Matthew 4:5

Matthew 4:5. Then. Probably immediately afterwards

Taketh him, as a companion. Force is not necessarily implied, though Satan may have had for the time being some power over his weakened body. The greater humiliation of being tempted by Satan included the less, that of being conducted by him.

Into the holy city. Undoubtedly Jerusalem. Some suppose Jesus of his own accord went to Jerusalem for a day, and was there met by the tempter, i.e., by some one who had authority in the temple. The Evangelists, who write so simply, could easily have told us this, had they so understood it.

And setteth him. The conducting and setting were of a similar character.

On the pinnacle of the temple, i.e. . the whole enclosure. The word ‘pinnacle' means either a wing, or a pointed roof or a gable. The roof of the temple itself was covered with spikes to prevent birds from defiling it. A portico of the temple is meant, probably that called the Royal Porch, which overlooked the valley of Hinnom at a dizzy height. There is nothing to indicate that the tempter desired Jesus to work a miracle in the sight of the people in the court of the temple. Lange supposes that He was placed somewhere in the temple itself, the temptation presented being the suggestion that He should, by a miraculous display, elevate Himself to become the priest-king of that temple. But the next verse does not favor this theory.