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Mat 4:4. Γέγραπται, it is written) Jesus does not appeal to the Voice from heaven: He does not reply to the arguments of the Tempter: against those arguments He employs the Scripture alone, and simply cites its assertions. He declines to state whether He be the Son of God or not. When addressing mankind, our Lord seldom quoted Scripture, but said, “I say unto you.” He says that only in answer to Satan, “It is written;” i.e., “Whoever I am, I assuredly keep to that which is written.” All the statements winch He thus advanced were in themselves indisputable: and yet He keeps to that, “it is written.” By doing which, He declares that He is the Destined One who should fulfil Scripture; and at the same time shows the high authority of Scripture itself, irrefragable even to Satan.-οὐκ ἐπʼ ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ἄνθρωτος, αλλʼ ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι ἐκπορευομένῳ διὰ στόματος Θεοῦ, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God) The LXX. (Deu 8:3) prefix the definite article ὁ to ἄνθρωπος (man), and repeat after Θεου (of God) ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος (shall man live). Even in the wilderness, the Israelites had felt the force of these words. The sixth chapter of the same book is cited in Mat 4:7; Mat 4:10 : so that the two paraschae,[135] ואתחנן and עקב, contain the three sayings propounded to the Israelites in the wilderness, and in the wilderness employed by Christ as a sword against the tempter. At the same season of the year[136] at which Moses had uttered them, Jesus employed these sayings against the tempter.-ζήσεται, shall live, etc.) Jesus had experienced this during these forty days. It is equally easy to live without bread, or to make bread out of stone. This is truly αὐτάρκεια,[137] constant tranquillity of mind (prœsens animi quies), to require nothing besides life. Jesus knew that He should live.-ἄνθρωπος, man. He does not reply to the tempter with reference to the appellation, “Son of God,” but speaks as if one of many, who were bound to the Written Word. And already in the time of Moses, Divine Wisdom had expressed all this testimony in those words with which the Saviour was to smite the tempter. Jerome says, “Propositum erat Domino humilitate Diabolum vincere, non potentiâ,”-“The Lord had determined to overcome the Devil, not by power, but by humility.”-ἐτὶ παντὶ ῥήματι ἐκπορευομὲνῳ διὰ στόματος Θεοῦ, by every word that proceedeth out through the mouth of God) Thus in Psalms 89(88):34, the LXX. have, concerning a Divine promise, τὰ ἐκπορευόμενα διὰ τῶν χειλέων Μου-the things which proceed out through My lips. Cf. concerning vows: S. V. of Num 30:13, and Deu 23:23 : Cf. also Jer 17:16, and Num 32:24.-That which goeth forth out of the mouth (exitus oris), is put by Metonomy for that which is uttered by the mouth.-διὰ στόματος, through the mouth) and, therefore, from the heart.
[135] The Pentateuch is divided into 50 or 54 Paraschioth, or larger sections, according as the Jewish lunar year is simple or intercalary; one of which sections was read in the synagogue every Sabbath-day. This division many of the Jews suppose to have been appointed by Moses; but it is by others attributed, and with greater probability, to Ezra. These paraschioth were, as in the instances referred to by Bengel, called by the Hebrew words with which they happened to begin; they were further subdivided into smaller sections, termed Siderim, or orders.-(I. B.)
[136] GRESWELL gives, as the date of our Lord’s being led up into the wilderness (v. 1), Sebat 28, Jan. 24, Fer. 1 (i.e. Sunday); and of Satan’s coming to Him (v. 3), Veader 9, Martii 5, Fer. 6 (i.e. Friday).-See his Harmonia Evangelica.-(I. B.)
[137] Literally, self-sufficingness-a word which sometimes signifies independence, at other times has the force of entire contentedness.-(I. B.)