Matthew 4:10
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The context
Jesus has been led into the wilderness after his baptism and is being tested three times. The last offer is the most direct: the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, in exchange for a single act of homage to the tempter. Jesus answers with a line from Deuteronomy about fearing, serving, and holding fast to the LORD.
What it establishes
It establishes an exclusive claim: ultimate allegiance and the homage that belongs with it are not transferable to any other power, however impressive the offer or whoever makes it. The refusal is instant and unqualified.
What it does not establish
It does not settle every question about religious practice. The sentence concerns final allegiance, not the licitness of this or that gesture, ceremony, or civic act. Using it to police particular forms of devotion extends it past what the exchange in the wilderness is about.
Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.
Part of Scripture, Opened — the exegetical layer behind every citation on this site. Scripture quotations are from the ESV.