Open Bible Data Home About News OET Key
OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB MSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV SLT Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Topics Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search
ParallelVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Mat Intro C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28
Mat 4 V1 V2 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25
Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) and the tempter approached him and asked, “If you’re God’s son, command some of these stones to turn into buns.”![]()
OET-LV And the one tempting having_approached, said to_him:
If you_are the_son of_ the _god, speak that the these stones may_become loaves.
![]()
SR-GNT Καὶ προσελθὼν ὁ πειράζων, εἶπεν αὐτῷ, “Εἰ Υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ ˚Θεοῦ, εἰπὲ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται.” ‡
(Kai proselthōn ho peirazōn, eipen autōi, “Ei Huios ei tou ˚Theou, eipe hina hoi lithoi houtoi artoi genōntai.”)
Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
ULT And having approached, the one tempting said to him, “If you are the Son of God, speak so that these stones might become loaves.”
UST Then the devil arrived. He wanted to make Jesus sin. He said to Jesus, “Show me that you really are God’s Son. Command these stones to become loaves of bread for you to eat.”
BSB The tempter came to Him [and] said, “If You are [the] Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
MSB The tempter came to Him [and] said,[fn] “If You are [the] Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4:3 CT literal The tempter came and said to Him
BLB And the one tempting, having come to Him, said "If You are Son of God, speak, that these stones may become loaves of bread."
AICNT And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”
OEB The Tempter came to him, and said:
⇔ ‘If you are God’s Son, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.’
WEBBE The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
WMBB (Same as above)
NET The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”
LSV And the tempting [one], having come to Him, said, “If You are the Son of God—speak that these stones may become loaves.”
FBV The tempter came and said to him, “If you really are the Son of God, order these stones to turn into bread.”
TCNT Then the tempter came up [fn]to him and said, “If yoʋ are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”
4:3 to him and said ¦ and said to him CT
T4T Satan, the tempter, came to him and said, “Because you claim that you have a relationship with God as a son has with his father [MET], prove it by commanding these stones to become bread so that you can eat them!”
LEB And the tempter approached and[fn] said to him, “If you are the Son of God, order that these stones become bread.”
4:3 *Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“approached”) has been translated as a finite verb
BBE And the Evil One came and said to him, If you are the Son of God, give the word for these stones to become bread.
Moff So the tempter came up and said to him, "If you are God's son, tell these stones to become loaves."
Wymth So the Tempter came and said, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to turn into loaves."
ASV And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.
DRA And the tempter coming said to him: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
YLT And the Tempter having come to him said, 'If Son thou art of God — speak that these stones may become loaves.'
Drby And the tempter coming up to him said, If thou be Son of [fn]God, speak, that these stones may become loaves of bread.
4.3 Elohim
RV And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.
(And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou/you art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. )
SLT And the tempter having come to him, said, If thou art the Son of God, say that these stones should become bread.
Wbstr And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou art the son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
KJB-1769 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
(And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou/you be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. )
KJB-1611 And when the tempter came to him, hee said, If thou be the sonne of God, command that these stones bee made bread.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)
Bshps And when the tempter came to hym, he sayde: If thou be the sonne of God, commaunde that these stones be made breade.
(And when the tempter came to him, he said: If thou/you be the son of God, command that these stones be made breade.)
Gnva Then came to him the tempter, and said, If thou be the Sonne of God, commande that these stones be made bread.
(Then came to him the tempter, and said, If thou/you be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. )
Cvdl And the tepter came to him and sayde: yf thou be the sonne of God, commaunde, that these stones be made breed.
(And the tepter came to him and said: if thou/you be the son of God, command, that these stones be made breed.)
TNT Then came to hym the tempter and sayde: yf thou be the sonne of God commaunde that these stones be made breed.
(Then came to him the tempter and said: if thou/you be the son of God command that these stones be made breed. )
Wycl And the tempter cam nyy, and seide to hym, If thou art Goddis sone, seie that thes stoones be maad looues.
(And the tempter came nigh/near, and said to him, If thou/you art God’s son, say that these stones be made loaves.)
Luth Und der Versucher trat zu ihm und sprach: Bist du Gottes Sohn, so sprich, daß diese Steine Brot werden.
(And the/of_the Versucher stepped to/for him and spoke: Bist you(sg) God’s son, so say, that this/these stones bread become.)
ClVg Et accedens tentator dixit ei: Si Filius Dei es, dic ut lapides isti panes fiant.[fn]
(And approaching tentator he/she_said to_him: When/But_if Son of_God you_are, say as stones these bread/food be_done. )
4.3 Et accedens. Quia esuries est signum infirmitatis. Et sic nobis in abstinentia non deest tentatio. Per exteriorem infirmitatem Christum tentat in quo nullam legem peccati inveniebat. Si Filius Dei es. Aliud horum explorantis est, aliud tentantis, dum Deum confiteri videtur, et hujusmodi illudere conatur. Sic enim tentat ut exploret quod veretur. Sic explorat, ut tentando decipiat. Si Filius Dei es. Noverat Filium Dei venisse in mundum, seu per prophetas seu per angelos nuntiantes, seu per Joannem demonstrantem: sed quia humilia in eo videbat, quod de Deitate suspicatus est, ex superbia ei in dubium venit. Unde et callide exquirit: Nec indignum fuit Christum tentari qui venerat occidi, ut tentationes superando nobis potestatem daret superandi tentationes, sicut sua morte abstulit nostram mortalitatem. RAB. Christus non nisi post baptismum se tentari permisit, insinuans ad se euntes graviores passuros, etc., usque ad Christus vero sola suggestione tentatus fuit: quia delectatio peccati mentem ejus non momordit.
4.3 And approaching. Because esuries it_is sign/signal infirmitatis. And so us in/into/on abstinentia not/no is_missing temptation. Per exteriorem weakness Christ/Messiah tentat in/into/on where none the_law of_sin I_foundebat. When/But_if Son of_God you_are. Another of_these explorantis it_is, something_else tentantis, while God to_confess it_seems, and of_this_kind it/this/thatere conatur. So because tentat as exploret that really/trulytur. So explorat, as tentando deceive. When/But_if Son of_God you_are. Noverat Son of_God came in/into/on the_world, seu through a_prophets seu through messenger/angels nuntiantes, seu through Yoannem demonstrantem: but because humble in/into/on by_him seebat, that from/about of_Godtate suspicatus it_is, from pride to_him in/into/on doubt/hesitation he_came. From_where/who and callide exquirit: Neither indignum it_was Christ/Messiah tentari who/which had_come occidi, as temptations superando us power would_give superandi temptations, like his_own death took_away ours mortalitatem. RAB. Christ/Messiah not/no except after baptism himself tentari allowed, insinuating to himself going seriousores will_suffer, etc., until to Christ/Messiah indeed/however alone suggestione tentatus it_was: because pleasure/delight of_sin mind his not/no momordit.
UGNT καὶ προσελθὼν, ὁ πειράζων εἶπεν αὐτῷ, εἰ Υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰπὲ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται.
(kai proselthōn, ho peirazōn eipen autōi, ei Huios ei tou Theou, eipe hina hoi lithoi houtoi artoi genōntai.)
SBL-GNT καὶ προσελθὼν ⸂ὁ πειράζων εἶπεν αὐτῷ⸃· Εἰ υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰπὲ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται.
(kai proselthōn ⸂ho peirazōn eipen autōi⸃; Ei huios ei tou theou, eipe hina hoi lithoi houtoi artoi genōntai.)
RP-GNT Καὶ προσελθὼν αὐτῷ ὁ πειράζων εἶπεν, Εἰ υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰπὲ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται.
(Kai proselthōn autōi ho peirazōn eipen, Ei huios ei tou theou, eipe hina hoi lithoi houtoi artoi genōntai.)
TC-GNT Καὶ προσελθὼν [fn]αὐτῷ ὁ πειράζων εἶπεν, Εἰ υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, [fn]εἰπὲ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται.
(Kai proselthōn autōi ho peirazōn eipen, Ei huios ei tou Theou, eipe hina hoi lithoi houtoi artoi genōntai. )
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).
4:1-11 Parallels between Adam and Jesus are obvious in this account of Jesus’ temptation. Jesus is the second Adam (see Rom 5:12-19) and the second Israel (Matt 2:15). In contrast to the ancient Israelites, he fulfilled Israel’s history by successfully wandering through the desert without sinning. He proved himself the obedient Son of God by defeating Satan in spiritual combat. And because he underwent temptation himself as a human, Jesus is able to sympathize with the temptations we face (see Heb 2:14-18; 4:15) and help us overcome them as he did (1 Cor 10:13).
In this section, God allowed Satan to tempt Jesus so that Jesus could show that he always obeyed his Father. The children of Israel had failed to obey God during their forty years in the wilderness. But Jesus, as the Messiah, proved his obedience to God during his forty days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness. He “passed” this test and demonstrated that he truly was the “Son of God.”
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The temptation of Jesus
The devil tried to make Jesus sin
Jesus was tempted by the devil
There is a parallel passage for this section in Luke 4:1–11, and a shorter version occurs in Mark 1:12–13.
In this paragraph, Matthew reported the first way that the devil tempted Jesus. The devil tempted Jesus to perform a miracle by turning stones into bread to feed himself. The devil wanted Jesus to disobey God by not trusting God. If Jesus had turned the stones into bread at this time when he was fasting, it would have proved that Jesus did not trust his Father to take care of him and meet his most basic needs.
The tempter came to Him and said,
¶ Then the tempter came to him and said,
¶ After this, the devil, the one who tempts, came to him/Jesus and said,
¶ After that time, Satan, the one who tries to make people sin, came to Jesus and said to him that
The Greek of 4:3 begins with a word that is often translated as “And” (ESV). This word indicates that the events in this paragraph occur after the events in 4:1–2. However, the BSB omits this word. In some languages, it may be natural to begin this paragraph with a time word or phrase. For example:
Then (CEV)
After this
The tempter: The phrase The tempter refers to the devil (4:1b). Tempting people is one of his main activities. He is always trying to make people sin.
There are at least three ways to translate this phrase:
Literally. For example:
The tempter
The one who tempts If you choose this option, you may want to include a footnote indicating that The tempter refers to the devil. For example:
The phrase The tempter refers to the devil, the chief of demons. Tempting people is one of his main activities. He is always trying to make people sin.
Literally, but with a word or phrase that makes clear that The tempter is “the devil.” For example:
The tempter (the devil)
The devil, the one who tries to make people sin
Translate as your term for “the devil.” For example:
the devil (CEV)
Satan
The chief of demons
“If You are the Son of God,
“If you really/truly are the Son of God,
“If it is true that you are God’s Son,
he should prove that he was the child of God
If You are the Son of God: Satan said this clause to challenge Jesus to prove that he really was the Son of God. Satan knew that Jesus was the Son of God. He was not expressing doubt here. He was saying this to tempt Jesus.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
If you really are the Son of God (JBP)
If it’s true that you are the Son of God
Prove that you are the Son of God
the Son of God: The phrase the Son of God is a title for Jesus. This title indicates that Jesus has the same nature and character as God. It also indicates that the relationship between God the Father and Jesus, his Son, is similar in some way to the relationship between human fathers and sons. God the Father does not have a physical body. He did not have a sexual relationship that resulted in Mary becoming pregnant and giving birth to Jesus.
For further information, see the note on “My…Son” at 3:17b.
tell these stones to become bread.”
order these stones to turn into loaves of bread.”
command these stones to become bread to eat!”
by speaking and making some stones there become food, then eat it.Helovesme2day
tell these stones to become bread: There is some implied information here. The devil wanted Jesus not simply to command the stones to become bread, but actually to turn them into bread. Then he wanted Jesus to eat the bread.
Here are some other ways to make this information explicit:
speak to these stones and cause them to become bread for you.
change these stones into loaves of bread that you can eat.
tell: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as tell is the same verb that usually means “say” or “speak/tell.” Here it is used in the sense of “order” or “command.”
Here are some other ways to translate this verb:
order (GNT)
command (ESV)
these stones: The phrase these stones probably refers to some stones that were near Jesus. The devil probably pointed at some of the stones, or perhaps picked up some of them, as he was talking with Jesus.
bread: The Greek word that the BSB translates as bread refers to pieces or units of bread. Loaves of bread were baked in a round shape and were flat.
In Jesus’ time, bread was the main food of the Jewish people. The bread that the Jews ate was made of wheat or barley flour.
If you do not already have a word for bread in your language, here are some other ways to translate this word:
Use a generic term such as “food.” For example:
food
something to eat
that which you may eat
Borrow the word for bread from the national language or major language in your area.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ὁ πειράζων
the_‹one› tempting
Here, the phrase the one tempting refers to the devil, whom Matthew already mentioned in [4:1](../04/01.md). You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [the one tempting, the devil,] or [the devil, who was tempting him,]
Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical
εἰ Υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰπὲ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί προσελθών ὁ πειράζων εἶπεν αὐτῷ Εἰ Υἱός εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰπέ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται)
The devil is suggesting that this is a hypothetical condition, that the stones will only become loaves if Jesus is the Son of God. The devil is speaking as if it is uncertain who Jesus is in order to challenge him to do this miracle to prove that he really is the Son of God. Use a natural form in your language for introducing something that could be true. Alternate translation: [Prove that you are the Son of God by speaking so that these stones might become loaves]
Note 3 topic: guidelines-sonofgodprinciples
Υἱὸς & τοῦ Θεοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί προσελθών ὁ πειράζων εἶπεν αὐτῷ Εἰ Υἱός εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰπέ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται)
The phrase Son of God is an important title for Jesus.
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
εἰπὲ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί προσελθών ὁ πειράζων εἶπεν αὐτῷ Εἰ Υἱός εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰπέ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται)
Here the devil wants Jesus to tell the stones to become bread. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [tell these stones to become bread] or [speak words that make these stones become bread]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations
εἰπὲ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί προσελθών ὁ πειράζων εἶπεν αὐτῷ Εἰ Υἱός εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰπέ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται)
It may be more natural in your language to have a direct quotation here. Alternate translation: [speak to these stones, ”Become bread!”]