Study
Word study

Word study

Greek

Temptation/testing

πειρασμόςStrong’s G3986

peirasmos

Appears in 20 verses of the New Testament

In short

Peirasmos is the Greek word usually translated “temptation”, “trials” and “testing”. It appears in 20 verses of the New Testament.

“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.”
1 Timothy 6:9 KJV
Meaning

Usually translated “temptation”, “trials” and “testing”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.

How it's translated
  • temptation 11
  • trials 4
  • of testing 2
  • trial 2
  • test 1
  • a trial 1

Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.

Where it's used most
  • Luke 6
  • Matthew 2
  • James 2
  • 1 Peter 2
  • Mark 1
  • Acts 1

12 books in all.

Explore in Scripture
All 20 verses, by book
Matthew 2
6:1326:41
Mark 1
14:38
Acts 1
20:19
1 Corinthians 1
10:13
Galatians 1
4:14
1 Timothy 1
6:9
Hebrews 1
3:8
James 2
1:21:12
1 Peter 2
1:64:12
2 Peter 1
2:9
Revelation 1
3:10
Greek dictionary

πειρασμός peirasmos · temptation/testing

πειρασμός, -οῦ, ὁ (πειράζω), [in LXX for מַסָּה, עִנְיָן ;] 1. = πεῖρα, an experiment Diosc.). 2. a trial, of ethical purpose and effect, whether good or evil (see Hort on Jas.1:13) (a) in good or neutral sense: Gal.4:14, Jas.1:12, 1Pe.4:12; esp. of afflictions sent by God (Deu.7:19, Sir.21:1-28, al.): 2Pe.2:9, Rev.3:10; pl., Luk.22:28, Act.20:19, Jas.1:2, 1Pe.1:6; (b) of trial regarded as leading to sin, temptation: Luk.8:13, 1Co.10:13, 1Ti.6:9; of the temptation of Jesus by the devil, Luk.4:13; εἰσφέρειν (ἔρχεσθαι, εἰσέρχ-) εἰς π., Mat.6:13 26:41, Mrk.14:38, Luk.11:4 22:40, 46; …

From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

How the English word “temptation” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.

TEMPTA'TION, noun

The act of tempting; enticement to evil by arguments, by flattery, or by the offer of some real or apparent good.

  1. “When the devil had ended all the temptation he departed from him for a season” Luke 4:13
  2. Solicitation of the passions; enticements to evil proceeding from the prospect of pleasure or advantage.
  3. The state of being tempted or enticed to evil.
  4. Trial.
All definitions
  1. That which is presented to the mind as an inducement to evil.
  2. In colloquial language, an allurement to any thing indifferent, or even good.

Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.

Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.