Language Studies

Greek Thoughts

METANOEO* - εχηγεομαι (Strong's #1834)
To repent

This week we are beginning a series of studies of three Greek words that are associated with repentance in the New Testament. The first word we are going to study is μετανοὲω (Strong's #3340) which means, "To make a decision for change" as well as the noun form μετὰνοια (Strong's #3341), "A change of mind or purpose." The second word in our series is ἐπιστρὲφω (Strong's #1994), "to turn to, to be converted." The third word in our series on repentance is μεταμὲλομαι (Strong's #3338), which means, "To regret, to be sorry." All of these words have a profound influence in understanding the change of heart necessary for salvation.

This week we are going to begin with the study of μετανοὲω (Strong's #3340). Μετανοὲω has been understood by the Christian community as a whole to mean, "to change the mind." This is a general definition that does not express the pure meaning of the word. Μετανοὲω is associated with a person's perceptive awareness that he or she needs to make a decision to change the direction of their life. Μετανοὲω comes from two Greek words: the preposition μετὰ (Strong's #3326) when used in a compound word means "a change in location or circumstance." The other Greek word is νοὲω (Strong's #3539), which expresses a person's perceptive ability. (See our 8-part study on νοῦς and our 6-part study on νὸημα in the archives). Μετανοὲω represents a person's decision to change the direction of their life based upon the perception of this truth given by the Holy Spirit.

Μετανοὲω in Classical Greek meant, "to perceive afterwards." It was used as the opposite of προνοὲω (Strong's #4306), "to perceive beforehand." Μετανοὲω later came to mean, "to change one's mind or purpose." This meaning was carried over into the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. This word is used to express what Samuel said to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:28-29 (in the Septuagint this text is 1 Kings 15:28-29): "The Lord has torn your kingdom from Israel out of your hand today, and will give it to your neighbor, the one good over against you. And He will divide Israel into two, and he will not turn away nor change His mind (μετανοὲω), because He is not a man so that He should change His mind^F1 (μετανοὲω)." — Literal Translation of the Septuagint. Samuel is saying that God does not change His mind or purpose in what He does. In Proverbs 20:25 it says, "It is a snare for a man to sanctify quickly something of his own, for after vowing comes changing of the mind (μετανοὲω) ." — Literal Translation of the Septuagint. This proverb warns against taking some possession and quickly dedicating it to the Lord and then afterward, wanting to change his mind. The proverb teaches that after dedication, it cannot be taken back. The idea of changing one's mind or purpose was carried into the New Testament as well.

Μετανοὲω is first used in the New Testament by John the Baptist as he called Israel to repent, or make a decision to change their trust in salvation from Judaism to the coming Messiah, as recorded in Matthew 3:2 saying, "Repent (the imperative, or command form, of μετανοὲω), for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near." - Literal Translation. After John was cast into prison, it is recorded in Mark 1:15 that Jesus came preaching the gospel saying, "The time has been fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has drawn near;. Repent (again, the imperative or command form of μετανοὲω) and believe in the gospel." — Literal Translation. Jesus continued the message of the need for those to repent and to believe in the gospel to be saved. In Luke 15:7, Jesus emphasizes the importance of repentance when He said, "I say to you that in this way joy will be in heaven over one sinner repenting (μετανοὲω) than over ninety-nine righteous ones, who have no need of repentance." — Literal Translation.

Paul says in Acts 17:30, "Indeed therefore, God having overlooked the times of ignorance, He now commands all men everywhere that they should repent^F2 (μετανοὲω)," — Literal Translation. The necessity of repentance is demonstrated by Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:21: "if perhaps^F3 when I come again, my God should humble me toward you, and I should mourn over many of the ones who have sinned before and not having repented (μετανοὲω) over their uncleanness and fornication, and licentiousness which they practiced."

God's Word clearly establishes the need for everyone to repent in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven. To repent is more than an intellectual or religious acknowledgement that a person must change their mind. To repent is to respond to an inner, or spiritual, perception of the need to make a decision to change the direction of one's life. The verb "to repent" also carries with it the understanding that the person who is making the decision for change cannot change himself, but rather perceives the need to surrender his life to Christ for the change. As we develop the concept of repentance from the Scriptures, we will understand more clearly how important this concept is.

Next week we will study the noun form μετὰνοια.

* METANOEO is the English spelling of the Greek word μετανοὲω.

Technical Notes:

F1: The articular infinitive τοῦ͂μετανοῆσαι, "the to repent" is translated ὥστε͂νὰ͂μετανοὴσῃ, "so that He should repent."

F2: The present infinitive μετανοεῖν, "to repent" is translated νὰ͂μετανοῶσι, "that they should repent."

F3: The negative particle μὴ, translated "lest," is translated by μὴπως, "if perhaps."

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