Matthew 4:4

The context

Matthew 4 opens with Jesus led into the wilderness after his baptism, fasting for forty days. The tempter approaches three times, and each time Jesus answers with a quotation from Deuteronomy. Verse 4 is the first answer, and it responds to the suggestion that he turn stones into bread.

What it establishes

It establishes that Jesus answered temptation with Scripture, and that the quoted text locates life in dependence on what God says rather than in provisions alone. The appeal is to Israel's wilderness experience.

What it does not establish

It does not make physical need irrelevant. The quoted passage is about manna, that is, about God supplying bread, not about bread being unnecessary. Nor does the verse promise that reading Scripture substitutes for food, and it does not address the ethics of hunger relief.

Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.

Cited in these answers

• You say the Bible was inspired by God. Back up that assertion with proof.

Part of Scripture, Opened — the exegetical layer behind every citation on this site. Scripture quotations are from the ESV.