Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (v.) To test or analyze; as to assay a situation; to assay the quantity of gold in a piece of ore 2. (n.) Examination and determination; test; as, an assay of bread or wine. 3. (n.) Trial by danger or by affliction; adventure; risk; hardship; state of being tried. 4. (n.) Tested purity or value. 5. (n.) The act or process of ascertaining the proportion of a particular metal in an ore or alloy; especially, the determination of the proportion of gold or silver in bullion or coin. 6. (n.) The alloy or metal to be assayed. 7. (v.) To try; to attempt; to apply. 8. (v.) To affect. 9. (v.) To try tasting, as food or drink. 10. (v.) To subject, as an ore, alloy, or other metallic compound, to chemical or metallurgical examination, in order to determine the amount of a particular metal contained in it, or to ascertain its composition. 11. (v. i.) To attempt, try, or endeavor. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ASSAY a-sa' (ya'al; nacah; peirdzein; peirasthai; peiran lambanein): The Hebrew and Greek words which are rendered in the King James Version "assay" are so rendered in the Revised Version (British and American), and the use of it is extended in the Revised Version (British and American) in two additional cases. The Hebrew word ya'al (1 Samuel 17:39) is used of David clad in Saul's armor, who "assayed," that is, "tried unsuccessfully," to go and attack Goliath in it, for "he had not proved it," where nacah is the verb. In Deuteronomy 4:34 and Job 4:2 nacah is rendered "assay," in the sense of "attempt," "venture." In Acts 16:7 Paul is said to have "assayed," that is, "attempted" (but was hindered), to go into Bithynia, and now in Acts 24:6 Paul is charged with having "assayed," that is, "having had the audacity," to profane the temple, where peirazein is the verb used in both cases. In Acts 9:26, and now in the Revised Version (British and American) Acts 26:21, "assay," renders the verb peirasthai, "to attempt," in both cases unsuccessfully. In Hebrews 11:29 it translates two Greek words peiran lambanein "to make an attempt unsuccessfully." T. Nicol.

Multi-Version Concordance Assay (3 Occurrences) Job 4:2 If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? (KJV ASV) Jeremiah 6:27 I have set thee among my people as an assayer, a fortress, that thou mayest know and try their way. (Root in DBY NAS RSV) Jeremiah 9:7 So the Lord of armies has said, See, I will make them soft in the fire and put them to the test; this I will do because of their evil-doing. (See NAS)