Greek · G3985 · unreviewed

πειράζω

To test/tempt: tempt

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πειράζω G3985

Pronunciation peirázō

What does πειράζω (peirázō) mean in the Bible?

πειράζω (peirázō) is a Greek word meaning "to test/tempt: tempt". πειράζω poët. Frames the wilderness encounter as covenant testing. This term runs through the canonical themes of Covenant.

Full entry for πειράζω (G3985) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to test/tempt: tempt

Extended definition

Testing that probes character or loyalty, ranging from God's proving faith to Satan's seduction toward sin.

1to make proof of (Hom.).

2to try, attempt (Luc., Polyb., with inf. (see M, Pr., 205; B1., § 69, 4), Act.9:26 16:7 24:6.

3In LXX and NT, like Heb. נָסָה, with accusative of person(s), to test, try, prove;

ain a good sense : Jhn.6:6, 2Co.13:5, Heb.11:17, Rev.2:2; esp. of trials and af6ictions sent or permitted by God (Gen.22:1, Exo.20:20, Wis.3:5, al.), 1Co.10:13, Heb.2:18 4:15 11:17, 37, Rev.3:10;

bin a bad sense (Apoll. Rhod., 3, 10): of the attempts made to ensnare Jesus in his speech, Mat.16:1 19:3 22:18, 35 Mrk.8:11 10:2 12:15, Luk.11:16, Jhn.8:6; of temptation to sin, to tempt, Jas.1:13-14 (see Hort, in l), Gal.6:1, Rev.2:10; esp. of temptations of the devil, Mat.4:1, 3 Mrk.1:13, Luk.4:2, 1Co.7:5, 1Th.3:5; ὁ πειράζων, the tempter, Mat.4:3, 1Th.3:5; __(with) in bad sense also (Exo.17:2, 7, Num.14:22, al.), of distrustful testing, trying or challenging of God: Act.15:10, 1Co.10:9 (WH, mg., ἐξεπείρασαν), Heb.3:9; τ. πνεῦμα Κυρίου, Act.5:9 (of. ἐκ-πειράζω).

Synonymsδοκιμάζω, q.v

Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith

Why This Word Matters

Frames the wilderness encounter as covenant testing.

Echoes Israel’s testing of God. Luke 4:1–13

Affirms real testing without sin. Mark 8:11–13

Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses

Present Aorist Imperfect Perfect

Voices

Active Passive

Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 16×

Present Active Matt 16:1 · Matt 19:3 · Mark 8:11 · Mark 10:2 · Luke 11:16 · Matt 4:3 · Matt 22:35 · John 6:6 · 1 Thess 3:5 9×

Present Passive Mark 1:13 · Luke 4:2 · Heb 11:17 · Jas 1:13 · Heb 2:18 5×

Aorist Passive Heb 2:18 1×

Perfect Passive Heb 4:15 1×

Indicative states a fact or reality 13×

Aorist Active Acts 24:6 · 1 Thess 3:5 · 1 Cor 10:9 · Heb 3:9 · Rev 2:2 5×

Present Active Matt 22:18 · Mark 12:15 · Acts 15:10 · Jas 1:13 4×

Imperfect Active Acts 9:26 · Acts 16:7 2×

Present Passive Jas 1:13 · Jas 1:14 2×

Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 4×

Aorist Passive Matt 4:1 · 1 Cor 10:13 2×

Aorist Active Acts 5:9 · Rev 3:10 2×

Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 3×

Aorist Passive Gal 6:1 · Rev 2:10 2×

Present Active 1 Cor 7:5 1×

Imperative command or strong request 1×

Present Active 2 Cor 13:5 1×

Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 39 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect

completed 5 ongoing 6 imperative 1 background 2 subjunctive 3 infinitive 4 participle 18

Tense

present 24 aorist 12 imperfect 2 perfect 1

Voice

active 26 passive 13

Mood

participle 18 indicative 13 infinitive 4 subjunctive 3 imperative 1

NT Occurrences

Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.

Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)

Canonical Themes

Covenant

Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

Additional Occurrences

Luke 4:1–13 πειραζόμενος peirázō

Being tempted/tested

New Testament Witnesses

Luke 4:1–13 πειραζόμενος peirázō Participle · Present Passive

being tempted

Mark 8:11–13 πειράζω peirázō Participle · Present Active

test

Matthew 4:1–11 πειράζω peirázō Participle · Present Active

to test or tempt

Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

Luke 4 — The Spirit-Anointed Son Tested, Rejected, and Proclaiming the Kingdom Mark 1 — The Beginning of the Gospel: The Servant-King Appears with Authority Mark 10 — The Way of the Servant King: Marriage, Children, Wealth, Cross, Ransom, and Sight Mark 8 — Seeing Jesus Clearly: Bread, Blindness, Confession, Cross, and Discipleship Matthew 16 — The Confession of the Christ, the Church Christ Builds, and the Cross-Shaped Way of Discipleship Matthew 19 — Marriage from Creation, Children Received, Riches Renounced, and the Reward of Following Christ Matthew 4 — The Tested Son, the Kingdom Proclaimed, and the First Disciples Called

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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