πειράζω
peirázō · G3985 · Greek · 39 occurrences
Meanings
-
to test, to examine, to put to the test, examination, testing
To try to learn the nature or character of someone or something by submitting such to thorough and extensive testing
ExamplesMatthew 16:1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and putting Jesus to the test, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.
John 6:6 But He was saying this only to test him, for He Himself knew what He intended to do.
Acts 5:9 Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.”
-
to try to trap, to attempt to catch in a mistake
To obtain information to be used against a person by trying to cause someone to make a mistake
ExamplesMatthew 16:1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and putting Jesus to the test, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.
Matthew 19:3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?”
Matthew 22:18 But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites?
-
to tempt, to trap, to lead into temptation, temptation
To endeavor or attempt to cause someone to sin
ExamplesMatthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Mark 1:13 And He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving Him.
Luke 4:2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry.
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to try, to attempt
To attempt to do something, with the implication of not succeeding
ExamplesActs 9:26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried repeatedly to associate with the disciples; and yet they were all afraid of him, as they did not believe that he was a disciple.
Acts 16:7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them;
Acts 24:6 “And he even tried to desecrate the temple, so indeed we arrested him.
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Tempter
(A title for the Devil, literally: one who tempts) One who tempts or tries people with the intent of making them sin
ExamplesMatthew 4:3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
1 Thessalonians 3:5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be for nothing.
How it’s used In 7 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
38 occurrences in 19 groups
- Not stated (participle) 12
- Not stated: you (more than one) 5
- αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 3
- Not stated (infinitive) 3
- Other words · 15 groups that occur once or twice (16) 16
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
24 occurrences in 18 groups
- αὐτόςhe, she, it, same 6
- Other words · 17 groups that occur once or twice (19) 19
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
9 occurrences in 10 groups
- Other words · 10 groups that occur once or twice (11) 11
With adverbsAdverbs
4 occurrences in 4 groups
- καίand 1
- μήnot 1
- νῦνnow 1
- οὗwhere, wherever, in which 1
Named alongside itApposition
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- ἔρημοςwilderness, desert, deserted 1
What it doesIt is the subject
3 occurrences in 4 groups
- ἔπωto say 1
- πειράζωto test, to tempt 1
- προσέρχομαιto come to, to approach 1
- συμφωνέωto agree with 1
What is done to itIt is the object
5 occurrences in 5 groups
- ἔπωto say 2
- ἐάωto allow 1
- λέγωto say 1
- πειράζωto test, to tempt 1
- βοηθέωto help 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
In the other Testament 1 word
- נָסָה nâçâh · H5254 · to test, to put to the test, to get used to
- Hebrew נָסָה (nâçâh, H5254) is the standard LXX translation equivalent for Greek πειράζω (peirázō, G3985), both denoting the action of testing, trying, or putting to the test, whether in the sense of divine testing of humans (Exodus 16:4, Deuteronomy 8:2), human testing of God (Exodus 17:2, Numbers 14:22), or Satan's temptation (Matthew 4:1, 1 Corinthians 10:13); the semantic overlap is comprehensive across both neutral-testing and enticing-to-sin senses.
Semantic domains 5 entries
- Tempter12.36
- This domain covers πειράζω used as a substantival title for the one who tempts, as Matthew names the figure who approached Jesus in the wilderness: “And the tempter came and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’” (Matthew 4:3)
- To try to trap, to attempt to catch in a mistake27.31
- Here πειράζω names a hostile question designed to force a damaging answer, as Mark describes Jesus exposing the Pharisees' and Herodians' motive: “‘Are we to pay, or not pay?’ But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, ‘Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.’” (Mark 12:15)
- To test, to examine, to put to the test, examination, testing27.46
- Here πειράζω names a deliberate examination meant to reveal the truth of a claim, as Paul urges the Corinthians toward self-examination: “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5)
- To try, to attempt68.58
- Here πειράζω names an effort made to accomplish something, as Luke describes the disciples' unsuccessful attempt at Bithynia: “and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” (Acts 16:7)
- To tempt, to trap, to lead into temptation, temptation88.308
- Here πειράζω names the enticement of a person toward sin, as James insists this enticement never originates with God: “No one is to say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” (James 1:13)
Word family 37 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon (a form found several times in Homer and Apoll. Rhod. and later prose, for πειράω (which…
1. to try whether a thing can be done; to attempt, endeavor: with an infinitive, Acts 9:26 L T Tr WH; Acts 16:7; .
2. to try, make trial of, test: τινα, for the purpose of ascertaining his quality, or what he thinks, or how he will behave himself;
a. in a good sense: Mt 22:35 (others refer this to b.); Jn 6:6; (2 Cor 13:5); Rev 2:2.
b. in a bad sense: to test one maliciously, craftily to put to the proof his feelings or judgment, Mt 16:1; Mt 19:3; Mt 22:18, Mt 22:35; Mk 8:11; Mk 10:2; Mk 12:15; Lk 11:16; Lk 20:23 (where G T WH Tr text omit; Tr marginal reading brackets the words τί με πειράζετε); Jn 8:6.
c. to try or test one's faith, virtue, character, by enticement to sin; hence, according to the context equivalent to to solicit to sin, to tempt: Jas 1:13; Gal 6:1; Rev 2:10; of the temptations of the devil, Mt 4:1, Mt 4:3; Mk 1:13; Lk 4:2; 1 Cor 7:5; 1 Thess 3:5; hence, ὁ πειράζων, a substantive, Vulg.tentator, etc., the tempter: Mt 4:3; 1 Thess 3:5.
d. After the O. T. usage α. of God; to inflict evils upon one in order to prove his character and the steadfastness of his faith: 1 Cor 10:13; Heb 2:18; Heb 4:15 (see πειράω); Heb 11:17, Heb 11:37 (where see WH's Appendix); Rev 3:10 (Gen 22:1; Ex 20:20; Deut 8:2; Wis. 3:5 Wis. 11:10(Wis 11:9); Judith 8:25f). β. Men are said πειράζειν τόν Θεόν — by exhibitions of distrust, as though they wished to try whether he is not justly distrusted; by impious or wicked conduct to test God's justice and patience, and to challenge him, as it were, to give proof of his perfections: Acts 15:10; Heb 3:9 R G (Ex 17:2, Ex 17:7; Num 14:22; Psalm 77:41, Ps 77:56; (), etc.; cf. Grimm, Exgt. Hdb. on Sap., p. 49); namely, τόν Χριστόν (L T Tr text WH τόν κύριον), 1 Cor 10:9 (but L marginal reading T WH marginal reading ἐξεπείρασαν); τό κυρίου, Acts 5:9; absolutely πειράζειν ἐν δοιμασια (see δοκιμασία), Heb 3:9 L T Tr WH. (On πειράζω (as compared with δοκιμάζω), see Trench, § lxxiv.; cf. Cremer, under the word. Compare: ἐξπειράζω.)
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), public domain
Topical studies with this word 5 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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