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Matthew 4:8

in Matthew 4

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

KJV

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

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This verse in Matthew 4

Commentary

5 notes on this verse
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain,.... That is, he took him off from the pinnacle of the temple, and carried him through the air, to one of the mountains which were round about Jerusalem; or to some very high mountain at a greater distance; but what mountain is not certain; nor can it be known; nor is it of any moment; it has been said (g) to be Mount Lebanon: here he sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and glory of them.

This site's exposition

an exceeding high mountain

on Matthew 4:8-10

The third temptation names no ordinary hill but an exceeding high mountain, the first of six mountain scenes this book returns to, ending at the mountain of the commission in 28:16. All the kingdoms of the world and their glory are offered for one act, fall down and worship me, the same worship the magi rightly gave in chapter 2 now demanded wrongly by one who has no right to receive it. Jesus' answer is his sharpest of the three, Get thee hence, Satan, paired with Deuteronomy 6:13's command to worship and serve God alone, ending the exchange rather than continuing to reason with it.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

on Matthew 4:8-9

The pinnacle of the temple is not high enough; the prince of the power of the air must have him further up into his territories. Some think this high mountain was on the other side of Jordan, because there we find Christ next after the temptation, John i. Perhaps it was mount Pisgah, whence Moses, in communion with God, had all the kingdoms of Canaan shown him.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

An exceeding high mountain, and showeth him - If the words, all the kingdoms of the world, be taken in a literal sense, then this must have been a visionary representation, as the highest mountain on the face of the globe could not suffice to make evident even one hemisphere of the earth, and the other must of necessity be in darkness.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Again, the devil taketh him up--"conducteth him," as before. into--or "unto" an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them--Luke (Lu 4:5) adds the important clause, "in a moment of time"; a clause which seems to furnish a key to the true meaning. That a scene was presented to our Lord's natural eye seems plainly expressed.

The words behind it

21 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

16 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

1 John 2:15–16Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.15 worksRevelation 11:15Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”10 worksLuke 4:5–7Then the devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.9 worksMatthew 16:26What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?9 worksPsalms 49:16–17Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases.9 works1 John 2:16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.8 works
The other 10 cross-references, with their words ▾
Hebrews 11:24–26By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.7 works1 Peter 1:24For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,7 worksRevelation 12:9And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.4 worksDaniel 4:30the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”3 worksGenesis 31:1Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.”3 worksRomans 10:18But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”3 worksEsther 5:11Haman recounted to them his glorious wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored and promoted him over the other officials and servants.2 worksEsther 1:4And for a full 180 days he displayed the glorious riches of his kingdom and the magnificent splendor of his greatness.2 worksDaniel 2:31As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome.2 worksMatthew 4:5Then the devil took Him to the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple.-2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Matthew 16:26

    What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

    it leads to

    • Job 27:8

      For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

    • Mark 8:36–37

      What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

    • Luke 9:25

      What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self?

    • Luke 12:20

      But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’

    • Psalms 49:7–8

      No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.

  • Through

    Revelation 11:15

    Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign…

    it leads to

    • Daniel 7:14

      And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is…

    • Revelation 12:10

      And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our…

    • Daniel 7:27

      Then the sovereignty, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all…

Where this verse is studied

About Matthew

John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)
John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)
Matthew: the study guide →Read Matthew 4 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Matthew 4 →