King James Bible
"And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."
The tempter (Satan) approaches Jesus after his 40-day fast in the wilderness, timing the temptation at a moment of extreme physical vulnerability. This echoes the serpent's approach to Eve in Eden, establishing a pattern of testing God's people at strategic moments. Satan's conditional "if" doesn't express doubt but rather challenges Jesus to prove his divine identity through self-serving action. The phrase directly recalls God's declaration at Jesus' baptism ("This is my beloved Son"), attempting to twist that affirmation into a test of allegiance. The temptation targets Jesus' immediate physical need while subtly urging him to use divine power for personal comfort rather than trusting the Father's provision. The wilderness stones visually resembled bread loaves, making the suggestion particularly vivid to someone who had fasted for forty days.