reply to the tempter with reference to the appellation, " Son of God," but speaks as if one of many, who were bound to the Written Word. And already in the time of Moses, Divine Wisdom had expressed all this testimony in those words with which the Saviour was to smite the tempter. Jerome says, " Propositum erat Domino humilitate Diabolum vincere, non potentia," — " The Lord had determined to overcome the Devil, not by power, but by humility" — sri vavr} py/tari faHrapMquity dia, ffro^aros &tov, by every ivord that proceedeth out through the mouth of God) Thus in Psalm Ixxxix. (Ixxxviii.) 34, the LXX. have, concerning a Divine promise, TO, sxvepsvoptvot, dia TUV ^eiX'suv Mou — the things which proceed out through My lips. Cf. concerning vows : S. V. of Num. xxx. 13, and Deut. xxiii. 23 : Cf. also Jer. xvii. 16, and Num. xxxii. 24. — That which goeth forth out of the mouth (exitus oris), is put by Metonomy for that which is uttered by the mouth. — dia ard^arog, through the moutJi) and, there fore, from the heart.
5. TOTS, then) St Matthew describes the attempts of Satan in the order of time in which they were made ; see Gnomon on verses 8, 10 : St Luke observes a gradation in the places, and mentions successively (iv. 1, 5, 9) the desert, the mountain, the temple ; which change of order, not only harmless but beneficial, is a proof that the one evangelist did not copy from the other. Perhaps, also, the tempter assailed our Lord with something of the third temptation before the second, and appeared in various disguises. — irapaXa/jufSdvzi, taketh along with him*) An abbreviated mode of expression2 for he takes and leads. The same word is used with the same force, in ver. 8. St Luke, iv. 9, 5, uses the words {tyaytv, led [Him], — avayayuv, leading [Him] up. A marvellous power was granted to the tempter, until our Lord says to him, in ver. 10, " Depart." " It is not to be wondered at," says Gregory, " that Christ should permit Himself to be led about by the Devil, since He permitted Himself to be crucified by the Devil's members." Satan tempts everywhere. — Cf. on the change of place, Num. xxiii. 13, 27. Christ was tempted everywhere, in all places where afterwards He was to exercise
1 See Blomfield in loc— (I. B.)
2 See Appendix on Concisa Oratio. — ED.