Wisdom of Solomon 16:26

Deuterocanon

24 For creation, serving you who made it, exerts itself to punish the unrighteous, and in kindness relaxes on behalf of those who trust in you. 25 Therefore at that time also, changed into all forms, it served your all-nourishing bounty, according to the desire of those who had need, 26 so that your children, whom you loved, O Lord, might learn that it is not the production of crops that feeds humankind but that your word sustains those who trust in you. 27 For what was not destroyed by fire was melted when simply warmed by a fleeting ray of the sun, 28 to make it known that one must rise before the sun to give you thanks, and must pray to you at the dawning of the light;

Matthew 4:4

New Testament

2 After he fasted 40 days and 40 nights he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the highest point of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

 Notes and References

"... The scene of the temptation at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in the fourth chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew gives clear guidelines. Christ firmly responds to the devil’s persistent temptation: “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). Luke the Evangelist preserves a shorter version of Jesus’ logion: “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone’” (Luke 4:4). The words of Deuteronomy 8:3 are cited in both statements. Citing the exception to the Law, Jesus as the beloved Son (Matthew 3:17; see: Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22) is an expression of complete obedience to God, at the same time being a paragon of humanity that understands that God’s word nourishes and preserves those who trust the Lord (see: Wisdom of Solomon 16:26). Obedience to the word – and thus to God Himself – ensures one’s participation in the legacy of the Lord Jesus and is opposed to the devil’s demands. Being faithful to the Lord as the one sent by Him, Jesus also satisfies righteousness. According to Matthew, Jesus calls those who thirst and desire (πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες) righteousness blessed in the Sermon on the Mount (μακάριοι, Matthew 5:6). Meanwhile, according to the parallel version presented by Luke (6 : 21), the subject of thirst and desire is not explicitly defined. However, the reference to those who laugh and those who cry can be interpreted as an indirect allusion to the state of experiencing righteousness or experiencing its lack thereof ..."

Ledwoń, David Bread and Water as Metaphors for the Word of God in the Four Gospels (pp. 109-135) Ruch Biblijny i Liturgiczny, Vol. 70, No. 2, 2017

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