δοκιμασία (dokimasia)
dokimasia
examination
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun dokimasia refers to a process of testing or proving, specifically one aimed at verifying authenticity or quality. In Scripture, it appears only once, in Hebrews 3:9, where it translates the Hebrew concept of trial found in Psalm 95. The word carries the sense of an examination designed to reveal the true nature of something, much like assaying metal to check its purity.
Its root verb, dokimazō, is often used for approving what has been tested. Here, however, the focus shifts to the act of testing itself. The author of Hebrews uses it to describe how Israel’s repeated rebellion in the wilderness served as a test of God’s patience and character. Rather than a simple check, this dokimasia was a prolonged period where divine faithfulness was challenged by human disobedience.
This single usage highlights a theological tension: testing is not always for the benefit of the one being tested, but can also serve to reveal the steadfastness of God. The sources note that while related words like peirazō can imply tempting toward evil, dokimasia generally retains a neutral or positive connotation of verification. In this context, it underscores how God’s works are made known through the resistance they face.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word dokimasia describes an examination intended to verify quality, much like assaying metal to check its purity. In Hebrews 3:9, this term captures the repeated testing of God by Israel in the wilderness. This was not a simple check but a prolonged period where divine faithfulness was challenged by human disobedience.
Understanding this helps us see that testing is not always for our benefit alone. It can also serve to reveal the steadfastness of God. When we face difficulties, we are invited to trust in His unchanging character, even when our own responses fall short.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- testing1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- δοκιμασίᾳ1×
Key Verses
-
Hebrews 3:9
where your fathers tested me and tried me, and saw my deeds for forty years.
This occurrence highlights how Israel's rebellion served as a test of God’s patience and character rather than merely a trial for the people.