What Did Satan Tempt Jesus to Do in Matthew 4:5–6? How Did Jesus Respond (Matthew 4:7)?

Please Support the Bible Translation Work of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV)

$5.00

In Matthew 4:5–6, during the second of three temptations, Satan sought to exploit Jesus’ trust in Jehovah by urging Him to engage in a reckless and presumptuous act. The devil transported Jesus to the highest point of the temple in Jerusalem and challenged Him to throw Himself down, quoting Scripture in an attempt to manipulate Jesus into sin. This event is profound, not merely because of the audacity of the temptation, but because it reveals Satan’s cunning use of God’s Word for deceit, and Jesus’ unwavering commitment to interpret and apply Scripture correctly.

Satan’s Temptation: Presumption Disguised as Faith

The passage reads as follows in Matthew 4:5–6:

“Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you,” and “On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”’”

Here, Satan cited Psalm 91:11–12, a passage that describes Jehovah’s protective care for the righteous. But the devil deliberately misapplied the text. While Psalm 91 indeed conveys divine protection, it never authorizes humans to create situations that require miraculous intervention merely to “test” God’s faithfulness. The psalm’s assurance is given in the context of dangers that come upon the righteous naturally as they live obediently—not self-created peril for show or proof.

The temple’s pinnacle was likely the southeast corner, towering above the Kidron Valley at a height of around 150 feet (over 45 meters). Such a location would offer a dramatic setting for a miraculous preservation. Satan’s suggestion wasn’t simply about safety—it was about proving divine sonship in a public, sensational way. It appealed to pride and spectacle: “If you are the Son of God…” The devil wanted Jesus to force God to act, to presume upon divine protection in a contrived scenario.

Importantly, this temptation was not a call to abandon faith, but a perverse invitation to misuse it—to shift from trusting obedience to presumptuous testing. Satan was urging Jesus to act independently of the Father, under the pretense of trust, thereby demonstrating false faith. This is a subtle, but deadly trap: substituting self-willed action in the name of faith, rather than submissive obedience to God’s will.

Jesus’ Response: Faithful Interpretation and Obedience

Jesus immediately rejected the devil’s twisting of Scripture, responding in Matthew 4:7:

“Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “You shall not put Jehovah your God to the test.”’”

This quotation comes from Deuteronomy 6:16, which recalls the events at Massah in Exodus 17:1–7. There, the Israelites demanded water and questioned whether Jehovah was truly among them. Their demand was not one of needful supplication, but of arrogant testing—seeking a sign to force God to validate His presence. Jesus identified Satan’s challenge as the same kind of test: a demand for proof through forced circumstances. To throw Himself from the temple would be to test Jehovah’s faithfulness in a way God explicitly forbade.

Jesus’ reply shows His unwavering commitment to the totality of Scripture. While Satan quoted one passage in isolation, Jesus countered with another that provided the proper interpretive balance. Faith is not about demanding signs, forcing divine intervention, or manipulating promises. True faith walks in humble obedience, trusting God’s protection without provoking it.

Moreover, Jesus modeled submission, not spectacle. Though He had divine authority, He refused to act independently of the Father’s will. John 5:30 reinforces this principle: “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” Jesus would not demonstrate His divine identity through theatrical self-endangerment, but through perfect obedience, culminating in His sacrificial death and resurrection—God’s chosen method of validation (Acts 2:22–24).

Broader Application: Testing God vs. Trusting God

This episode has ongoing implications for all who seek to serve God faithfully. The temptation to “test God” can arise in subtle forms—when people demand signs before obedience, expect blessings without submission, or manipulate Scripture to justify selfish desires. Satan still works through such distortions. Misapplied Bible verses, taken out of context, are a favored tool of deception. Jesus’ example teaches us to interpret Scripture with Scripture, submitting every application to the broader framework of God’s revealed will.

Deuteronomy 6:16 condemns a posture of skepticism and demand, not one of dependent trust. God does protect His people (Psalm 91 is true), but not on human terms. To be God’s friend, one must obey rather than dictate, walk humbly rather than presumptuously, and believe without forcing signs (Matthew 12:39).

Thus, in Matthew 4:5–6, Satan tempted Jesus to misuse his divine status for selfish proof and public spectacle by twisting Scripture. Jesus responded in Matthew 4:7 by rightly applying Deuteronomy 6:16, showing that faithful trust never demands that God validate His care through forced testing. Instead, true friendship with Jehovah is expressed through quiet obedience and unwavering faith in His promises, not attempts to manipulate or control Him.

You May Also Enjoy

Unlocking the Bible’s Meaning

About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).