# Matthew 4.2

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**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew-the-apostle/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
>
> **2. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered.**
>
> 3. And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. 4. But he answered and said, <span class="rl-speech">It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.</span> (Matthew 4:1-4, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 1. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
>
> **2. When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.**
>
> 3. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4. But he answered, <span class="rl-speech">“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”</span> (Matthew 4:1-4, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
>
> **2. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.**
>
> 3. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4. But he answered and said, <span class="rl-speech">It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.</span> (Matthew 4:1-4, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 1. Then Jesus was led up to the wilderness by the Spirit, to be tempted by the Devil,
>
> **2. and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he did hunger.**
>
> 3. And the Tempter having come to him said, 'If Son thou art of God, speak that these stones may become loaves.' 4. But he answering said, <span class="rl-speech">'It hath been written, Not upon bread alone doth man live, but upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God.'</span> (Matthew 4:1-4, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** Matthew (traditionally) the tax-collector-apostle / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
- **Audience:** Jewish-Christian audience (heavy OT-fulfillment emphasis)
- **Location:** first-century Palestine (events); possibly Antioch (composition)
- **Time period:** events c. 4 BC, AD 30/33; composed c. AD 60-80

## Theological reading

## Key words

_No Strong's-tagged lexicon matches found in this passage. (Lexicon coverage is curated, ~159 of the most apologetically-loaded Greek/Hebrew terms.)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Why Didnt Jesus Write Anything Himself Objection Defeater](/codex/why-didnt-jesus-write-anything-himself-objection-defeater/), via [Matthew 4.1-11](/codex/matthew-4-1-11/)
- [Why Doesnt God Stop Satan Objection Defeater](/codex/why-doesnt-god-stop-satan-objection-defeater/)

**Concepts:**

- [Doubt and Fear](/codex/doubt-and-fear/), via [Matthew 4.1-11](/codex/matthew-4-1-11/)
- [Failed Messianic Prophecy Objections](/codex/failed-messianic-prophecy-objections/), via [Matthew 4.1-11](/codex/matthew-4-1-11/)
- [Hypostatic Union](/codex/hypostatic-union/)
- [Satan](/codex/h7854-satan/), via [Matthew 4.1-11](/codex/matthew-4-1-11/)
- [Synoptic Problem](/codex/synoptic-problem/), via [Matthew 4.1-11](/codex/matthew-4-1-11/)
- [The Devil](/codex/the-devil/), via [Matthew 4.1-11](/codex/matthew-4-1-11/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G1228 - diabolos](/codex/g1228-diabolos/), via [Matthew 4.1-11](/codex/matthew-4-1-11/)
- [G4567 - satanas](/codex/g4567-satanas/), via [Matthew 4.1-11](/codex/matthew-4-1-11/)
- [H7854 - satan](/codex/h7854-satan/), via [Matthew 4.1-11](/codex/matthew-4-1-11/)

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