πειρ-ασμός G3986
Trial, testing, temptation; a proving experience that tests faith, endurance, or moral resolve.
Built on the verb peirazo ('to test, try'), this noun covers the full spectrum from divinely permitted trials that strengthen faith to seductive enticements that threaten to destroy it. Jesus teaches his disciples to pray for deliverance from it (Matt 6:13), then warns them to watch and pray lest they enter into it at Gethsemane (Matt 26:41). Luke notes that after the wilderness temptation the devil departed 'until an opportune time' (Luke 4:13), framing peirasmos as a recurring, strategic assault. The multilingual pattern is telling: Spanish distinguishes 'prueba' (trial) from 'tentacion', French uses 'tentation', and German 'Versuchung' — yet the Greek holds both dimensions in a single word.
Senses
1. trial, test of character — A trial, test, or temptation that proves one's character and faith. The term spans the full range from externally imposed adversity (Luke 8:13, where shallow-rooted believers fall away 'in time of testing') to moral enticement (Matt 6:13, 'lead us not into temptation'). Jesus' Gethsemane warning (Matt 26:41; Mark 14:38) fuses both dimensions. Spanish splits the concept into 'prueba' and 'tentacion', while German 'Versuchung' and French 'tentation' each lean toward the seduction side — yet the Greek holds testing and tempting together. 21×
AR["اختِبارٍ", "التَّجرِبَةَ", "التَّجْرِبَةِ", "تَجارِبَ", "تَجارِبِ", "تَجرِبَةٍ", "تَجرِبَةِ", "تَجرِبَتَكُم", "تَجَارِبَ", "تَجْرِبَةٍ"]·ben["পরীক্ষা", "পরীক্ষাকে", "পরীক্ষাগুলিতে", "পরীক্ষায়", "পরীক্ষার", "পরীক্ষার,", "প্রলোভনে", "প্রলোভনে,"]·DE["Versuchung"]·EN["of-testing", "temptation", "testing", "trial", "trials"]·FR["tentation"]·heb["מַסָּה", "נִסְיוֹנוֹת", "נִסָּיוֹן"]·HI["परीक्षा", "परीक्षा-के", "परीक्षा-में", "परीक्षा-से", "परीक्षाओं", "परीक्षाओं-में", "परेएकश"]·ID["pencobaan", "pencobaan-pencobaan", "pencobaan;"]·IT["tentazione"]·jav["coba,", "cobaan", "cobaan,", "cobaan;", "godha", "ing-cobaan", "pacoban", "pacoban,", "pacoban.", "panggodha", "panggodhaan,", "panyoban"]·KO["시험", "시험,", "시험-을", "시험-의", "시험들", "시험들-에", "시험들과", "시험들에", "시험에", "시험으로", "시험을", "시험을;", "시험의"]·PT["de-tentação", "em-provações", "provação", "provações,", "tentação", "tentação,"]·RU["в-искушения", "искушение", "искушение,", "искушение;", "искушением,", "искушения", "искушениями,", "искушениях", "испытание", "испытания", "испытаниях,"]·ES["de-prueba", "en-prueba", "en-pruebas", "prueba", "pruebas", "tentación"]·SW["jaribu", "jaribu,", "kujaribiwa", "majaribu", "wa-majaribu"]·TR["denemeden", "denemelere", "denemelerimde", "denemelerle", "denemenin", "denemenizi", "denemeye", "denemeyi", "o-", "sınamaya", "sınanmanız"]·urd["آزمائش", "آزمائش-", "آزمائش-سے", "آزمائش-میں", "آزمائش-کی", "آزمائش-کے", "آزمائش؛", "آزمائشوں", "آزمائشوں،"]
Matt 6:13, Matt 26:41, Mark 14:38, Luke 4:13, Luke 8:13, Luke 11:4, Luke 22:28, Luke 22:40, Luke 22:46, Acts 20:19, 1 Cor 10:13, 1 Cor 10:13 (+9 more)
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
πειρ-ασμός, ὁ, trial, LXX+NT; οἱ ἐπὶ τῶν παθῶν π. Refs 1st c.AD+ __2 worry, LXX __II temptation,LXX+NT