Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 4:7

"Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God." — Matthew 4:7 (ASV)

It is written again—As already stated, these words are from the chapter containing one of the passages written on the phylacteries that were likely used by our Lord Himself. As the words stand in Deuteronomy 6:16, their general meaning is specified by a historical reference: Ye shall not tempt the Lord thy God, as ye tempted Him in Massah.

In the history referred to, the people’s sin was that they questioned God’s presence with them until they saw supernatural proof. They asked, Is Jehovah among us, or not? and that question sprang from unbelief. To have demanded a similar proof of His Father’s care now would have identified the Son of Man with a similar spirit of distrust, and the history of that temptation was therefore a sufficient answer to this one.

Here, too, a light is thrown on the future teaching of the Christ. The lessons of the wilderness taught Him (the word may seem bold, but it is justified by Hebrews 5:8) to commit Himself absolutely to His Father’s will. We find an echo of what is recorded here in the words telling us that He refrained from praying for the twelve legions of angels the Father would have sent him (Matthew 26:53).