4:7a
There is a contrast between 4:6 and 4:7. The contrast is between the devil’s desire and Jesus’ desire. Jesus refused to do what the devil wanted him to do.
In Greek, there is no conjunction at the beginning of this verse. But it may be more natural in your language to have a conjunction here as in 4:4a. For example:
But…
Jesus replied: Here Jesus replied/responded to the devil’s attempt to make him sin. Jesus refused to do what the devil wanted him to do.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Jesus replied/responded
-or-
⌊But⌋ Jesus ⌊refused. He⌋ said…
It is also written: The phrase It is…written is the same as in 4:4a. See how you translated it in 4:4 and in 4:6.
4:7b
Do not put the Lord your God to the test: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Do not put the Lord your God to the test means “Do not test the Lord your God” (as in the New Living Translation (1996)).
Here in 4:7b, Jesus was quoting from Deuteronomy 6:16. God had forbidden people to test him. In this context, Jesus meant that jumping down from the temple would be testing God to rescue him. That would have been a sin. Jesus would have been taking an unnecessary risk in order to prove that God would do a miracle to protect him.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
You must not test the LORD your God. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Do not force the Lord your God to show/prove his power
These words were a command to each of the people of Israel. In Greek, the verb Do not put and the pronoun your are singular. However, since the command is given to everyone, in some languages it may be more natural to use plural forms. For example:
Do not test the Lord your (plur.) God.
-or-
We must not test the Lord our God.
-or-
People must not test the Lord their God
the Lord your God: The phrase the Lord your God indicates that the Lord is the God with whom people have a relationship. It implies that the Lord guides and cares for them as God, and they worship and serve him.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
the Lord, who is your God
-or-
your Lord/Master God
-or-
God who is your Lord/Master
In some languages, the phrase your God is not natural. If that is true in your language, here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
the Lord God, whom you ⌊worship/serve⌋
-or-
God the Lord, who ⌊cares for⌋ you
-or-
the Lord, the God whom you ⌊worship⌋
General Comment on 4:7a–b
In some languages, it may be more natural to translate the quotation from the Scriptures as indirect speech. For example:
The Scriptures say that no one should test the Lord their God.
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