δοκιμάζω
To test (literally or figuratively); by implication, to approve
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What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does δοκιμάζω (dokimázō) mean in the Bible?
δοκιμάζω (dokimázō) is a Greek word meaning "to test (literally or figuratively); by implication, to approve". δοκιμάζω (δόκιμος), [in LXX chiefly for בָּחַן ;] __1. Leadership and service are not impulsive appointments but require observable faithfulness.
Full entry for δοκιμάζω (G1381) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
Testing with expectation of approval; discerning what genuinely measures up to standard.
(δόκιμος), [in LXX chiefly for בָּחַן ;]
Why This Word Matters
Leadership and service are not impulsive appointments but require observable faithfulness. 1 John 4:1-6
Calls the church to active discernment rather than passive acceptance of spiritual claims. 1 Timothy 3:8-13
Discernment is an active responsibility of believers, not a passive assumption.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 5×
Imperative command or strong request 6×
Indicative states a fact or reality 6×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 4×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 22 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
New Testament Witnesses
Additional Occurrences
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain