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Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him.
Matthew 4:11 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.
  • KJV Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
  • NKJV Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
  • NASB Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to serve Him.
  • NLT Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The devil leaves and angels come to minister to Jesus. It confirms His victory and the Father's care for His obedient Son.

Overview

Having been defeated, the devil departs, and angels attend to Jesus, supplying His needs after the long fast and trial. The scene echoes God's provision for His servants and shows heaven honoring the Son who has overcome. Jesus' triumph here prefigures the final defeat of Satan and assures believers that the One who conquered temptation can help those who are tempted.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 12

  • Matt 26:53Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
  • Luke 22:43Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.
  • Heb 1:14Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
  • Luke 4:13When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.
  • Rev 5:11–12Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels and living creatures and elders encircling the throne, and their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands.
  • Heb 1:6And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all God’s angels worship Him.”
  • Matt 28:2–5Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it.
  • Luke 22:53Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on Me. But this hour belongs to you and to the power of darkness.”
  • Matt 4:6“If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”
  • John 14:30I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming, and he has no claim on Me.
  • 1 Tim 3:16By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the nations, was believed in throughout the world, was taken up in glory.
  • Mark 1:13and He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered to Him.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 4:11YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 4:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.