On ‘Satan’ see on 4:10. One needs to draw a distinction between
playing the rôle of Satan and being possessed by Satan. Peter is doing the
former; see Best, pp. 28–33. Contrast Elious in T. Job 41–2: he is ‘filled with
Satan’ and the one speaking in him is ‘not man but beast’. (The occasional
attempt in church history (note e.g. Sanc.
Pachomi Vit. Gr. 57) to understand Jesus’ words as addressed to Satan instead of Peter should be dismissed as
apologetics.)
Against Osborne (v), σατανᾶ is not here the equivalent of the evil impulse. Also, while Limbeck
(v) might be correct in understanding σατανᾶ to mean not ‘Satan’ but ‘accuser’ or ‘adversary’ (cf. esp. 2 Sam
19:22) as far as Mark or the pre-Markan tradition goes, this cannot be the
right interpretation for Matthew. 4:10 is decisive. (W. D. Davies
and Dale C. Allison Jr., A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel
According to Saint Matthew, 3 vols. [International Critical Commentary;
London: T&T Clark International, 2004], 2:663)
The following are
the relevant notes from Matt 4:10:
10. τότε λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς. This formula
is redactional (cf. 26:31, 52; 27:13; 28:10). Luke has καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ, which lays better claim to reproduce Q
(cf. 4:4 = Lk 4:4).
ὕπαγε σατανᾶ. This is
probably a Matthean addition. The words attribute the devil’s departure (4:11)
to the authoritative command of Jesus. They are found again in Mk 8:33 = Mt
16:23. (But ‘behind me’ is left out as inappropriate: the devil does not follow
behind Jesus as a disciple.) Matthew likes the imperative of ὑπάγω (Mt: 17; Mk: 12; Lk: 2). Yet possibly
‘Begone, Satan!’ was found in Q. As Luke moved the last temptation to second
place, he could not have retained the repudiation.
‘Begone, Satan!’ points to more than a verbal link with 16:21–3. In
both places Jesus is choosing the path of duty: the end ordained by the Father
is to be achieved by the manner ordained by the Father, namely, the cross. And
any opposition to this is satanic. To reject the way of the cross is to be on
the side of the devil.
σατανᾶς (see W. Foerster and K. Schäferdiek, TWNT 7, pp. 151–64) is a name for ὁ διάβολος. It does not certainly appear in the LXX
(although note Ecclus 21:27 and Job 1:6 Aq.). In the NT it is found in the four
gospels, the Pauline literature, and Revelation. The appellation, which became
quite popular around the turn of our era (Jub. 10:11; 23:29; 50:5; 1 En. 54:6;
T. Job 3:6; 6:4; 7:1; T. Dan 3:6; 5:6; 6:1), derives from the Hebrew śāṭān (= σατάν), ‘adversary’ (cf. 1 Kgs 11:14, 23). By
the time of Jesus the idea of Satan as a fallen angel was firmly implanted in
many Jewish minds (cf. Wisd 2:24; Rev 12:7–12; LAE 14–16; 2 En. 29:4–5; Pirqe R. El. 13:14). (W. D.
Davies and Dale C. Allison Jr., A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel
According to Saint Matthew, 3 vols. [International Critical Commentary;
London: T&T Clark International, 2004], 372-73)
