Tempt, temptation (Hastings' Dictionary)

The Heb. and Gr. words which are translated ' tempt ' and ' tempta- tion ' in EV have a range of meaning which covers every form of testing or puttiu'' to the proof, 'whether of man by God or of God by man. The Heb. words rendered tempt' in AV are — 1. yijfifah, which signifies (1) to attempt to do a thing, as Dl 4* (EV ' assay ') ; (2) to test or prove a thing, such as a weajion Dt ,...,-, , ., , „.

iVeajion 1 8 17^ (EV ' prove ') ; but chiefly (3) to test a person ; in AV translated 't<'niiit' of God's testing Abraham, Gn 22'; else- where of men faithlessly and provoliiiigly putting tiod to the proof, Ex 172- 7, Nu 14'^'-, Dl 618, Vs 76i« ■"• i» 96» lOO'*, Is 7". • Jos. Ant. rvii. Iz. 8, X. 1 2. Bahan, synonymous in meaning with ni-^sah, but trans, lated ' tempt 'in AV only Mai 3">, of tempting God.

In Wal S'« and a few other places it is translated * prove ' in AV and RV ; but most frequently the Eng. rendering is ' try.' The only Heb. word translated ' temptation ' is ma.^^aA (formed from Jii.^sah above), used of the testing by Jehovah, through signs and wonders, of the heart of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, Dt 4^^ 7'^ 29^ ; and of the trial or testing of an innocent jierson, Job 9"^ (EV 'trial') — unless the word here comes from ma.m.^ and means despair, RVni 'calamity.'

The word is translated 'temptation' also in Ps 958, but there the place Massah (so RV) seems to be intended, as in Ex 177, Dt 61" 922 338. See art. Massah. The Greek words translated ' tempt' are — 1. TupaTiu, which means (1) to attempt something, as Ac ff^ 16" (EV 'assay'); (2) to test a person, without evil intent, as Jn Bi>, Rev 2'^; (3) to tempt to evil, as Mt 4', 1 Co lo", J« lis. 14. On this verb see Cremer, s.v. ; Hatch, Essays in Diblical Greek, 71 f.

; Kcnnetly, Sources of NT Greek, 106 f. For the distinction between «■. and inxi/jLtx^tt see Trench, JV3 Syn. 267 G.; also Cremer, s. rupcil^ai, and Berrv, & loxiua!^»i. The devil is called ' the tempter ' (i Tii^aJ.) in Mt 4S, 1 Th 3'. 2. ixiTijpei^M, to put to the proof, or test, (a) God, Mt 47, Lk 12 ; (b) Christ, Lk 1026, 1 Co 10»— all translated ' tempt' in EV, Amer. RV always ' try.' 3. In Ja 113 u^t.

ponrro{ (only occurrence) is translated by the verb ' tempt'—' God cannot be tempted (literally, * is untempt- able') with evil,' RVm 'is untried in evil.' The only Greek word translated ' temptation ' is wupctcfAef, which is the translation in the LXX of masijdh everywhere except Dt 33s (llsi^a) and Job 923 (where a different reading is followed).

This word is used in NT for (1) a testing or proving, as 1 P 412 (EV ' trial '), He 38, or that which tests or provesa person, as Gal 414 ; (9) enticement to sin, as Mt 613, Lk 4i3 813, Ja 112, 1 Co 1013 ; and (3) of atUiction or calamity, due to perse- cution or other trial from without, as Lk 2228, Ac 201^, Ja 1', 1 P 16. On this word see Hatch, Essai/s, 7l(.; Mayor on Ja 1^, and hii Com. 183 B.; Hort 00 1 P 1» ; Swete on Mk M38. About 1611 the Eng.

words ' tempt ' and ' tempta- tion ' were used almost as widely as those Heb. and Gr. words, the only difference being that the verb had ceased to mean ' to attempt.' E.\amples (outside AV) of 'tempt' in the sense of 'test,' 'put to the proof,' without evil intent, are Jn 6', Wye. ' But he said this thing, temptynge hym ; for he wiste what he was to do ' ; Dt 13' Tind.

' For the Lorde thy God tempteth you, to wete whether ye love the Lord youre God with all youie hertes and with al youie soules ' ; Dt 8^, in Wilson's Christian Dictionary (1611), 'tempting thee that hee might know what is in thy heart.' In the same sense is ' temptation ' used in 1 P 4" Rheni. ' My deerest, tliinke it not strange in the fervour wliicli is to you for a tentation, as though some new thing happened to you.'

And in the allied sense of trial, atiliction, we lind ' temptation ' em- ployed by Tjmme in Calvin's Genesis, p. 717, ' But this also was a moste greevous temptation, to be banished from the promised lande, even unto death ' ; and p. 815, ' This was a verie sore tempta- tion, that holie Jacob, of whome the Lorde iiad taken care, shoulde almoste he and his perish with hunger.' See also Driver on Dt 6'* and in Par. fsaXt., Gloss, i. under ' Prove.' J. HASTINGS.