godet). Luke (cf. Mark?) probably (though not in the Revised Version) represents the temptation as continuous during the whole period. Of this Matthew says nothing, but only describes the final scenes, when the might of the tempter was felt to the uttermost, and his defeat was most crucial. Forty. Trench's remark is well worth study: "On a close examination we note it to be everywhere there [i.e. in Holy Scripture] the number or signature of penalty, of affliction, of the confession, or the punishment, of sin (Studies, p. 14). Nights. The mention of nights as well as days brings out more vividly the continuance and the completeness of the abstinence (cf Genesis 7:4, 12 [17, LXX.]; Exodus 24:18; Deuteronomy 9, especially 18; 1 Kings 19:8).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
After fasting
νηστεύσας (nēsteusas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3522: To fast, abstain from food. From nestis; to abstain from food.

forty
τεσσεράκοντα (tesserakonta)
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 5062: Forty. The decade of tessares; forty.

days
ἡμέρας (hēmeras)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

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

forty
τεσσεράκοντα (tesserakonta)
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 5062: Forty. The decade of tessares; forty.

nights,
νύκτας (nyktas)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3571: The night, night-time. A primary word; 'night'.

He was hungry.
ἐπείνασεν (epeinasen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3983: To be hungry, needy, desire earnestly. From the same as penes; to famish; figuratively, to crave.


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