King James Bible Dictionary

1. Trial; a being put to the test. Thus God "tempted [Genesis 22:1; R.V., did prove'] Abraham;" and afflictions are said to tempt, i.e., to try, men (James 1:2, 12; comp. Deuteronomy 8:2), putting their faith and patience to the test.

2. Ordinarily, however, the word means solicitation to that which is evil, and hence Satan is called "the tempter" (Matthew 4:3). Our Lord was in this way tempted in the wilderness. That temptation was not internal, but by a real, active, subtle being. It was not self-sought. It was submitted to as an act of obedience on his part. "Christ was led, driven. An unseen personal force bore him a certain violence is implied in the words" (Matthew 4:1-11).

The scene of the temptation of our Lord is generally supposed to have been the mountain of Quarantania (q.v.), "a high and precipitous wall of rock, 1,200 or 1,500 feet above the plain west of Jordan, near Jericho."

Temptation is common to all (Daniel 12:10; Zechariah 13:9; Psalms 66:10; Luke 22:31, 40; Hebrews 11:17; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:7; 4:12). We read of the temptation of Joseph (Genesis 39), of David (2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21), of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:31), of Daniel (Daniel 6), etc. So long as we are in this world we are exposed to temptations, and need ever to be on our watch against them.

General references
Genesis 3:1-13; Genesis 20:6; Exodus 34:12-16; Deuteronomy 7:25; Deuteronomy 8:11-14; Deuteronomy 8:17-18; Deuteronomy 13:3; 1 Chronicles 21:1; 2 Chronicles 32:30-31; Psalms 119:165; Proverbs 1:10-17; Proverbs 2:10-12; Proverbs 2:16; Proverbs 4:14-15; Proverbs 5:6-21; Proverbs 6:27-28; Proverbs 7:7-23; Proverbs 9:15-17; Proverbs 12:26; Proverbs 14:27; Proverbs 13:14; Proverbs 16:29; Proverbs 19:27; Proverbs 28:10; Ecclesiastes 7:26; Isaiah 33:15-16; Jeremiah 2:24-25; Jeremiah 35:5-7; Hosea 7:5; Amos 2:12; Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; Matthew 5:19; Matthew 12:45; Matthew 13:22; Luke 8:13-14; Matthew 18:6-9; Matthew 26:31; Matthew 26:41; Luke 22:40; Mark 4:15; Mark 4:17; Mark 10:21-25; Mark 13:21-22; Luke 11:4; Luke 22:3; Luke 22:31-32; Luke 22:46; Mark 14:38; John 16:1-2; Romans 6:12-14; Romans 7:5; Romans 8:35-39; Romans 12:21; Romans 14:13; Romans 14:15; Romans 14:21; 1 Corinthians 7:5; 1 Corinthians 8:9-13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Corinthians 10:28-32; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 2 Corinthians 11:14-15; 2 Corinthians 12:7; Galatians 4:14; Galatians 5:17; Ephesians 4:27; Ephesians 6:11; Ephesians 6:13-17; 1 Thessalonians 3:5; 1 Timothy 5:15; 1 Timothy 6:9-10; 2 Timothy 3:13; Hebrews 2:18; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 12:3-4; James 1:2-4; James 1:12-16; James 4:7; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12; 1 Peter 5:8-9; 2 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 2:18; 2 Peter 3:17; 1 John 2:16; 1 John 2:26; 1 John 4:4; Revelation 3:10; Revelation 12:10-11; Revelation 12:17
Demons; Faith, Trial of; Satan

A test:

General references
Genesis 22:1-14; Hebrews 11:17; Deuteronomy 8:2; Deuteronomy 8:5; Deuteronomy 13:1-3; 2 Chronicles 32:31; Job 1:8-22; Job 2:3-10; Psalms 66:10-13; Daniel 12:10; Zech 13:9; James 1:2-3; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:6-7
Affliction, Design of; Faith, Trial of

Prayer against being led into temptation
Matthew 6:13; Luke 22:40

Instances of leading into temptation:

Abraham leads Pharaoh
Genesis 12:18-19

Abimelech
Genesis 20:9

Balak tempts Balaam
Genesis 4:22

The old prophet of Beth-El tempts the prophet of Judah
1 Kings 13:15-19

Gideon leads Israel into sin
Judges 8:27

Jeroboam leads Israel into sin
1 Kings 15:30

Resistance to temptation
Genesis 39:7-10; Nehemiah 4:9; Job 31:1; Job 31:5-17; Job 31:19-34; Job 31:38-40; Psalms 17:4; Psalms 73:2-26; Psalms 94:17-18; Psalms 119:101; Psalms 119:110; Amos 4:12; Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; Matthew 24:42-44; Matthew 25:13; Matthew 26:38-42; Mark 13:33-37; Mark 14:37-38; Luke 12:35-38; Luke 21:33-36; 1 Corinthians 16:13; 1 Peter 4:7; Revelation 3:2-3

Instances of resisting temptation:

Joseph resists the temptation to commit adultery
Genesis 39:7-12

Balaam, in refusing to curse the children of Israel
Numbers 22:7-18; Numbers 24:12-13

The prophet of Judah
1 Kings 13:7-9

Micaiah
1 Kings 22:13-28

Job
Job 1:6-21; Job 2:4-10

Rechabites
Job 24:35

David, to injure Saul
1 Samuel 26:5-25

The people of Jerusalem, not to trust Jehovah
2 Kings 18:30-36

Jesus
Matthew 4:1-11

Instances of yielding to temptation:

Adam and Eve
Genesis 3:1-19

Sarah, to lie
Genesis 12:13; Genesis 18:13-15; Genesis 20:13

Isaac, to lie
Genesis 26:7

Jacob, to defraud Esau
Genesis 27:6-13

Balaam
Numbers 22:15-22; 2 Peter 2:15

Achan
Joshua 7:21

David:

To commit adultery
2 Samuel 11:2-5

To number Israel
2 Samuel 13:21

Solomon, to become an idolater through the influences of his wives
1 Kings 11:4; Nehemiah 13:26

The prophet of Judah
1 Kings 13:11-19

Hezekiah
2 Kings 20:12-20; Isaiah 39:1-4; Isaiah 39:6-7

Peter
Matthew 26:69-74; Mark 14:67-71; Luke 22:55-60

TEMPTA'TION, noun The act of tempting; enticement to evil by arguments, by flattery, or by the offer of some real or apparent good.

When the devil had ended all the temptation he departed from him for a season. Luke 4:13.

1. Solicitation of the passions; enticements to evil proceeding from the prospect of pleasure or advantage.

2. The state of being tempted or enticed to evil. When by human weakness you are led into temptation resort to prayer for relief.

3. Trial.

Lead us not into temptation

4. That which is presented to the mind as an inducement to evil.

Dare to be great without a guilty crown,

View it, and lay the bright temptation down.

5. In colloquial language, an allurement to any thing indifferent, or even good.