Matthew 4:7 (WEB)
Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’”
Catechism · 2
The Seven Petitions
“It is by his prayer that Jesus vanquishes the tempter, both at the outset of his public mission and in the ultimate struggle of his agony.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Mt 4:1-11; 26:36-44.
The Fall
“Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls "a murderer from the beginning", who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father.” — Catechism footnote: Jn 8:44; cf. Mt 4:1-11.
Fathers and councils · 36
Irenaeus of Lyons
“Then in the Gospel, casting down the apostasy by means of these expressions, He did both overcome the strong man by His Father’s voice, and He acknowledges the commandment of the law to express His own sentiments, when He says, “Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God.”” — editor's note: Matt. iv. 7.
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Augustine of Hippo
“Hence our Lord fasted forty days, forty days He was tempted in the desert, and forty days He was with His disciples after His resurrection.” — editor's note: Matt. iv. 1–11.
Read the whole comment“And so the account continues, until we come to the words, Then the devil left him: and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.”” — editor's note: Matt. iv. 1–11.
Read the whole comment“By these three was the Lord tempted of the devil.” — editor's note: Matt iv. 1–10.
Read the whole comment“…through every entrance to creep into His inward parts, was thrust out, having finished all his alluring temptation in the wilderness after the baptism; because, being dead in the spirit, he forced no entrance into Him who was alive in the spirit, he betook himself, through eagerness for the death of man in any…” — editor's note: Matt. iv. 1–11
Read the whole comment“But after that temptation, when, as Scripture says, He was ministered to by the angels who are good and holy, and therefore objects of terror to the impure spirits, He revealed more and more distinctly to the demons how great He…” — editor's note: Matt. iv. 3–11.
Read the whole comment“To Peter also He said, signifying by what death he should glorify God, “When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but…” — editor's note: Matt. iv. 7.
Read the whole comment“For He thought it meet also to be tempted by the devil, by whom otherwise He would never have been tempted, just as, had He not been willing, He would never have suffered; and the answers He gave to the devil are such as thou also oughtest to use in times of temptation.” — editor's note: Matt. iv. 1–10.
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John Chrysostom
“…not indignant, nor provoked, but with that extreme gentleness He reasons with him again from the Scriptures, saying, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God:”teaching us that we must overcome the devil, not by miracles, but by forbearance and long-suffering, and that we should do nothing at all for display and…” — editor's note: Matt. iv. 7.
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Gregory of Nazianzus
“…heavens cleft asunder, and witness borne to him by the Spirit That is of one nature with Him; you shall see Him tempted and conquering and served by Angels, and healing every sickness and every disease, and giving life to the dead (O that He would give life to you who are dead because of your heresy), and driving…” — editor's note: Ib. iv. 1–11.
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Leo the Great
“For He conquered the adversary, as ye have heard, by quotations from the law, not by actual strength, that by this very thing He might do greater honour to man, and inflict a greater punishment on the adversary by conquering the enemy of the human race not now as God but as Man.” — editor's note: Ut audistis, viz. in the Gospel for Quadragesima, or the First Sunday in Lent then apparently as now S. Matt. iv. 1–11: cf. Serm. XL. 3.
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Tertullian
“…this world as the Creator’s, since the apostle imputes ignorance to them, whereas even the devil according to our Gospel recognised Jesus in the temptation, and, according to the record which is common to both (Marcionites and ourselves) the evil spirit knew that Jesus was the Holy One of God, and that Jesus was…” — editor's note: Matt. iv. 1–11.
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Catena Aurea on Matthew
- JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
“Took him,” not because the Lord was weak, but the enemy proud; he imputed to a necessity what the Saviour did willingly.
Read the whole comment - Rabanus MaurusCatena Aurea on Matthew
Jerusalem was called the Holy City, for in it was the Temple of God, the Holy of holies, and the worship of the one God according to the law of Moses.
Read the whole comment - Remigius of AuxerreCatena Aurea on Matthew
This shews that the Devil lies in wait for Christ’s faithful people even in the sacred places.
Read the whole comment - Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on Matthew
Behold when it is said that this God was taken by the Devil into the holy city, pious ears tremble to hear, and yet the Devil is head and chief among the wicked; what wonder that He suffered Himself to be led up a…
Read the whole comment - Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
The Devil places us on high places by exalting with pride, that he may dash us to the ground again.
Read the whole comment - Remigius of AuxerreCatena Aurea on Matthew
The “pinnacle” is the seat of the doctors; for the temple had not a pointed roof like our houses, but was flat on the top after the manner of the country of Palestine, and in the temple were three stories. It should…
Read the whole comment - Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
Observe here that all these things were done with bodily sense, and by careful comparison of the context it seems probable that the Devil appeared in human form.
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Perhaps you may say, How could he in the sight of all place Him bodily upon the temple? Perhaps the Devil so took Him as though He were visible to all, while He, without the Devil being aware of it, made Himself…
Read the whole comment - Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
He set Him on a pinnacle of the temple when he would tempt Him through ambition, because in this seat of the doctors he had before taken many through the same temptation, and therefore thought that when set in the…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
In the several temptations the single aim of the Devil is to find if He be the Son of God, but he is so answered as at last to depart in doubt; He says, “Cast thyself,” because the voice of the Devil, which is always…
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
How does he expect to discover by this proposition whether He be the Son of God or not? For to fly through the air is not proper to the Divine nature, for it is not useful to any. If then any were to attempt to fly…
Read the whole comment - Ambrose of MilanCatena Aurea on Matthew
But as Satan transfigures himself into an Angel of light, and spreads a snare for the faithful, even from the divine Scriptures, so now he uses its texts, not to instruct but to deceive.
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
This verse we read in the ninetieth Psalm, [Ps 91:11] but that is a prophecy not of Christ, but of some holy man, so the Devil interprets Scripture amiss.
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
For the Son of God in truth is not borne of Angels, but Himself bears them, or if He be borne in their arms, it is not from weakness, lest He dash His foot against a stone, but for the honour. O thou Devil, thou hast…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Observe that Scripture is brought forward by the Lord only with an apt meaning, but by the Devil irreverently; for that where it is written, “He shall give his Angels charge over thee,” is not an exhortation to cast…
Read the whole comment - Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
We must explain thus; Scripture says of any good man, that He has given it in charge to His Angels, that is to His ministering spirits, to bear him in their hands, i.e. by their aid to guard him that he dash not his…
Read the whole comment - Rabanus MaurusCatena Aurea on Matthew
It should be noted, that though our Saviour suffered Himself to be placed by the Devil on a pinnacle of the temple, yet refused to come down also at his command, giving us an example, that whosoever bids us ascend…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
The false Scripture darts of the Devil He brands with the true shield of Scripture.
Read the whole comment - Hilary of PoitiersCatena Aurea on Matthew
Thus beating down the efforts of the Devil, He professes Himself both God and Lord.
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Yet He says not, Thou shalt not tempt me thy Lord God; but, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God;” which every man of God when tempted by the Devil might say; for whoso tempts a man of God, tempts God.
Read the whole comment - Rabanus MaurusCatena Aurea on Matthew
Otherwise, it was a suggestion to Him, as man, that He should seek by requiring some miracle to know the greatness of God’s power.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
It is a part of sound doctrine, that when man has any other means, he should not tempt the Lord his God.
Read the whole comment - Theodoret of CyrusCatena Aurea on Matthew
And it is to tempt God, in any thing to expose one’s self to danger without cause.
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
It should be noted, that the required texts are taken from the book of Deuteronomy only, that He might shew the sacraments of the second Law.
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Cross-references · 13
Cross-reference given by the World English Bible's translators.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.22.
Cited together in The City of God IX.20.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.22.
Cited together in Catechism §394 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.22.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.22.
Cited together in Catechism §394.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.22.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.22.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.22.
Cited together in Against Heresies V.22.
Cited together in Jerome on Matthew 4:5–7 (3) (Catena Aurea).