Bible Lexicons

δοκιμάζω

(< δόκιμος ),

[in LXX chiefly for H974;]

1. primarily of metals (Proverbs 8:10; Proverbs 17:3, Sirach 2:5, Wisdom of Solomon 3:6), to test, try, prove (in the hope and expectation that the test will prove successful, v. reff. s. Syn.): χρυσίον , 1 Peter 1:7; other things, Luke 12:56; Luke 14:19, 2 Corinthians 8:8, Galatians 6:4, 1 Thessalonians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; τὰ διαφέροντα , Romans 2:18, Philippians 1:10 (R, mg., but v. infr.); πνεύματα , 1 John 4:1; of men, 1 Timothy 3:10 (pass.); ἑαυτόν , 1 Corinthians 11:28, 2 Corinthians 13:5; seq. subst. clause, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 3:13, Ephesians 5:10.

2. As the result of trial, to approve, think fit: Romans 1:28; Romans 14:22, 1 Corinthians 16:3, 2 Corinthians 8:22, 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (δεδοκιμάσμεθα ); τὰ διαφέροντα , Romans 2:18, Philippians 1:10, R, txt. (but v. supr.; cf. διαφέρω ).†

** δοκιμασία , -ας , ἡ

(< δοκιμάζω ),

[in LXX: Sirach 6:21 *;]

a testing, proving: Hebrews 3:9 (LXX).†

SYN.: πειράζω G3985 (v. Tr., Syn., LXXiv; Cremer, 494 ff., 699 ff.).

δοκιμάζω is not uncommon in its primary sense of ";testing."; Syll 522.14 (iii/B.C.) δοκιμάζειν δὲ τὰ ἱερεῖα τοὺς προβούλους, with other officials. P Ryl II. 114.35 (c. A.D. 280) . . .] κατὰ τὸ δικαιότατον δοκιμάσει ὁ κράτιστος [ἐπιστράτηγο ]̓, ";his excellency the epistrategus shall sift the matter with the utmost equity."; So still in vi/vii A.D., P Oxy I. 128 verso.9 ἵνα τὸ παριστάμενον ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ δοκιμάσῃ, ";in order that you may judge of his present condition"; (Edd). P Flor II. 119.4 (A.D. 254) ὅπως δοκ [ιμάσας γρά ]ψη ̣ς μοι εἰ οὕτως ἔχ ̣[ει, ";that after inquiry you may write to me whether it is so."; P Gen I. 32.8 (A.D. 148), of an inspector of calves for sacrifice—καὶ δοκιμάσας ἐσφράλ [ισα ὡς ] ἔστιν καθαρός. From ";proving"; to ";approving"; was a step taken long before these documents were written, so that the ambiguity which meets us in Romans 2:18 and Philippians 1:10 is based on the normally coexisting uses. So in the earliest known marriage-contract, P Eleph 1.10 (B.C. 311–0) (= Selections, p. 3) differences between husband and wife are to be settled by three men—οὓς ἂν δοκιμάζωσιν ἀμφότεροι, ";whom both shall approve,"; and in P Fay 106.23 (c. A.D. 140) a plea for exemption from certain public services is put forward on behalf of physicians, and especially of those who have ";passed the examination"; like the petitioner—μάλ [ι ]στα [δὲ οἱ δε ]δοκιμασμένοι ὥσπερ κἀγ [ώ : cf. Syll 371.9 (time of Nero) ἀνὴ [ρ ] δεδοκιμασμένος τοῖς θείοις κριτηρίοις τῶν Σεβαστῶν ἐπί τε τῇ τέχνῃ τῆς ἰατρικῆς καὶ τῇ κοσμιότητι τῶν ἠθῶν —a character certificate and an examination, to qualify for M.B. In the inscrr. indeed the verb is almost a term. techn. for passing as fit for a public office : see Milligan Thess. p. 18. So OGIS 90.3 (the Rosetta Stone–B.C. 196) ὃν (sc. Πτολεμαῖον Ἐπιφανῆ) ὁ Ἥφαιστος ἐδοκίασεν, i.e. ";examinatum probavit ideoque regem constituit"; (Dittenberger) : the same phrase meets us in a Munich papyrus, Chrest. I. 109.10 (end of iii/B.C.), of Ptolemy Philopator, ὃν ὁ Ἥφαιστος ἐδοκ [ίμασεν, ὧι ὁ Ἥλιος ἔδωκεν τὸ κρ ]άτος. Hence comes a meaning hardly distinguishable from δοκεῖν, as in P Petr III. 41 verso .10 ὁ ]ποτέρως οὖν καὶ σὺ δοκιμάζεις, οὕτ ̣ως [ἔσ ]ται, ";whichever way, then, you also approve of, so it shall be"; (Edd.). P Oxy VI. 928.7 (ii/iii A.D.) φανερόν σοι ποιῶ ἵνα ἐὰν δοκιμάσῃς ποιήσῃς πρὶν προλημφθῆναι, ";I therefore inform you, in order that if you think fit you may act before she is entrapped"; (Edd.) with reference to a plot against a girl, P Giss I. 40 ii. 10 (A.D. 215) δηλωταιον (? δηγλοποιεῖν) [ἐ ]δοκίμασα, P Tebt II. 326.10 (c. A.D. 266) τὸν ἴδιον ἐμαυτῆς ἀδελφὸν. . . δοκιμάσασα προ [στ ]ήσεσθαι γνησίως τοῦ παιδίου, ";having found that my own brother will honourably protect the child"; (Edd.), P Oxy I. 71 i. 18 (A.D. 303) κελενσαι εἴ σοι δοκοῖ ἢ τῷ στρατηγῷ ἢ ᾧ ἐὰν δοκιάσῃς, ";to instruct, if you will, the strategus or any other magistrate whom you may sanction"; (Edd.). For a verb δοκιμάω, unknown to LS, see P Tebt I. 24.78 (B.C. 117) καθότι [ἂ ]ν ̣ δοκ ̣ι ̣μήσῃς, P Oxy III. 533.24 (ii/iii A.D.) ὃν ἐ [ὰν δ ]οκιμᾷς, and cf. Mayser Gr. p. 459, also below s.v. δοκιμή. Note that δοκιμόω is old, at any rate in its Aeolic form δοκίμωμι, found in Sappho, and in the learned Aeolic of Julia Balbilla, in the suite of Hadrian, Kaibel 991.7.

 

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