δοκιμάζω

(future δοκιμάσω); 1 aorist ἐδοκίμασά; passive, (present δοκιμάζομαι); perfect δεδοκίμασμαι; (δόκιμος); the Sept. chiefly for בָּחַן; as in Greek writings from (Herodotus, Thucydides), Xenophon, and Plato onward, to try;
1. to test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing be genuine or not), as metals: χρυσίον διά πυρός (Isocrates, p. 240 d. (i. e. Panathen. § 14); ad Demon., p. 7 b. (here Bekker βασανίζομεν); the Sept., Prov 8:10; Sir. 2:5; Wis. 3:6; ἄργυρον, Prov 17:3 (cf. Zech 13:9)), 1 Pet 1:7; other things: Lk 12:56; Lk 14:19; 2 Cor 8:8; Gal 6:4; 1 Thess 2:4; 1 Thess 5:21; τά διαφέροντα, Rom 2:18; Phm 1:10 (others refer these passages to 2; see διαφέρω, 2 b.); men, 1 Tim 3:10 (in the passive); ἑαυτόν, 1 Cor 11:28; 2 Cor 13:5 (cf. ἐξετάζειν ἑαυτόν, Xenophon, mem. 2, 5, 1 and 4); Θεόν, Heb 3:9 (R G, from Ps 94:9; on the sense of the phrase see πειράζω, 2 d. β.); τά πνεύματα, followed by εἰ whether etc. 1 Jn 4:1; followed by indirect discourse, Rom 12:2; 1 Cor 3:13; Eph 5:10.
2. to recognize as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy: 1 Cor 16:3; τινα σπουδαῖον ὄντα, 2 Cor 8:22; ἐν ᾧ δοκιμάζει for ἐν τούτῳ, ὁ δοκιμάζει in that which he approves, deems right, Rom 14:22; δεδοκιμάσμεθα ὑπό τοῦ Θεοῦ πιστευθῆναι τό εὐαγγέλιον we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the business of pointing out to men the way of salvation, 1 Thess 2:4; our οὐκ ἐδοκίμασαν τόν Θεόν ἔχειν ἐν ἐπιγνώσει they did not think God worthy to be kept in knowledge, Rom 1:28. (On δοκιμάζω (as compared with πειράζω) see Trench, § lxxiv.; Cremer, under the word πειράζω. Compare: ἀποδοκιμάζω.)