What the Bible Says About Temptation

"Tempt" appears 14 times in the King James Bible, "tempted" 25 times, "tempting" 7 times, "tempter" twice and "tempteth" once. "Temptation" appears 16 times and "temptations" 8. That's 73 times in all, in 64 verses, and 56 of the 73 are in the New Testament. The first is Genesis 22:1, "that God did tempt Abraham". The last is Revelation 3:10, "the hour of temptation".

Twelve of the 17 in the Old Testament stand for nasah, which Strong's Concordance defines as "to test; by implication, to attempt." The KJV prints nasah 36 times, and 20 of them are prove. All 56 in the New Testament stand for five Greek words that Strong's traces to peira, "a test, i.e. attempt, experience." The most common is peirazō, "to test (objectively), i.e. endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline." Below are passages on temptation, each quoted word for word with its reference. Short notes give the Hebrew and Greek words behind the English. A table near the end counts the words behind temptation, and a list gives every verse where the King James text says tempt or temptation.

There hath no temptation taken you (1 Corinthians 10:13)

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Both temptations are peirasmos, which Strong's defines as "a putting to proof (by experiment (of good), experience (of evil), solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication, adversity." "To be tempted" is peirazō. "Common to man" is one Greek word, anthrōpinos, "human." "A way to escape" is ekbasis, "an exit (literally or figuratively)." It comes once more, in Hebrews 13:7, where the KJV prints it "the end" in "considering the end of their conversation".

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation (James 1:12 to 15)

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James 1:12-15)

"Temptation" in verse 12 is peirasmos. Every tempted and tempteth in verses 13 and 14 is peirazō except "cannot be tempted." That's apeirastos, "untried, i.e. not temptable," found nowhere else in the New Testament. "Tried" in "when he is tried" is dokimos, "properly, acceptable (current after assayal), i.e. approved." The KJV prints dokimos "approved" in its six other places, as in 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God". "Drawn away" is exelkō, "to drag forth, i.e. (figuratively) to entice (to sin)," and it's found only here. "Enticed" is deleazō, "to entrap, i.e. (figuratively) delude." Strong's derives it from the base of dolos, which it defines as "a trick (bait), i.e. (figuratively) wile." The KJV prints deleazō twice more, "beguiling" in 2 Peter 2:14 and "allure" in 2 Peter 2:18.

Divers temptations (James 1:2 and 3, 1 Peter 1:6 and 7)

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (James 1:2-3)

6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: (1 Peter 1:6-7)

"Divers temptations" in James 1:2 and "manifold temptations" in 1 Peter 1:6 are the same two Greek words, poikilos and peirasmos. Strong's defines poikilos as "motley, i.e. various in character." "The trying of your faith" in James 1:3 and "the trial of your faith" in 1 Peter 1:7 are the same five Greek words. Their noun is dokimion, "a testing; by implication, trustworthiness," and it's found nowhere else in the New Testament. "Tried" in "tried with fire" is dokimazō, "to test (literally or figuratively); by implication, to approve," and Strong's derives it from dokimos, the "tried" of James 1:12.

Watch and pray (Matthew 26:41 and Mark 14:38)

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)

Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. (Mark 14:38)

"Temptation" is peirasmos in both. "Willing" in Matthew and "ready" in Mark are the same Greek word, prothumos, whose definition in Strong's opens "forward in spirit, i.e. predisposed." It comes once more, in Romans 1:15, "I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also." In Luke the words are "Pray that ye enter not into temptation" in Luke 22:40 and "rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation" in Luke 22:46.

Led up of the Spirit into the wilderness (Matthew 4:1 to 3 and Luke 4:13)

1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (Matthew 4:1-3)

And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. (Luke 4:13)

"To be tempted" is peirazō, and "the tempter" is peirazō too, as a participle. The KJV's only other tempter is in 1 Thessalonians 3:5. "The devil" is diabolos, whose definition in Strong's opens "a traducer; specially, Satan." Mark 1:13 says "tempted of Satan," and Luke 4:2 "Being forty days tempted of the devil." In Luke 4:13 "the temptation" is peirasmos.

Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 6:16 and Matthew 4:7)

Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah. (Deuteronomy 6:16)

Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (Matthew 4:7)

In Deuteronomy 6:16 both tempts are nasah. In Matthew 4:7 "tempt" is ekpeirazō, which Strong's defines as "to test thoroughly" and derives from ek and peirazō. Luke 4:12 has "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" too. The KJV prints ekpeirazō four times, as tempt or tempted. The other two are Luke 10:25, "a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him," and 1 Corinthians 10:9, "Neither let us tempt Christ".

Massah, and Meribah (Exodus 17:7 and Psalm 95:8 and 9)

And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not? (Exodus 17:7)

8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. (Psalm 95:8-9)

"Massah" is a place name. Strong's gives it as the same word as massah, "a testing, of men (judicial) or of God (querulous)," and derives massah from nasah, the verb behind "they tempted." "Meribah" is the same word as meribah, which Strong's defines as "quarrel," and "the chiding" is rib, "a contest (personal or legal)." Strong's derives both from the verb rib, which is "chide" in Exodus 17:2, "Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?" In Psalm 95:8 "the provocation" is meribah and "temptation" is massah. The Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible marks both as proper nouns there, the two names of Exodus 17:7. "Tempted me" in verse 9 is nasah, and "proved me" is bachan, "to test (especially metals); generally and figuratively, to investigate." Hebrews 3:8 and 9 have nearly the same words, "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years." There "the provocation" is parapikrasmos, "irritation," found only there and in Hebrews 3:15. "Temptation" is peirasmos, and "tempted me" is peirazō.

God did tempt Abraham (Genesis 22:1 and Hebrews 11:17)

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. (Genesis 22:1)

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, (Hebrews 11:17)

"Tempt" is nasah. The KJV prints nasah 36 times. It's prove 20 times, tempt 12, assay twice, try once and adventure once. Its proves include "to humble thee, and to prove thee" in Deuteronomy 8:2, the queen of Sheba who "came to prove him with hard questions" in 1 Kings 10:1 and David's "I have not proved them" in 1 Samuel 17:39. Deuteronomy 4:34 has nasah and massah together, "Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations". "Assayed" is nasah and "temptations" is massah. In Hebrews 11:17 "when he was tried" is peirazō, the word behind 30 of the New Testament's 56.

In all points tempted like as we are (Hebrews 4:15 and 2:18)

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)

"Be touched with the feeling of" is one Greek word, sumpatheō, which Strong's defines as "to feel 'sympathy' with, i.e. (by implication) to commiserate." It comes once more, in Hebrews 10:34, where the KJV prints it "had compassion." In Hebrews 2:18 both tempteds are peirazō, and "to succour" is boētheō, "to aid or relieve."

Lest thou also be tempted (Galatians 6:1)

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)

"Tempted" is peirazō. "Restore" is katartizō, which Strong's defines as "to complete thoroughly, i.e. repair (literally or figuratively) or adjust." In Matthew 4:21 and Mark 1:19 the KJV prints it "mending," of James and John "mending their nets".

Temptation and a snare (1 Timothy 6:9)

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)

"Temptation" is peirasmos. "A snare" is pagis, whose definition in Strong's opens "a trap (as fastened by a noose or notch)." "Drown" is buthizō, "to sink; by implication, to drown," and the KJV prints it once more, in Luke 5:7, "so that they began to sink."

Deliver the godly out of temptations (2 Peter 2:9)

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: (2 Peter 2:9)

"Temptations" is peirasmos, and the Greek has it in the singular. "To deliver" is rhuomai, "to rush or draw (for oneself), i.e. rescue."

Why tempt ye me (Matthew 22:18)

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? (Matthew 22:18)

"Tempt" is peirazō. Mark 12:15 and Luke 20:23 have "Why tempt ye me?" In the Gospels the KJV says "tempting him" in Matthew 19:3 and 22:35, Mark 8:11 and 10:2, Luke 11:16 and John 8:6, and "tempted him" in Luke 10:25.

The hour of temptation (Revelation 3:10)

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10)

"Temptation" is peirasmos and "to try" is peirazō, the noun and the verb in one verse. In the Textus Receptus peirazō comes 38 times. The KJV prints it tempt, tempted, tempting, tempter or tempteth 30 times, try or tried 4 times, and prove, assay, go about and examine once each. Its other tries are in Hebrews 11:17, Revelation 2:2 and Revelation 2:10. Peirasmos comes 21 times. The KJV prints it temptation or temptations 20 times and once, in 1 Peter 4:12, "to try," in "the fiery trial which is to try you".

The words behind temptation

The KJV says tempt, tempted, tempting, tempter, tempteth, temptation or temptations 73 times. Counted by their Strong's numbers, the Hebrew and Greek words in this table stand behind all 73.

Nasah and massah are 16 of the 17 in the Old Testament. In Malachi 3:15 the word is bachan, the "proved me" of Psalm 95:9. Strong's traces all five Greek words to peira, which the KJV prints "assaying" in Hebrews 11:29 and "trial" in Hebrews 11:36. Peiraō is "to test (subjectively), i.e. (reflexively) to attempt."

Every place the KJV says tempt or temptation

Tempt, tempted, tempting, tempter, tempteth, temptation and temptations come in these 64 verses.

• Genesis 22:1
• Exodus 17:2, 17:7
• Numbers 14:22
• Deuteronomy 4:34, 6:16, 7:19, 29:3
• Psalms 78:18, 78:41, 78:56, 95:8, 95:9, 106:14
• Isaiah 7:12
• Malachi 3:15
• Matthew 4:1, 4:3, 4:7, 6:13, 16:1, 19:3, 22:18, 22:35, 26:41
• Mark 1:13, 8:11, 10:2, 12:15, 14:38
• Luke 4:2, 4:12, 4:13, 8:13, 10:25, 11:4, 11:16, 20:23, 22:28, 22:40, 22:46
• John 8:6
• Acts 5:9, 15:10, 20:19
• 1 Corinthians 7:5, 10:9, 10:13
• Galatians 4:14, 6:1
• 1 Thessalonians 3:5
• 1 Timothy 6:9
• Hebrews 2:18, 3:8, 3:9, 4:15, 11:37
• James 1:2, 1:12, 1:13, 1:14
• 1 Peter 1:6
• 2 Peter 2:9
• Revelation 3:10

Matthew 6:13 and Luke 11:4 are on the forgiveness page, which quotes them. 1 Thessalonians 3:5 is cited on the love page, and Malachi 3:15 is in the pride page's list.

Worry, fear, grief, strength, love, forgiveness, hope, peace, anger and pride

Worry, fear, grief, strength, love, forgiveness, hope, peace, anger and pride have pages of their own. They're What the Bible Says About Worry, What the Bible Says About Fear, What the Bible Says About Grief, What the Bible Says About Strength, What the Bible Says About Love, What the Bible Says About Forgiveness, What the Bible Says About Hope, What the Bible Says About Peace, What the Bible Says About Anger and What the Bible Says About Pride. Every chapter quoted here can be read whole in Read the Bible.

How this page was made

Every verse is quoted from the 1769 standard text of the King James Version and checked word for word against two more digital copies. The printed KJV sets supplied words in italics, which this page doesn't show. Verse numbers follow the KJV. Hebrew Bibles number one verse named here differently, Deuteronomy 29:3, which is 29:2 there.

Hebrew words were identified with the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. Greek words were identified with STEPBible's tagged Greek New Testament. The counts of the words behind temptation come from the Strong's numbers in the CrossWire Bible Society's KJV, each checked against the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible or STEPBible's Greek. In one verse the count follows the Greek instead of the CrossWire number. In Hebrews 4:15 CrossWire puts peirazō on "tempted," and the Textus Receptus as STEPBible gives it has peiraō. Greek counts follow the Textus Receptus as STEPBible gives it. Every Greek word the notes cite in a quoted verse stands in all eight Greek editions STEPBible compares. Some quoted words don't. "Tempted" in Hebrews 4:15 is peiraō in two of the eight and peirazō in the other six, and "proved me" in Hebrews 3:9 differs too, so the notes cite no Greek for either, or for words like them. STEPBible is a Tyndale House Cambridge project. STEPBible's data and the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible are both shared under CC BY 4.0. The definitions come from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). If you find a mistake, tell us through the support page.

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