Luke 4:7
What does Luke 4:7 mean?
A plain-English look at Luke 4:7 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Luke 4:7 means
In verse 7 the devil lays out the condition: if Jesus will worship him, all that authority and glory will be given to him. The temptation asks Jesus to invert true worship—bowing to the tempter rather than to God—to secure immediate kingship. It reveals how the lure of power can lead to idolatry and betrayal of divine loyalty. Jesus must choose between rightful worship of the Father and the easy attainment of worldly aims. The moment exposes the moral cost attached to power offered by evil: worship misdirected corrupts both person and purpose.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000If thou therefore wilt worship before me, it shall all be thine.
KJV
King James Version · 1611If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901If thou therefore wilt worship before me, it shall all be thine.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949If then you will give worship to me, it will all be yours.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862thou, then, if thou mayest bow before me--all shall be thine.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752If thou therefore wilt adore before me, all shall be thine.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890If therefore thou wilt do homage before me, all [of it] shall be thine.
Context
This completes the second temptation’s offer: the devil promises worldly rule in exchange for worship. It follows the panoramic vision of kingdoms and precedes Jesus’ Scripture-based refusal. The narrative now moves from appetite to ambition to pride. Understanding this progression helps the reader see the tempter’s strategy: attack at the points humans most desire—food, fame, and power—and watch for how the Messiah rejects every false bargain in favor of faithful obedience to God.
v.6And the devil said unto him, To thee will I give all this authority, and the glory of them: for it hath been delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
v.7This passage
v.8And Jesus answered and said unto him, It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Psalms 72:11
Yea, all kings shall fall down before him; All nations shall serve him.
- Luke 17:16
and he fell upon his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
- Isaiah 45:14
Thus saith Jehovah, The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall go after thee, in chains they shall come over; and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.
- Matthew 2:11
And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary his mother; and they fell down and worshipped him; and opening their treasures they offered unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
- Revelation 22:8
And I John am he that heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel that showed me these things.
- Isaiah 46:6
Such as lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, they hire a goldsmith, and he maketh it a god; they fall down, yea, they worship.
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