Luke 4:8 Meaning: The One We Worship and Serve Alone
Jesus answered him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
And Jesus answering him said, `Get thee behind me, Adversary, for it hath been written, Thou shalt bow before the Lord thy God, and Him only thou shalt serve.'
And Jesus answering him said, It is written, Thou shalt do homage to [the] Lord thy God, and him alone shalt thou serve.
Meaning in one sentence
Why Jesus added 'only' to Deuteronomy 6:13 and what it means for exclusive devotion to God. A verse about loyalty that shapes every choice.
Context
Luke places Jesus in the wilderness, fresh from his baptism and full of the Holy Spirit. The devil comes to him with offers that look like shortcuts. In this scene, he shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and promises authority and glory, if Jesus will worship him. The terms are plain: bow down, and get everything. Jesus does not argue or bargain. He answers from Scripture, drawing from the Law Moses gave Israel. This verse is the turning point. Jesus rejects the deal and defines what belongs to God alone.
Key Words
Three Greek words carry the weight here. Proskuneo (you will worship) originally meant to kiss the hand toward someone, a gesture of reverence reserved for a superior. In the New Testament it always points to the honour owed to God. The tempter asked for exactly this. Latreuo (you will serve) comes from the world of hired labour, but in Scripture it takes on the sense of whole-life service, the kind given in worship and obedience. The two words together cover both inward devotion and outward action. Then comes mono (only). That little word is Jesus’ own addition. Deuteronomy 6:13 said ‘serve him’, without the qualifier. By adding ‘only’, Jesus closes every loophole. God is not just one option among many. He alone receives the worship and service that belong to him.
How Christians Read This Verse
Several early manuscripts do not include Jesus’ first words, ‘Get behind me, Satan’, and some commentators note they may have been added from Matthew’s account. Across traditions, the heart of the verse is the same. Reformed commentators like Matthew Henry and Geneva emphasize the impudence of asking for worship that belongs to God alone. Gill, a Baptist, highlights that Jesus added ‘only’ to express the true sense of the Law. Catholic interpreters read this as a call to adoration reserved for God, while others note that Jesus is modelling how to resist temptation by standing on Scripture itself. All agree on the core: God alone is worthy of worship.
A common misunderstanding
A reader might think Jesus is simply quoting a proof-text from Deuteronomy. In fact, he changes the wording, he deepens it. Deuteronomy 6:13 says ‘fear the Lord your God and serve him’. Jesus turns ‘fear’ into ‘worship’ and inserts ‘only’. He is not just citing a verse. He is interpreting it and intensifying it for this moment, showing that the devil’s offer is not a small compromise but a complete betrayal of who God is.
Living This Out
The offer the devil made was real: power, glory, ease, in exchange for one bow. The same bargain comes in quieter forms. A small dishonesty to get ahead. A choice to please people rather than obey God. An hour that should be given to prayer but is given to worry instead. This verse asks a practical question this week: is there any area where I am giving the worship or service that belongs to God alone to something else? Jesus’ answer is not a theory. It is a refusal spoken out loud. You can say it too.
Main takeaway: Worship and service belong to God alone, and every temptation that asks for less is to be refused with Scripture.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus said we should only worship God. No one else gets that bow or that love. When something tries to take God’s spot, we can say no like Jesus did.
For ages 9, 12
The devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and said, ‘Bow to me and it’s all yours.’ Jesus could have taken the shortcut. Instead, he quoted God’s own words: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ That word ‘only’ matters. It means God doesn’t share his throne with anything, not money, not popularity, not comfort. When you feel pressure to put something ahead of him, you have permission to say no, just like Jesus did.
Questions People Ask
Why did Jesus say 'Get behind me, Satan' in this verse?
Jesus spoke those words to reject the devil's offer of worship in exchange for the world's kingdoms. Some early manuscripts omit the phrase, but in Matthew 4:10 it appears in full. The words make clear that Jesus sees the temptation for what it is, a direct attack on God's exclusive right to worship.
What does it mean to 'serve him only'?
The Greek word latreuo means to render religious service or homage, the kind given in worship and daily obedience. Combined with 'only' (monos), it means God alone gets that devotion, not money, not success, not even family or your own plans. It is a whole-life loyalty.
Did Jesus change the Old Testament quotation from Deuteronomy 6:13?
Yes. Deuteronomy 6:13 says 'You shall fear the Lord your God and serve him.' Jesus replaced 'fear' with 'worship' (proskuneo) and added 'only'. He was not misquoting; he was bringing out the full meaning. Worship and fear are closely connected, and the addition of 'only' rules out any divided loyalty.
Why does Luke place this temptation second, while Matthew puts it third?
Commentators have noted that Matthew likely follows a chronological or climactic order, while Luke may arrange the temptations differently for thematic reasons. Though the order varies, both Gospels present the same essential point: Jesus refuses every shortcut that would compromise exclusive worship of God.
What does the devil's offer teach us about his power?
The devil claimed authority over the world's kingdoms had been delivered to him. Some commentators, like Matthew Poole, note that such promises are often empty, the devil cannot truly give what only God controls. The temptation is real, but the promise is a lie. Jesus does not entertain it.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study