Teks -- Matthew 4:8 (NET)

4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Mat 4:8 - And showeth him

And showeth him ( kai deiknusin autōi ).

This wonderful panorama had to be partially mental and imaginative, since the devil caused to pass in review "all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them."But this fact does not prove that all phases of the temptations were subjective without any objective presence of the devil. Both could be true. Here again we have the vivid historical present (deiknusin ). The devil now has Christ upon a very high mountain whether the traditional Quarantania or not. It was from Nebo’ s summit that Moses caught the vision of the land of Canaan (Deu 34:1-3). Luke (Luk 4:5) says that the whole panorama was "in a moment of time"and clearly psychological and instantaneous.

Wesley: Mat 4:8 - Showeth him all the kingdoms of the world

In a kind of visionary representation.

JFB: Mat 4:8 - Again, the devil taketh him up

"conducteth him," as before.

JFB: Mat 4:8 - into

Or "unto"

JFB: Mat 4:8 - an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them

Luke (Luk 4:5) adds the important clause, "in a moment of time"; a clause which seems to furnish a key to the true meaning. That a scene was presented to our Lord's natural eye seems plainly expressed. But to limit this to the most extensive scene which the natural eye could take in, is to give a sense to the expression, "all the kingdoms of the world," quite violent. It remains, then, to gather from the expression, "in a moment of time"-- which manifestly is intended to intimate some supernatural operation--that it was permitted to the tempter to extend preternaturally for a moment our Lord's range of vision, and throw a "glory" or glitter over the scene of vision: a thing not inconsistent with the analogy of other scriptural statements regarding the permitted operations of the wicked one. In this case, the "exceeding height" of the "mountain" from which this sight was beheld would favor the effect to be produced.

Clarke: Mat 4:8 - An exceeding high mountain, and showeth him

An exceeding high mountain, and showeth him - If the words, all the kingdoms of the world, be taken in a literal sense, then this must have been a visionary representation, as the highest mountain on the face of the globe could not suffice to make evident even one hemisphere of the earth, and the other must of necessity be in darkness

But if we take the world to mean only the land of Judea, and some of the surrounding nations, as it appears sometimes to signify, (see on Luk 2:1 (note)), then the mountain described by the Abbe Mariti (Travels through Cyprus, etc). could have afforded the prospect in question. Speaking of it, he says, "Here we enjoyed the most beautiful prospect imaginable. This part of the mountain overlooks the mountains of Arabia, the country of Gilead, the country of the Amorites, the plains of Moab, the plains of Jericho, the river Jordan, and the whole extent of the Dead Sea. It was here that the devil said to the Son of God, All these kingdoms will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."Probably St. Matthew, in the Hebrew original, wrote הארץ haarets , which signifies the world, the earth, and often the land of Judea only. What renders this more probable is, that at this time Judea was divided into several kingdoms, or governments under the three sons of Herod the Great, viz. Archelaus, Antipas, and Philip; which are not only called ethnarchs and tetrarchs in the Gospels, but also βασιλεις, kings, and are said βασιλευειν, to reign, as Rosenmuller has properly remarked. See Mat 2:22; Mat 14:9.

Calvin: Mat 4:8 - The devil taketh him to a very high mountain

8.The devil taketh him to a very high mountain We must keep in mind, what I have already stated, that it was not owing to any weakness of Christ’s nature, but to a voluntary dispensation and permission, that Satan produced this effect upon his eyes. Again, while his senses were moved and powerfully affected by the glory of the kingdoms which was presented to them, no inward desire arose in his mind; whereas the lusts of the flesh, like wild beasts, are drawn, and hurry us along, to the objects which please us: for Christ had the same feelings with ourselves, but he had no irregular appetites. The kind of temptation here described was, that Christ should seek, in another manner than from God, the inheritance which he has promised to his children. And here the daring insolence of the devil is manifested, in robbing God of the government of the world, and claiming it for himself. All these things, says he, are mine, and it is only through me that they are obtained.

We have to contend every day with the same imposture: for every believer feels it in himself and it is still more clearly seen in the whole life of the ungodly. Though we are convinced, that all our support, and aid, and comfort, depend on the blessing of God, yet our senses allure and draw us away, to seek assistance from Satan, as if God alone were not enough. A considerable portion of mankind disbelieve the power and authority of God over the world, and imagine that every thing good is bestowed by Satan. For how comes it, that almost all resort to wicked contrivances, to robbery and to fraud, but because they ascribe to Satan what belongs to God, the power of enriching whom he pleases by his blessing? True, indeed, with the mouth they ask that God will give them daily bread, (Mat 6:11) but it is only with the mouth; for they make Satan the distributor of all the riches in the world.

TSK: Mat 4:8 - the devil // and showeth

the devil : Mat 4:5; Luk 4:5-7

and showeth : Mat 16:26; Est 1:4, Est 5:11; Psa 49:16, Psa 49:17; Dan 4:30; Heb 11:24-26; 1Pe 1:24; 1Jo 2:15, 1Jo 2:16; Rev 11:15

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Mat 4:8-9

Ver. 8,9. This is the third temptation by which the tempter solicits our Saviour to sin, and of all other the most impudent. For what can be more impudent than for the creature to expect a homage to him from him who was his Creator. What mountain this was, and how our Saviour was taken up into it, are things not revealed, and of very little concern for us to know. The text tells us it was exceeding high, yet not high enough from whence one kingdom could be seen in the extent of it. It is therefore most probable that Dr. Lightfoot judgeth most truly, that

"the devil, being the prince of the power of the air, formed an airy horizon before the eyes of Christ, carrying such pompous and glorious appearance of kingdoms, states, and royalties in the face of it, as if he had seen those very kingdoms and states indeed."

Such things the devil can do, and doth do, by condensing the air first, then shaping and figuring, and lastly so colouring it, that it may represent what he intends. All these things he promised to give our Saviour, if he would fall down and worship him. The same eminent person well observes, that

"what Luke calls worshipping before the devil, Matthew calls worshipping the devil";

and concludes solidly,

"that if to worship before the devil be to worship the devil, worshipping before an image (as the papists do) must be worshipping the image."

The devil here arrogates to himself what was God’ s alone to give, and such ordinarily are the devil’ s promises of things, as to which he hath no power to fulfil what he promiseth.

Lightfoot: Mat 4:8 - Showed him all the kingdoms of the world, etc.

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;   

[Showed him all the kingdoms of the world, etc.] that is, Rome with her empire and state. For, 1. That empire is called all the world; (which word Luke useth in this story), both in sacred and profane writers. 2. At this time all cities were of little account in comparison of Rome, nor did any part of the earth bear any vogue without that empire. 3. Rome was 'the seat of Satan,' Rev 13:2; and he granted to the beast of that city both it and the dominion. 4. This therefore seems to be that whereby he attempts to ensnare our Saviour in this object, namely, that he promiseth to give him the pomp and power of Caesar, and to deliver into his hand the highest empire of the world, that is, the Roman. This, antichrist afterward obtained.

Haydock: Mat 4:8 - Shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory

Shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; and as St. Luke says, in a moment of time. We cannot comprehend how this could be done from any mountain, or seen with human eyes. Therefore many think it was by some kind of representation; or that the devil shewing a part, by words set forth the rest. (Witham) ---

He shewed him the different climates in which each country was situated. (St. John Chrysostom)

Gill: Mat 4:8 - Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain // sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and glory of them // in a moment of time

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain,.... That is, he took him off from the pinnacle of the temple, and carried him through the air, to one of the mountains which were round about Jerusalem; or to some very high mountain at a greater distance; but what mountain is not certain; nor can it be known; nor is it of any moment; it has been said ^g to be Mount Lebanon: here he

sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and glory of them. By "all the kingdoms of the world" are meant, not only the Roman empire, as Dr. Lightfoot thinks, though that was, to he sure, the greatest in the world at that time; but all the kingdoms in the whole world, which subsisted in any form, whether within, or independent of the Roman empire; or whether greater or lesser: and by "the glory of them", is meant, the riches, pomp, power, and grandeur of them. Now the view which Satan gave Christ of all this, was not by a representation of them in a picture, or in a map, or in any geographical tables, as ^h some have thought; since to do this there was no need to take him up into a mountain, and that an exceeding high one; for this might have been done in a valley, as well as in a mountain: and yet it could not be a true and real sight of these things he gave him; for there is no mountain in the world, from whence can be beheld anyone kingdom, much less all the kingdoms of the world; and still less the riches, glory, pomp, and power of them: but this was a fictitious, delusive representation, which Satan was permitted to make; to cover which, and that it might be thought to be real, he took Christ into an high mountain; where he proposed an object externally to his sight, and internally to his imagination, which represented, in appearance, the whole world, and all its glory. Xiphilinus ⁱ reports of Severus, that he dreamed, he was had by a certain person, to a place where he could look all around him, and from thence he beheld πασαν μεν την γην, πασαν δε την θαλασσαν "all the earth, and also all the sea"; which was all in imagination. Satan thought to have imposed on Christ this way, but failed in his attempt. Luke says, this was done

in a moment of time, in the twinkling of an eye; as these two phrases are joined together, 1Co 15:52 or "in a point of time". The word στιγμη, used by Luk 4:5 sometimes signifies a mathematical point, which Zeno says ^k is the end of the line, and the least mark; to which the allusion may be here, and designs the smallest part of time that can be conceived of. Antoninus the emperor uses the word, as here, for a point of time; and says ^l, that the time of human life, and the whole present time, is but στιγμη a point. Would you know what a moment, or point of time is, according to the calculation of the Jewish doctors, take the account as follows; though in it they differ: a moment, say they ^m, is the fifty six thousandth, elsewhere ⁿ, the fifty eight thousandth, and in another place ^o, the fifty three thousandth and eight hundredth and forty eighth, or, according to another account ^p, eighty eighth part of an hour. If this could be thought to be a true and exact account of a moment, or point of time, it was a very short space of time indeed, in which the devil showed to Christ the kingdoms of this world, and their glory; but this is not more surprising than his vanity, pride, and impudence, in the following verse.