Verse
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. – Matthew 4:4
Meaning of Matthew 4:4
The verse Matthew 4:4 is spoken by Jesus to Satan at the end of His forty days fast. ‘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’ emphasizes the part that Jesus had directly quoted one of the important verses from Deuteronomy 8:3. The meaning of Matthew 4:4 is that a believer, especially Christian must be nourished with both spiritual foods as well as food to sustain their body. In other words, the verse means that a person must read and meditate on God’s word for a healthy mind, just the way we eat to get a healthy body. The verse is also mentioned in Luke 4:4.
Interpretations of Matthew 4:4
Matthew 4:4 is one of the important and most quoted verses from the book of Mathew. A few interpretations are given below.
Interpretation #1 Old Testament is more important than the New Testament
According to this interpretation, a few denominations in Christianity claim that the Old Testament is the only valid word of God. The reader believes that Jesus emphasized the phrase ‘It is written’ while quoting the verse from Deuteronomy 8:3 because He followed the Old Testament laws. Also, as the New Testament was written after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, he or she follows the laws of Moses, including the Ten Commandments, while considering the New Testament books as additional reading material.
Interpretation #2 Moses must be reincarnated as Jesus
During the early ministry of Jesus, the head of the Jewish community, the Pharisees and Sadducees disliked Jesus. However, a few followers excluding the disciples, believed that Jesus was a reincarnation of Moses or New Moses. The verse ‘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,’ quoted by Jesus, the same verse spoken by Moses. In the original quote, Moses recounts the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and as a reminder to rely on God. Hence, a few readers believe that Jesus may have been reincarnated being.
Interpretation #3 Holy Communion can help Christians overcome challenges
In this version, the reader believes that ‘the bread’ in the phrase ‘Man shall not live by bread alone’ is referred to communion as mentioned by Jesus. Also, as the phrase continues, ‘but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’ the reader understands that the word of God is a sermon on Sundays which is followed by Holy Communion. Hence, the churches also encourage that by taking the Holy Communion a Christian can resist the temptations, overcome difficult situations, and stay healthy in body and mind.
Interpretation #4 Jesus resists temptations to set an example
In this interpretation, the verse implies that Jesus is setting an example for His followers as well as believers later on how to resist temptation. Jesus, who was hungry after His forty days fast, is tempted by Satan to change the stone into bread. Knowing that Jesus is the Son of God, he tries to lure Jesus into using His powers. However, Jesus quotes the verse ‘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’ spoken by Moses and later recorded in Deuteronomy 8:3. He, thus, rebukes Satan using the scripture. Hence, the priests at the church take this verse as an example to encourage the believers to resist temptations using God’s words.
Historical background of Matthew 4:4
The setting of Matthew Chapter 4 might have been around 27 A.D. However, the book of Mathew must have been written between 80-90 A.D. Chapter 4 covers the temptation of Jesus, Jesus beginning His Ministry, gathering of His twelve disciples, and healing the crowd from galilee to Jordan. Matthew 4:4 are the words spoken by Jesus immediately after Satan presents the first Temptation asking him to turn the stones into bread. Jesus, then, quotes the words from Deuteronomy 8:3 to overcome the desire to eat and rebuke Satan using the scripture.
Literary Devices of Matthew 4:4
The verse is often favored and quoted by the church to encourage the reader to stay strong. A few literary devices of Matthew 4:4 is given below.
Theme – The major themes of Matthew 4:4 are healing, endurance, strength, and proclamation.
Extended Metaphor – The phrase ‘Man shall not live by bread alone’ is an extended metaphor for the word of God, that is the Bible.
Symbolism – The bread here has two symbolisms. One of the most used symbolisms is Jesus, and the second is Holy Communion.
Assonance – The verse has used vowel sounds in repetition, and few are in quick succession. For example, the sound of /a/, the sound of /i/, the sound of /o/ in ‘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.’
Alliteration – The verse has one consonant sound at the beginning of the word, which is also in quick succession. For example, the sound of /b/ in ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’.
Consonance – The verse also has repeated consonant sounds, a few without quick successions. For example, the sound of /d/, the sound of /s/, the sound of /l/, the sound of /t/, the sound of /r/ in ‘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’.