ἀπείραστος (apeirastos)
apeirastos
untempted
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective apeirastos describes a state of being untempted or incapable of being enticed to sin. In Scripture, it appears only once, in James 1:13, where it modifies God to emphasize that He is not subject to the lure of evil. The word combines a negative prefix with a root meaning "to test" or "try," creating a term that signifies absolute immunity from external provocation toward wrongdoing.
This usage highlights a crucial theological distinction: while humans face trials and temptations, God remains entirely pure and unaffected by them. Translators often render this as "untempted" to preserve the sense that temptation is something that comes from outside, rather than arising within His nature. The term thus serves to protect the concept of divine holiness, asserting that evil has no power to influence or corrupt Him.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word apeirastos tells us that God stands completely apart from the pull of sin. It means He is untempted, untouched by any lure toward wrongdoing. When life feels heavy and you wonder if God understands your struggle, remember this: He is not distant because He has never faced temptation, but holy because He remains pure through it all.
This truth offers deep comfort. You do not serve a deity who might be swayed by evil or who struggles with the same weaknesses you face. Instead, you have a Father whose nature is fixed in goodness. His inability to be tempted is not a limitation; it is the very foundation of your safety and trust.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- unable to be tempted1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀπείραστός1×
Key Verses
-
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.
This verse uses apeirastos to explicitly shield God’s character from blame, clarifying that He never initiates the lure toward sin.