Verse of the Day
Author Spotlight
Loading featured author...
Report Issue
See a formatting issue or error?
Let us know →
Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
Verse Takeaways
1
Temptation in a Holy Place
Commentators highlight the irony of this temptation occurring in "the holy city" on the temple. This shows that no place, no matter how sacred, is immune from spiritual attack. The temptation itself was to move from faith to presumption—daring God to act by stepping outside of His will, rather than trusting Him within it. As Matthew Henry notes, high places are often slippery places.
See 3 Verse Takeaways
Book Overview
Matthew
Author
Audience
Composition
Teaching Highlights
Outline
+ 5 more
See Overview
11
18th Century
Presbyterian
Taketh him up. This does not mean that he bore him through the air, or that he compelled him to go against his will, or that he worked a m…
Then the devil taketh him (τοτε παραλαμβανε αυτον ο διαβολος). Matthew is very fond of this temporal adverb (τοτε). See already 2:…
19th Century
Anglican
The order of the last two temptations is different in St. Luke, and the variation is instructive. Either St. Luke’s informant was less accurate tha…
Your support helps us maintain this resource for everyone
Baptist
6
Then the devil takes him up into the holy city, and sets him on a pinnacle of the temple. And says to him, If you are the Son of…
The second temptation (Luke’s third) is set in the “holy city,” on the highest point of the temple complex (see comment on Lk 4:9–12). Satan quoted…
16th Century
Protestant
Then the devil taketh him. It is not of great importance that Luke’s narrative makes that temptation the second, which Matthew places as t…
Get curated content & updates
17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Then the devil takes him up This was done, not in a visionary way, but really and truly: Satan, by divine permission…
Concerning Christ's temptation, observe that immediately after He was declared to be the Son of God and the Savior of the world, He was tempted. Gr…
13th Century
Catholic
It was shown above that Christ prepared Himself for teaching by receiving baptism; now, however, He prepares Himself by overcoming temptation. Abou…