tempt, temptation

Definition

To tempt someone is to try to get that person to do something wrong.

• A temptation is something that causes a person to want to do something wrong.
• People are tempted by their own sinful nature and by other people.
• Satan also tempts people to disobey God and to sin against God by doing wrong things.
• Satan tempted Jesus and tried to get him to do something wrong, but Jesus resisted all of Satan’s temptations and never sinned.
• Someone who is “tempting God” is not trying to get him to do something wrong, but rather, is continuing in stubborn disobedience of him to the point that God must respond by punishing him. This is also called “testing God.”

Translation Suggestions

• The term “tempt” can be translated as “try to cause to sin” or “entice” or “cause a desire to sin.”
• Ways to translate “temptations” could include, “things that tempt” or “things that entice someone to sin” or “things that cause desire to do something wrong.”
• To “tempt God” could be translated as to “put God to the test” or to “test God” or to “try God’s patience” or to “cause God to have to punish” or to “stubbornly keep disobeying God.”

(See also: disobey, Satan, sin, test)

Bible References

• 1 Thessalonians 3:4-5
• Hebrews 4:15
• James 1:13
• Luke 4:2
• Luke 11:4
• Matthew 26:41

Examples from the Bible stories

• __25:1 Then Satan came to Jesus and tempted__ him to sin.
• __25:8 Jesus did not give in to Satan’s temptations__, so Satan left him.
• __38:11 Jesus told his disciples to pray that they would not enter into temptation__.

Word Data

• Strong’s: H0974, H4531, H5254, G05510, G15980, G39850, G39860, G39870