πειράζω G3985
To test, tempt, or attempt; to put to the proof, entice toward sin, or endeavor to do something
A verb whose three senses trace a revealing arc across the New Testament. In one use, Pharisees 'test' Jesus to expose him (Matt 16:1; 22:18) -- the verb carries a probing, even hostile curiosity. In another, Satan 'tempts' Jesus in the wilderness (Matt 4:1) -- the same verb now implies moral enticement toward evil. Paul's simple 'they attempted to go into Bithynia' (Acts 16:7) strips away all moral overtones and leaves bare effort. French 'tenter' covers all three naturally; Spanish distinguishes 'probar' (test) from 'tentar' (tempt), a split that mirrors the Greek's own semantic range. German 'versuchen' likewise spans testing and tempting, requiring context for disambiguation.
Senses
1. test, prove, examine — Testing or proving: putting someone or something to the proof to assess quality, faithfulness, or genuineness. God tests Abraham (cf. Heb 11:17), and religious opponents test Jesus with trick questions (Matt 16:1; 19:3; 22:35). Spanish 'probar' and 'poner a prueba' capture the evaluative dimension. The passive 'being tested' (Heb 2:18; 4:15) affirms that Jesus endured the full range of human testing -- the word here carries dignity, not blame. 19×
AR["امْتَحَنْتَ", "اِخْتَبِروا", "تُجَرِّبونَ", "تُجَرِّبَا", "تُمْتَحَنوا", "جَرَّبوا", "جَرَّبَ", "لِتُجَرِّبَ", "مُجَرِّبينَ", "مُجَرِّبًا", "مُجَرِّبِينَ", "مُمْتَحَنًا"]·ben["পরীক্ষা-কর", "পরীক্ষা-করছ", "পরীক্ষা-করছিল", "পরীক্ষা-করছিলেন", "পরীক্ষা-করতে", "পরীক্ষা-করল", "পরীক্ষা-করলে", "পরীক্ষা-করে", "পরীক্ষা-করেছিল,", "পরীক্ষিত-হও", "পরীক্ষিত-হয়ে"]·DE["versuchen", "versucht"]·EN["are-you-testing", "being-tested", "do-you-test", "test", "tested", "testing", "to-test", "you-may-be-tested", "you-tested"]·FR["tenter"]·heb["אֶת-", "אוֹתִי", "בִּחְנוּ", "בָּחַנְתָּ", "לְ-נַסּוֹת", "לְנַסּוֹת", "מְנַסִּים", "מְנַסֶּה", "מְנֻסֶּה", "נִסּוּ", "תִּבָּחֲנוּ"]·HI["-प्रभु-की", "तुम-परखे-जाओ;", "तूने-परखा", "परखते-हुए", "परखते-हो", "परखने", "परखे-जाते-हुए,", "परखो", "परीक्षा-करते-हुए", "परीक्षा-करते-हो", "परीक्षा-किया", "परीक्षा-की", "परेएकश-करते-हुए"]·ID["dicobai,", "kamu-coba", "kamu-diuji;", "kamu-mencobai", "kamu-menguji", "mencoba", "mencobai", "menguji", "ujilah", "untuk-mencobai"]·IT["tentare"]·jav["kacobi", "njidhah", "nyobi", "nyobi,", "panjenengan-coba", "panjenengan-dipunuji", "panjenengan-nguji", "panjenengan-nyobi", "panjenengan-sedaya-nyobi", "sami-nyobi", "sampun-nggodha"]·KO["그-", "시험받도록", "시험받아서", "시험하느냐", "시험하라", "시험하려고", "시험하며", "시험하면서", "시험하여", "시험하였으니", "시험했다"]·PT["examinai", "para-provar", "provaste", "sejais-provados", "sendo-provado", "tentais", "tentais,", "tentando", "tentaram", "tentaram,"]·RU["были-испытаны;", "искусить", "искушаемый", "искушаете", "искушаете,", "искушали", "искушали,", "искушая", "испытал", "испытать", "испытывайте", "испытывая"]·ES["probad", "probando", "probar", "probaste", "seáis-probados", "siendo-probado", "tentando", "tentar", "tentaron", "tentáis", "tentándolo"]·SW["akijaribiwa", "akimjaribu", "jijaribu", "kumjaribu", "kuwajaribu", "mjaribiwe;", "mnamjaribu", "mnanijaribu", "uliwajaribu", "wakimjaribu", "walinijaribu", "walivyomjaribu,", "wanafiki", "yeye"]·TR["-o", "denediler", "denemek", "denenirken", "deneyerek", "deniyorsunuz", "sınayarak", "sınayın", "sınıyorsunuz", "ve-"]·urd["آزماؤ", "آزمائے-جاؤ", "آزمائے-جانے-پر", "آزماتے-ہو", "آزماتے-ہوئے", "آزمانا", "آزمانے", "آزمایا"]
Matt 16:1, Matt 19:3, Matt 22:18, Matt 22:35, Mark 8:11, Mark 10:2, Mark 12:15, Luke 11:16, John 6:6, John 8:6, Acts 5:9, Acts 15:10 (+7 more)
2. tempt, entice to sin — Tempting or enticing toward sin: soliciting someone to act against God's will, with Satan or evil desire as the driving force. The wilderness temptation (Matt 4:1, 3; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2) is paradigmatic. Paul warns that Satan tempts through lack of self-control (1 Cor 7:5), and James 1:13-14 carefully distinguishes divine testing from sinful enticement. Spanish 'tentar' and French 'tenter' both carry the moral freight; German 'versuchen' requires the narrative context to distinguish this from neutral testing. 17×
AR["أُجَرَّبُ", "المُجَرَّبينَ", "المُجَرِّبُ", "الْمُجَرِّبُ", "تُجَرَّبوا", "تُجَرَّبَ", "جَرَّبَ", "جُرِّبُوا", "لِيُجَرَّبَ", "مُجَرَّبًا", "يُجَرَّبُ", "يُجَرِّبَ", "يُجَرِّبُ"]·ben["পরীক্ষা-করে", "পরীক্ষা-করেছে", "পরীক্ষা-হল", "পরীক্ষাকারী", "পরীক্ষাকারী,", "পরীক্ষিত-হও।", "পরীক্ষিত-হচ্ছিলেন", "পরীক্ষিত-হতে", "পরীক্ষিত-হয়", "পরীক্ষিত-হয়ে", "প্রলুব্ধ-করেন", "প্রলুব্ধ-হচ্ছি", "প্রলুব্ধ-হয়", "প্রলুব্ধ-হয়ে"]·DE["versuchen", "versucht"]·EN["I-am-tempted", "be-tempted", "being-tempted", "having-been-tempted", "is-tempted", "tempt", "tempted", "tempter", "tempts", "they-were-tempted", "to-be-tempted"]·FR["tenter"]·heb["אֲנִי־מְנֻסֶּה", "יְנַסֶּה", "לְ-הִתְנַסּוֹת", "לְהִתְנַסּוֹת", "מְנַסֶּה", "מְנֻסֶּה", "נִסִּים", "נִסָּה", "נִתְנַסּוּ", "תִּתְנַסֶּה."]·HI["जांचे-गए,", "परखा-जाता-हुआ", "परीक्षा-करता-है", "परीक्षा-करनेवाले-ने", "परीक्षा-करे", "परीक्षा-किए-गए", "परीक्षा-किए-जाकर", "परीक्षा-किए-जाते-हैं-जो", "परीक्षा-में-पड़ता-हूँ", "परीक्षा-में-पड़ता-है", "परीक्षा-में-पड़ने-को", "परीक्षा-में-पड़ा-हुआ", "परीक्षा-होने", "परेएकश-मेइन-पदे.", "परेएकश-लि", "परेएकशक"]·ID["aku-dicobai.", "dicobai", "dicobai,", "mencobai", "pencoba,", "si-pencoba", "yang-dicobai", "yang-telah-dicobai"]·IT["tentare"]·jav["digodha", "dipun-godha", "dipuncoba", "ingkang-kagodha", "juru-coba,", "kacoba,", "kacoba.", "kacobi", "kang-dicoba", "kula-dicoba.", "nyoba", "nyoba,", "nyobi", "sampun-kagodha", "sampun-nyobi"]·KO["시험-받기-위해", "시험받고", "시험받는", "시험받는-자들을", "시험받는다,", "시험받는다.", "시험받도록", "시험받으며", "시험받으셔서", "시험받은", "시험받을-때", "시험받지.", "시험하는-자가", "시험하리라", "시험하신다", "시험했는지"]·PT["foram-tentados", "para-ser-tentado", "que-são-tentados", "sendo-tentado", "serdes-tentados", "sou-tentado", "tendo-sido-tentado", "tenta", "tentador", "tentou", "vos-tente", "é-tentado"]·RU["быть-искушаемыми", "искусил", "искушаемы-были", "искушаемый", "искушаемым", "искушает", "искушается,", "искушал", "искушаюсь.", "искушающий", "искушён-будешь", "искушённого"]·ES["es-tentado", "fueron-tentados", "os-tentó", "os-tiente", "que-son-tentados", "seas-tentado", "ser-tentado", "ser-tentados", "siendo-tentado", "soy-tentado", "tentado", "tentador", "tienta"]·SW["akijaribiwa", "aliwajaributia", "aliyejaribiwa", "anajaribiwa", "anajaribu", "asiwajaribu", "kujaribiwa", "mjaribu", "ninajaribiwa", "ujaribiwe", "walijaribiwa", "wanaojaribiwa"]·TR["ayartan", "ayarttı", "ayartılmaya", "denendiler", "denenen", "denenerek", "deneneyesin", "denenir", "deneniyorum", "denenmek", "denenmekte-olanlara", "denenmiş", "dener", "o-"]·urd["آزمائش-میں-پڑنے-والوں", "آزمائے", "آزمائے-گئے", "آزماتا-ہے", "آزمانے-والے-نے", "آزمایا", "آزمایا-جائے", "آزمایا-جاتا-ہوا", "آزمایا-جاتا-ہوں۔", "آزمایا-جاتا-ہے٬", "آزمایا-جانا", "آزمایا-جانے", "آزمایا-جانے-والا", "آزمایا-گیا", "آزمایش-میں-پڑ-کر"]
Matt 4:1, Matt 4:3, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:2, 1 Cor 7:5, 1 Cor 10:13, Gal 6:1, 1 Thess 3:5, 1 Thess 3:5, Heb 2:18, Heb 2:18, Heb 4:15 (+5 more)
3. attempt, try, endeavor — Attempting or endeavoring: making an effort to accomplish something, without connotation of moral enticement or quality assessment. Saul attempted to join the disciples (Acts 9:26), the Spirit prevented Paul's company from going to Bithynia (Acts 16:7), and Tertullus accused Paul of attempting to profane the temple (Acts 24:6). Spanish 'intentar' and the narrative framing clearly separate this from the two weightier senses. 3×
AR["حاوَلوا", "حَاوَلَ"]·ben["চেষ্টা-করছিল", "চেষ্টা-করলেন", "চেষ্টা-করিল"]·DE["versucht"]·EN["attempted", "he-was-attempting", "they-were-trying"]·FR["tenter"]·heb["נִסָּה", "נִסּוּ"]·HI["प्रयत्न-करता-था", "प्रयास-किया", "प्रयासकिया"]·ID["mencoba", "mereka-mencoba"]·IT["tentare"]·jav["nyoba", "nyobi"]·KO["시도하였다", "시도했다"]·PT["tentava", "tentavam"]·RU["попытался", "пытались", "пытался"]·ES["intentaba", "intentaban", "intentó"]·SW["alijaribu", "walijaribu"]·TR["denedi", "deniyorlardı", "çalışıyordu"]·urd["کوشش-کرتا-تھا", "کوشش-کی"]
Related Senses
H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)H5315 1. soul, inner being (647×)H3820a 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (572×)H4672 1. Qal: find, discover (289×)G1492 1. know facts or truths (285×)H3824 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (250×)H1245 1. seek, search for (200×)G1097 1. know, be acquainted with (196×)H2142 1. Qal: remember, recall (173×)G2588 1. heart (inner self, mind, will) (158×)H0977 1. choose, select (Qal active) (145×)G2147 1. find, discover (144×)G5590 1. soul, inner self (100×)H4672 2. Niphal: be found, be discovered (99×)H1875 1. seek, search for (96×)H5315 2. life, vitality (94×)H1847 1. knowledge, discernment (90×)H2450 1. wise, prudent (84×)H7911 1. Qal: to forget (83×)H3684 1. fool, dullard (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
πειράζω, (πεῖρα) used by early authors only in present and imperfect, the other tenses being supplied by πειράω, -άομαι: Cretan dialect future πειράξω Refs: aorist 1 imperative πείρᾰσον Refs 1st c.AD+: aorist passive ἐπειράσθην LXX+NT: perfect participle πεπειρασμένος NT:—make proof or trial of, with genitive, Refs 8th c.BC+ __2 with infinitive, attempt to do, NT+2nd c.BC+; π. τι attempt a thing,…