Matthew 4:4

Matthew 4:4

But 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.

a. ASV: But 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.

b. YLT: But he answering said, ‘It hath been written, Not upon bread alone doth man live, but upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God.’

c. Classic Amplified: But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

1. “But he answered and said, It is written…”

a. [Strong: 3588. [ho] ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ho] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.]

b. But [Strong: 1161. de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

c. [he] answered [Strong: 611. apokrinomai ap-ok-ree'-nom-ahee from 575 and krino; to conclude for oneself, i.e. (by implication) to respond; by Hebraism (compare 6030) to begin to speak (where an address is expected):--answer.]

d. [and] said [Strong: 2036. epo ep'-o a primary verb (used only in the definite past tense, the others being borrowed from 2046, 4483, and 5346); to speak or say (by word or writing):--answer, bid, bring word, call, command, grant, say (on), speak, tell.]

e. [It is] written [Strong: 1125. grapho graf'-o a primary verb; to "grave", especially to write; figuratively, to describe:--describe, write(-ing, -ten).]

1). It should be noted that Jesus responded to every temptation of the devil by citing Scripture that is truth.

2. “..Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

a. Man [Strong: 444. anthropos anth'-ro-pos from 435 and ops (the countenance; from 3700); man-faced, i.e. a human being:--certain, man.]

b. [shall] not [Strong: 3756. ou oo, also (before a vowel) ouk ook, and (before an aspirate) ouch ookh a primary word; the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.

c. live [Strong: 2198. zao dzah'-o a primary verb; to live (literally or figuratively):--life(-time), (a-)live(-ly), quick.]

d. by [Strong: 1909. epi ep-ee' a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.:--about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, X have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with. In compounds it retains essentially the same import, at, upon, etc. (literally or figuratively).]

e. bread [Strong: 740. artos ar'-tos from 142; bread (as raised) or a loaf:--(shew-)bread, loaf.]

f. alone [Strong: 3441. monos mon'-os probably from 3306; remaining, i.e. sole or single; by implication, mere:--alone, only, by themselves.]

g. but [Strong: 235. alla al-lah' neuter plural of 243; properly, other things, i.e. (adverbially) contrariwise (in many relations):--and, but (even), howbeit, indeed, nay, nevertheless, no, notwithstanding, save, therefore, yea, yet.]

h. by [Strong: 1909. epi ep-ee' a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.:--about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, X have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with. In compounds it retains essentially the same import, at, upon, etc. (literally or figuratively).]

i. every [Strong: 3956. pas pas including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole:--all (manner of, means), alway(-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no(-thing), X thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.]

j. word [Strong: 4487. rhema hray'-mah from 4483; an utterance (individually, collectively or specially),; by implication, a matter or topic (especially of narration, command or dispute); with a negative naught whatever:--+ evil, + nothing, saying, word.]

1). The Greek word used here is the same the Apostle Paul used in his description of one of the weapons provided to us in the New 

Covenant. The Sword of the Spirit.

a). Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

k. [that] proceedeth [Strong: 1607. ekporeuomai ek-por-yoo'-om-ahee from 1537 and 4198; to depart, be discharged, proceed, project:--come (forth, out of), depart, go (forth, out), issue, proceed (out of).]

l. [out] of [Strong: 1223. dia dee-ah' a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):--after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) ... fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general importance.]

m. [the] mouth [Strong: 4750. stoma stom'-a probably strengthened from a presumed derivative of the base of 5114; the mouth (as if a gash in the face); by implication, language (and its relations); figuratively, an opening (in the earth); specially, the front or edge (of a weapon):--edge, face, mouth.]

n. [of] God [Strong: 2316. theos theh'-os of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

1). All three responses by Christ to the devil’s temptations come from Deuteronomy. The first is from Deuteronomy.

a). Deuteronomy 8:3  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.