The Meaning of Matthew 4:11 Explained

Matthew 4:11

KJV: Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

YLT: Then doth the Devil leave him, and lo, messengers came and were ministering to him.

Darby: Then the devil leaves him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.

ASV: Then the devil leaveth him; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

What is the context of Matthew 4:11?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  the devil  leaveth  him,  and,  behold,  angels  came  and  ministered  unto him. 

What does Matthew 4:11 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Having resisted Satan"s attacks successfully, the enemy departed temporarily (cf. James 4:7). God sent messengers to assist His faithful Son (cf. 1 Kings 19:4-8). The Father rewarded the Son with divine assistance and further opportunity for service because Jesus had remained faithful to Him. This is God"s normal method.
Many have observed that Satan followed the same pattern of temptation with Jesus that he had used with Eve ( Genesis 3). First, he appealed to the lust of the flesh, the desire to do something apart from God"s will. Second, he appealed to the lust of the eyes, the desire to have something apart from God"s will. Third, he appealed to the pride of life, the desire to be something apart from God"s will (cf. 1 John 2:16).
"Approaching Jesus three times in Matthew"s story, Satan urges him to place concern for self above allegiance to God." [1]
"Each temptation challenges Jesus" faithfulness. Will he provide for himself independently of God"s direction and draw on his power in self-interest (bread)? Will he insist that God protect him by putting God to the test of his protection of the Son (temple)? Will the Son defect from the Father and worship someone else for his own gain (kingdoms)? In each text [2] Jesus stresses his loyalty to the Father as he cites Deuteronomy." [3]
"All three of the tests are variations of the one great temptation to remove His Messianic vocation from the guidance of His Father and make it simply a political calling." [4]
Each of Jesus" three temptations related to His messiahship: the first to Him personally, the second to the Jews, and the third to all the nations (cf. Matthew 1:1). The twin themes of Jesus" royal kingship and His suffering servanthood, which combined in the name Immanuel, "God with us" ( Matthew 1:23), were in tension in the temptation. They remained in tension and created conflict in Jesus" ministry as it unfolded.
"In the first temptation Jesus does not deny that He is hungry and able to make bread; in the second, He does not deny that He is the Son of God, and under special protection; and in the third, He does not deny the Kingdom or dominion which is to be given to Him, but only rejects the mode by which it is to be obtained. As observed, if such a Kingdom is not covenanted, predicted, and intended, the temptation would not have any force." [5]
"In this pericope [6] we encounter a theme that is vital in the theology of the Gospels. The goal of obedience to the Father is accomplished, not by triumphant self-assertion, not by the exercise of power and authority, but paradoxically by the way of humility, service, and suffering. Therein lies true greatness (cf. Matthew 20:26-28). In fulfilling his commission by obedience to the will of the Father, Jesus demonstrates the rightness of the great commandment ( Deuteronomy 6:5) as well as his own submission to it." [7]
"Just as the first Adam met Satan, so the Last Adam met the enemy ( 1 Corinthians 15:45). Adam met Satan in a beautiful Garden, but Jesus met him in a terrible wilderness. Adam had everything he needed, but Jesus was hungry after forty days of fasting. Adam lost the battle and plunged humanity into sin and death. But Jesus won the battle and went on to defeat Satan in more battles, culminating in His final victory on the cross ( John 12:31; Colossians 2:15)." [8]
Since Jesus was both God and Prayer of Manasseh , was it possible for him to sin? Most evangelical theologians have concluded that He could not since God cannot sin. They believe He was impeccable (incapable of sinning). If Song of Solomon , was His temptation genuine? Most have responded yes. [9]
Henri Nouwen helpfully discussed Jesus" three temptations in relation to leadership in ministry. He saw them as temptations to relevance, popularity, and power, and he suggested prayer, ministry, and being led as antidotes. [3]
In the first major section of his Gospel, Matthew showed that Jesus had all the qualifications to be Israel"s Messiah-legally, scripturally, and morally. He was now ready to relate Jesus" presentation of Himself to Israel as her King.

Context Summary

Matthew 4:1-11 - Tempted By The Devil
Then marks the close connection between the heavenly voice of the baptism and the fiery ordeal of the forty days. Notice that temptation is not in itself sin; only when the evil suggestions of the tempter are harbored do they become sin. Notice also that all around us is a dark region of evil, out of which temptations arise. Whenever you have received a conspicuous revelation, you may expect a time of testing. This is God's way of rooting the trees in the soil, and burning in the fair colors which He paints on the vessels that are being made meet for His use.
The first temptation was that our Lord should use for His physical needs the power which had been entrusted to Him, as Son of man, for the service of men. The second was an effort to incite Him to act presumptuously, at the dictate of self-will and apart from the clear guidance of God's Spirit. The third was to attain the throne by a wrong method. It was only by the cross that He could win power to rule and save. See Hebrews 4:15-16; Hebrews 5:8-9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 4

1  Jesus, fasting forty days,
3  is tempted by the devil and ministered unto by angels
12  He dwells in Capernaum;
17  begins to preach;
18  calls Peter and Andrew,
21  James and John;
23  teaches and heals all the diseased

Greek Commentary for Matthew 4:11

Then the devil leaveth him [τοτε απιησιν αυτον ο διαβολος]
Note the use of “then” (τοτε — tote) again and the historical present. The movement is swift. “And behold” (και ιδου — kai idou) as so often in Matthew carries on the life-like picture. [source]
Angels came [aorist tense προσηλτον]
(aorist tense προσηλτον — prosēlthon punctiliar action) and were ministering The issues at stake were of vast import as the champions of light and darkness grappled for the mastery of men. Luke 4:13 adds, that the devil left Jesus only “until a good opportunity” (αχρι καιρου — achri kairou). [source]
and were ministering [διηκονουν]
The issues at stake were of vast import as the champions of light and darkness grappled for the mastery of men. Luke 4:13 adds, that the devil left Jesus only “until a good opportunity” (αχρι καιρου — achri kairou). [source]
unto him []
.” The victory was won in spite of the fast of forty days and the repeated onsets of the devil who had tried every avenue of approach. The angels could cheer him in the inevitable nervous and spiritual reaction from the strain of conflict, and probably also with food as in the case of Elijah (1 Kings 19:6.). The issues at stake were of vast import as the champions of light and darkness grappled for the mastery of men. Luke 4:13 adds, that the devil left Jesus only “until a good opportunity” (αχρι καιρου — achri kairou). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 4:11

Luke 22:43 An angel [αγγελος]
The angels visited Jesus at the close of the three temptations at the beginning of his ministry (Matthew 4:11). Here the angel comes during the conflict. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 4:11 mean?

Then leaves Him the devil and behold angels came were ministering to Him
Τότε ἀφίησιν αὐτὸν διάβολος καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄγγελοι προσῆλθον διηκόνουν αὐτῷ

ἀφίησιν  leaves 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀφίημι 
Sense: to send away.
διάβολος  devil 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: διάβολος  
Sense: prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely.
ἰδοὺ  behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
ἄγγελοι  angels 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἄγγελος  
Sense: a messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel, a messenger from God.
προσῆλθον  came 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: προσέρχομαι  
Sense: to come to, approach.
διηκόνουν  were  ministering 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: διακονέω  
Sense: to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon.
αὐτῷ  to  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.