Matthew 4

King James Version

Full text for Matthew Chapter 4

1¶ Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4But he answered and said, ‹It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.›

5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7Jesus said unto him, ‹It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.›

8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10Then saith Jesus unto him, ‹Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.›

11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

12¶ Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;

13And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

14That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

15The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, [by] the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

16The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

17From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, ‹Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.›

18¶ And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

19And he saith unto them, ‹Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.›

20And they straightway left [their] nets, and followed him.

21And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James [the son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

22And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

23¶ And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

24And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

25And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and [from] Decapolis, and [from] Jerusalem, and [from] Judaea, and [from] beyond Jordan.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he fasted forty days and was tempted by the devil, overcoming each trial by quoting scripture. Following John's imprisonment, Jesus began his public ministry in Galilee, preaching repentance and the kingdom of heaven. He called his first disciples, Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John, to become "fishers of men." Jesus then traveled throughout Galilee, teaching, preaching the gospel, and healing all manner of sickness and disease, drawing large multitudes.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he fasted forty days and forty nights and was subsequently tempted by the devil. The devil presented three temptations: turning stones into bread, casting himself from the temple pinnacle, and worshipping him for worldly kingdoms. Jesus rebuffed each temptation by quoting scripture, after which angels ministered to him. Upon hearing of John's imprisonment, Jesus moved to Capernaum in Galilee, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy about light dawning in a dark region. From this point, Jesus began to preach, declaring, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." He then called Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow him, promising to make them "fishers of men." Jesus' ministry expanded throughout Galilee, where he taught in synagogues, preached the gospel of the kingdom, and healed various diseases, drawing great crowds from surrounding regions.

Long Summary

Matthew chapter 4 begins with Jesus, led by the Spirit, entering the wilderness for forty days of fasting, during which he was tempted by the devil. The tempter first challenged Jesus to turn stones into bread, to which Jesus responded with scripture, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Next, the devil took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple, urging him to cast himself down, citing scripture; Jesus countered, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Finally, the devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship, but Jesus commanded him to depart, declaring, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." After Jesus' victory, the devil left him, and angels ministered to him. Following John the Baptist's imprisonment, Jesus departed Nazareth and settled in Capernaum, in the regions of Zabulon and Nephthalim, thereby fulfilling the prophecy of Esaias concerning "Galilee of the Gentiles" seeing a "great light." From this time, Jesus commenced his public ministry, proclaiming, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he called two sets of brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, who were fishers, instructing them to follow him and become "fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed. He then called James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were mending nets with their father, and they likewise left their ship and father to follow him. Jesus then traveled throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and performing numerous healings. His fame spread into Syria, and people brought to him all who were afflicted with various diseases, torments, demon possession, lunacy, and palsy, and he healed them all, attracting vast multitudes from many regions.

Core Concepts

  • Temptation of JesusJesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he fasted for forty days and was subjected to three specific temptations by the devil, testing his identity and mission.
  • Authority of ScriptureIn response to each temptation, Jesus consistently rebuffed the devil by quoting passages from the Old Testament, demonstrating the power and finality of God's written word.
  • Beginning of Public MinistryAfter overcoming temptation and hearing of John's imprisonment, Jesus commenced his public work in Galilee, preaching the message of repentance and the imminent arrival of the kingdom of heaven.
  • Calling of DisciplesJesus initiated the formation of his inner circle by calling the first four disciples—Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John—from their fishing trade, inviting them to follow him and become "fishers of men."
  • Gospel of the KingdomA central theme of Jesus' early preaching was the "gospel of the kingdom," urging people to "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," signifying God's reign drawing near.
  • Healing MinistryJesus' ministry was characterized by extensive healing, as he went throughout Galilee curing "all manner of sickness and all manner of disease" among the people, including those with devils, lunacy, and palsy.
  • Prophecy FulfillmentJesus' relocation to Capernaum in Galilee is explicitly stated as a fulfillment of the prophecy by Esaias, indicating that his ministry in that region brought "great light" to those in darkness.