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Matthew 4:8–10—Satan’s Offer to Christ in Milton’s Paradise Regained

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke both record a story of Jesus being tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–11; Luke 4:1–13). In one portion of that story, after failing to entice Jesus with other temptations, Satan flat out offers Jesus “the kingdoms of the world” in exchange for worshiping him.

Matthew 4:8–10	Luke 4:5–8
The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”	Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”

 

This story would serve as the primary inspiration for John Milton’s classic work Paradise Regained (1671):

Then the Tempter said,

“I see all offers made by me how slight

Thou valuest, because offered, and reject’st.

Nothing will please the difficult and nice,

Or nothing more than still to contradict.

On the other side know also thou that I

On what I offer set as high esteem,

Nor what I part with mean to give for naught,

All these, which in a moment thou behold’st,

The kingdoms of the world, to thee I give

(For, given to me, I give to whom I please),

No trifle; yet with this reserve, not else--

On this condition, if thou wilt fall down,

And worship me as thy superior Lord

(Easily done), and hold them all of me;

For what can less so great a gift deserve?”

—Book 4, lines 154–170