Question: In your [February 1999] article, “It Is Written,” you state that at the time Satan ...

Question: In your [February 1999] article, “It Is Written,” you state that at the time Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, “Jesus had just gone 40 days without food or drink.” I hope this is a typo, the drink part, that is. Both references (Matthew:4:1-11 [1] Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. [2] And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. [3] And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. [4] But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. [5] Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, [6] And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. [7] Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. [8] Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; [9] And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. [10] Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. [11] Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
See All... and Luke:4:1-13 [1] And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, [2] Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. [3] And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. [4] And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. [5] And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. [6] And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. [7] If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. [8] 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. [9] And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: [10] For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: [11] And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. [12] And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. [13] And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
See All...) state He fasted and He ate nothing....Jesus was physically human so how could he have gone without anything to drink for 40 days and still be alive? Or was this a miracle episode...? Where does it state that He truly went without drink as well as food?

Response: Thank you for your correction. Nowhere does the Bible say that Jesus went 40 days without drinking. I must have been thinking of Moses of whom it says he “...neither did eat bread nor drink water” in either of his 40-day stays on the mount (Deuteronomy:9:11And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.
See All..., 18).  No one on our staff (who read the articles very carefully before they are published) nor anyone else of the more than 200,000 people who read the newsletter caught this one. Thank you so much for taking the time to bring this error to our attention. We appreciate very much when our readers do indeed act as Bereans.

[TBC note: We have updated our reprints and website to reflect this correction.]