From which Old Testament Scripture does Jesus quote when he says “man shall not live by bread alone” and what does this mean?
When Satan tempts Jesus to make bread from stones, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, in which Moses reminds Israel that they could rely on God’s provision—the word of his mouth.
Like Israel in their dependence on God’s manna, Jesus (more fully) relied on God’s provision for his forty days of fasting.
Jesus here answers Satan from Deuteronomy 8:3. Man is not dependent upon bread, but on God. Obeying the will of God is even more important than acquiring food and drink, even if this means suffering from physical hunger. Jesus furthermore shows that his Father cares for him, just as he had cared for the Israelites by sending them manna (Deuteronomy 8:3a).1
The passage quoted by Jesus teaches us that God does not need bread in order to preserve us. God did in fact preserve Israel without normal bread in the wilderness, just like he preserved Jesus for forty days without food.2 Even as God’s Son he continues to live under God’s law given to Israel. Just as he placed himself under John’s baptism, so also he places himself under Scripture. Yet he does not just do this in a formal way. The word he quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3 serves to remind the people that they live by God’s gracious words. It turns out that there was life beyond just bread. When God spoke, there was manna.3
4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”