| Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (v. t.) To put to trial; to prove; to test; to try. 2. (v. t.) To lead, or endeavor to lead, into evil; to entice to what is wrong; to seduce. 3. (v. t.) To endeavor to persuade; to induce; to invite; to incite; to provoke; to instigate. 4. (v. t.) To endeavor to accomplish or reach; to attempt. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia TEMPT; TEMPTATION temt, tem-ta'-shun (nacah, "to prove" "try," "tempt" maccah, "a trial," "temptation"; peirazo, "to try" "prove" peirasmos "a trial," "proof"): The words have a sinister connotation in present-day usage which has not always attached to them. Originally the words were of neutral content, with the sense of "putting to the proof," the testing of character or quality. Thus, God is "tempted" by Israel's distrust of Him, as if the people were actually challenging Him to show His perfections (Exodus 17:2 Psalm 78:18 Acts 15:10 Hebrews 3:9, and often); Abraham is "tempted," being called upon to offer up Isaac (Genesis 22:1); and Jesus is "tempted" to a spectacular Messiahship (Matthew 4 and parallel passages (see TEMPTATION OF CHRIST)). No evil is implied in the subject of these temptations. Temptation therefore in the Scripture sense has possibilities of holiness as well as of sin. For as all experience witnesses, it is one thing to be tempted, another thing to fall. To be tempted-one may rejoice in that (James 1:2), since in temptation, by conquering it, one may achieve a higher and nobler manhood.
"Why comes temptation but for man to meet
And master and make crouch beneath his foot,
And so be pedestaled in triumph?"
Holiness in its best estate is possible only under conditions which make it necessary to meet, resist and triumph over temptation. Thus, Jesus Himself became our Great High Priest in that, being tempted in all points like as we are, He never once yielded, but fought and triumphed (Hebrews 4:15).
One must not deceive one's self, however, in thinking that, because by the grace of God one may have profit of virtue through temptation as an instrument, all temptation is equally innocent and virtuous. It is noticeable in the case of Jesus that His temptation was under the direction of the Spirit (Mark 1:12); He Himself did not seek it, nor did He fear it. Temptations encountered in this way, the way of duty, the way of the Spirit, alone constitute the true challenge of saintship (James 1:12); but it is the mark of an ignoble nature to be perpetually the center of vicious fancies and tempers which are not of God but of the devil (James 1:13-15). One may not escape entirely such buffetings of faith, but by any sound nature they are easily disposed of. Not so easily disposed of are the trials (temptations) to faith through adversity, affliction, trouble (Luke 22:28 Acts 20:19 James 1:2 1 Peter 1:6); and yet there is no lack of evidence to the consoling fact that God does not suffer His own to be tempted above what they are able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13) and that for every crisis His grace will be sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:8, 9).
Charles M. Stuart |  | Multi-Version Concordance Tempt (18 Occurrences) Matthew 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (KJV DBY WBS YLT RSV) Matthew 22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? (KJV BBE DBY WBS YLT) Mark 12:15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. (KJV DBY WBS YLT) Luke 4:12 Jesus answering, said to him, "It has been said,'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'" (WEB KJV DBY WBS YLT RSV) Luke 20:23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? (KJV DBY WBS YLT) Acts 5:9 But Peter asked her, "How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." (WEB KJV DBY WBS YLT RSV) Acts 15:10 Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? (WEB KJV DBY WBS YLT) 1 Corinthians 7:5 Don't deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn't tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Corinthians 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. (KJV DBY WBS YLT) 1 Thessalonians 3:5 For this cause I also, when I couldn't stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain. (Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Hebrews 3:9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. (Root in KJV DBY WBS YLT) James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. (Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 22:1 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. (KJV WBS) Exodus 17:2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? (KJV ASV DBY WBS) Deuteronomy 6:16 You shall not tempt Yahweh your God, as you tempted him in Massah. (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS) Psalms 78:56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and didn't keep his testimonies; (Root in WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS) Isaiah 7:12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, neither will I tempt Yahweh." (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS) Malachi 3:15 Now we call the proud happy; yes, those who work wickedness are built up; yes, they tempt God, and escape.' (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT) |
