Luke 4:4

It is written The perfect gegraptaimeans -it has been written," it standeth written as an eternal lesson. Jesus foils the tempter asman forman. He will not say -I am the Son of God," and -does not consider equality with God a prize at which to grasp" (Philippians 2:6), but seizes "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Ephesians 6:17).

man shall not live by bread alone The quotation is from Deuteronomy 8:3, where Moses tells the people that God has suffered them to hunger, and fed them with manna, to shew them the dependence of man on God, and the fact that life is something more than the mere living, and can only be sustained by diviner gifts than those which are sufficient for man's lower nature. Bread sustains the body; but, that we may live, the soul also, and the spirit must be kept alive. Exodus 16:4; Exodus 16:15. "They did all eat the same spiritualmeat." 1 Corinthians 10:3.

but by every word of God These words, though implied, are probably added in this place from Matthew 4:4, since they are omitted by א, B, D, L, and various versions. "Word" is not in the original Hebrew. The verse conveys a most deep truth, and by referring to it our Lord meant to say -God will support my needs in His own way, and the lower life is as nothing in comparison with the higher." There are many most valuable and instructive parallels; see John 4:32-34, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of … My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work." Job 23:12, "I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." Jeremiah 15:16, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart." Wis 16:6, "God's word nourisheth man." The Jewish Rabbis had the remarkable expression, "The just eatof the glory of the Shechinah." Comp. John 6:27-63.