Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 4:3

"And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." — Matthew 4:3 (ASV)

The tempter. The devil, or Satan. See Matthew 4:1.

If thou be the Son of God. If you are the Messiah—if God's own Son—then you have power to work a miracle; and here is a fit opportunity to try your power, and show that you are truly His Son.

Command that these stones, etc. This referred to the stones lying around Him in the wilderness. No temptation could have been more plausible, or more likely to succeed, than this.

He had just been declared to be the Son of God (Matthew 3:17), and here was an opportunity to show that He was truly so. The circumstances were such as to make it appear plausible and proper to work this miracle.

"Here you are," was the language of Satan, "hungry, cast out, alone, needy, poor, and yet the Son of God! If you have this power, how easily could you satisfy your wants! How foolish is it, then, for the Son of God, having all power, to be starving in this manner, when by a word He could show His power, relieve His wants, and when in the thing itself there could be nothing wrong!"