a. universally, trial, proving: Sir. 27:5, 7; τόν πειρασμόν ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου, the trial made of you by my bodily condition, since this condition served to test the love of the Galatians toward Paul, Galatians 4:14 L T Tr WH (cf.

b. below, and Lightfoot at the passage).

b. specifically, the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy, etc.: 1 Peter 4:12; also an enticement to sin, temptation, whether arising from the desires or from outward circumstances, Luke 8:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; ὑπομένειν πειρασμόν, James 1:12; an internal temptation to sin, 1 Timothy 6:9; of the temptation by which the devil sought to divert Jesus the Messiah from his divine errand, Luke 4:13; of a condition of things, or a mental state, by which we are enticed to sin, or to a lapse from faith and holiness: in the phrases εἰσφέρειν τινα εἰς πειρασμόν, Matthew 6:13; Luke 11:4; ἐισέρχεσθαι εἰς πειρασμόν, Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38 (here T WH ἔλθητε); Luke 22:40, 46; adversity, affliction, trouble (cf. our trial), sent by God and serving to test or prove one's faith, holiness, character: plural, Luke 22:28; Acts 20:19; James 1:2; 1 Peter 1:6; τόν πειρασμόν μου τόν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου, my temptation arising from my bodily infirmity, Galatians 4:14 Rec. (but see a. above); ὥρα τοῦ πειρασμοῦ, Revelation 3:10; ἐκ πειρασμοῦ ῤύεσθαι, 2 Peter 2:9 (Deuteronomy 7:19; Deuteronomy 29:3; Sir. 2:1 Sir. 6:7 Sir. 36:1 (Sir. 33:1); 1 Macc. 2:52).

c. 'temptation' (i. e. trial) of God by men, i. e. rebellion against God, by which his power and justice are, as It were, put to the proof and challenged to show themselves: Hebrews 3:8 (Deuteronomy 6:16; Deuteronomy 9:22; Psalm 94:8 ()). Cf. Fried. B. Koester, Die Biblical Lehre yon der Versuchung. Gotha, 1859. (The word has not yet been found in secular authors except Dioscorides (?) praef. i. τούς ἐπί παθῶν πειρασμούς experiments made on diseases.)