Bible Strands
Matthew 4:7
Jesus replied, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus answers the devil's second temptation, in which the devil has quoted Psalm 91:11–12 to bait Him into throwing Himself from the temple. This is the middle round of three exchanges in the wilderness.
The words — ἐκπειράσεις (ekpeiraseis) carries the prefix ἐκ-, marking a deliberate, outward provocation rather than a passive trial. πάλιν (palin, "again") is a structural marker: this is the second of three rounds, not an isolated exchange.
The thread — The quotation is Deuteronomy 6:16, which ties the prohibition to Israel's failure at Massah. 1 Corinthians 10:9 and Psalms 78:41 extend the pattern: testing God in the wilderness invites judgment, not rescue.
Why it lands — The verse draws a line between trusting God's promises and demanding He demonstrate them on your terms. It asks the reader to see that a spectacle engineered to force God's hand is not faith but a challenge.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 6:16 Do not test the LORD your God as you tested Him at Massah.
- 1 Corinthians 10:9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did, and were killed by snakes.
- Psalms 78:41 Again and again they tested God and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
- Psalms 78:18 They willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved.
- Hebrews 3:9 where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works.
- Exodus 17:2 So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?”
- Exodus 17:7 He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
- Acts 5:9 “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?” Peter replied. “Look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
- Psalms 78:56 But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees.
- Psalms 106:14 They craved intensely in the wilderness and tested God in the desert.