Luke 4:6

And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) For that is delivered unto me.—Better, hath been delivered unto me. The specific assertion of the usurped dominion, though implied in St. Matthew, is in its form peculiar to St. Luke. (See Note on Matthew 4:9.) The notion that any such delegated sovereignty had been assigned to the Tempter, either before or after his fall from his first estate, has, it need hardly be said, no foundation in Scripture. It asserts that “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof” (Psalm 24:1); and the claim of the Tempter was a lying boast, resting only on the permitted activity and temporary predominance of evil in the actual course of the world’s history.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:1-13 Christ's being led into the wilderness gave an advantage to the tempter; for there he was alone, none were with him by whose prayers and advice he might be helped in the hour of temptation. He who knew his own strength might give Satan advantage; but we may not, who know our own weakness. Being in all things made like unto his brethren, Jesus would, like the other children of God, live in dependence upon the Divine Providence and promise. The word of God is our sword, and faith in that word is our shield. God has many ways of providing for his people, and therefore is at all times to be depended upon in the way of duty. All Satan's promises are deceitful; and if he is permitted to have any influence in disposing of the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, he uses them as baits to insnare men to destruction. We should reject at once and with abhorrence, every opportunity of sinful gain or advancement, as a price offered for our souls; we should seek riches, honours, and happiness in the worship and service of God only. Christ will not worship Satan; nor, when he has the kingdoms of the world delivered to him by his Father, will he suffer any remains of the worship of the devil to continue in them. Satan also tempted Jesus to be his own murderer, by unfitting confidence in his Father's protection, such as he had no warrant for. Let not any abuse of Scripture by Satan or by men abate our esteem, or cause us to abandon its use; but let us study it still, seek to know it, and seek our defence from it in all kinds of assaults. Let this word dwell richly in us, for it is our life. Our victorious Redeemer conquered, not for himself only, but for us also. The devil ended all the temptation. Christ let him try all his force, and defeated him. Satan saw it was to no purpose to attack Christ, who had nothing in him for his fiery darts to fasten upon. And if we resist the devil, he will flee from us. Yet he departed but till the season when he was again to be let loose upon Jesus, not as a tempter, to draw him to sin, and so to strike at his head, at which he now aimed and was wholly defeated in; but as a persecutor, to bring Christ to suffer, and so to bruise his heel, which it was told him, he should have to do, and would do, though it would be the breaking of his own head, Ge 3:15. Though Satan depart for a season, we shall never be out of his reach till removed from this present evil world.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Being forty days tempted - That is, through forty days he was "tried" in various ways by the devil. The temptations, however, which are recorded by Matthew and Luke did not take place until the forty days were finished. See Matthew 4:2-3.

He did eat nothing - He was sustained by the power of God during this season of extraordinary fasting.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 4

Lu 4:1-13. Temptation of Christ.

(See on [1564]Mt 4:1-11.)

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 4:5"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the devil said unto him, all this power will I give thee,..... That is, all the kingdoms of the world, and all the government and jurisdiction over them:

and the glory of them; the riches, honours, and grandeur belonging to them:

for that is delivered unto me: so far he spoke modestly, in that he owned an original, superior governor of them, by whom he pretended they were transferred to him; but lied, in that he suggested they were put into his hands by him, who had the supreme power over them; and that he acted by his constitution and appointment, as a deputy under him; when what power he had, as the God of the world, was by usurpation, and not by designation of God; and at most only by permission: and least of all was it true what follows;

and to whomsoever I will I give it; or "these", as the Vulgate Latin reads; that is, these kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; when so to do is the peculiar and sole prerogative of God: nor can Satan dispose of the goods of a single man, nor of a herd of swine, nor enter into them without leave from God.

Geneva Study Bible

And the devil said unto him, All this {a} power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is {b} delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

(a) By this word power are meant the kingdoms themselves which have the power: and so this is said using the figure of speech metonymy.

(b) This is surely so, for he is prince of the world, but not absolutely, and is the sovereign of it only by permission and request, and therefore he does not truly say that he can give it to whom he will.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 4:6. ἐξουσίαν, authority. Vide Acts 1:7-8, where this word and δύναμιν occur, the one signifying authority, the other spiritual power.—ὅτι ἐμοὶ, etc.: this clause, not in Mt., is probably another instance of Lk.’s editorial solicitude; added to guard against the notion of a rival God with independent possessions and power From the Jewish point of view, it is true, Satan might quite well say this (J.Weiss-Meyer).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. All this power will I give thee] Rather, in the emphatic order of the original, To Thee will I give this power, all of it, and the glory of them.

for that is delivered unto me] The original is even stronger, has been entrusted to me. Hence the expressions, “the prince of this world,” John 12:31; John 14:30; “the prince of the power of the air,” Ephesians 2:2. Satan is in one sense “a world-ruler (kosmokratôr) of this darkness” (Ephesians 6:12). The Rabbis went even further, and called him ‘Lord of this age’ (sar hâolâm), and even “another God” (êl achêr), which is Manicheeism; whereas in this verse, by the very admission of Satan, all Manicheeism is excluded.

to whomsoever I will I give it] Comp. Revelation 13:2, “the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” Here however we note the exaggeration of the father of lies. How different was the language of our Lord to His ambitious disciples (Matthew 20:23).

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 4:6. Τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην, this power) viz. of these kingdoms. It is to the latter that the αὐτῶν [the glory] of them, is to be referred.—παραδέδοται, is delivered) This assertion is not altogether false. Satan had great power before his fall: and the portion of power which he retains since his fall, he turns to evil account. See John 12:31; Ephesians 2:2; Revelation 12:10; Revelation 13:2. The Tempter confesses that he is not the founder or creator of these kingdoms. Therefore he did not demand the highest degree of adoration or worship; and yet Jesus shows that even an inferior degree of worship cannot be given to any creature, much less to Satan.—δίδωμι, I give) In this instance he was willing to give the whole: in other cases, he is wont to give to his retainers only in smaller portions. See, for example, Revelation 13:2.

Luke 4:6

Vincent's Word Studies

Note the emphatic position of the pronouns: "To thee will I give - for to me it hath been delivered: thou, therefore, if thou wilt worship," etc. Luke, in his narrative, enlarges upon Matthew. Compare Matthew 4:9.