Reference: Repentance
American
A change of mind, accompanied with regret and sorrow for something done, and an earnest wish that it was undone. Such was the repentance of Juda, Mt 27:3; and so it is said that Esau found "no place of repentance" in his father Isaac, although he sought it with tears, Heb 12:17; that is, Isaac would not change what he had done, and revoke the blessing given to Jacob, Ge 27. God is sometimes said to "repent" of something he had done, Ge 6:6; Jon 3:9-10; not that he could wish it undone, but that in his providence such a change of course took place as among men would be ascribed to a change of mind. But the true gospel repentance, or "repentance unto life," is sorrow for sin, grief for having committed it, and a turning away from it with abhorrence, accompanied with sincere endeavors, in reliance on God's grace and the influences of the Holy Spirit, to live in humble and holy obedience to the commands and will of God. This is that repentance which always accompanies true faith, and to which is promised the free forgiveness of sin through the merits of Jesus Christ, Mt 4:17; Ac 3:19; 11:18; 20:12.
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And LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart.
Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we not perish? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. And God relented of the evil which he said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent ye, for the kingdom of the heavens has approached.
Then Judas, who betrayed him, after seeing that he was condemned, having repented, he brought back the thirty silver pieces to the chief priests and elders,
Repent ye therefore, and be converted in order to wipe away your sins, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
And when they heard these things, they relaxed and glorified God, saying, Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.
For ye also know that wanting afterward to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though having sought it with tears.
Easton
There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to denote repentance. (1.) The verb metamelomai is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas (Mt 27:3).
(2.) Metanoeo, meaning to change one's mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge. This verb, with (3) the cognate noun metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised.
Evangelical repentance consists of (1) a true sense of one's own guilt and sinfulness; (2) an apprehension of God's mercy in Christ; (3) an actual hatred of sin (Ps 119:128; Job 42:5-6; 2Co 7:10) and turning from it to God; and (4) a persistent endeavour after a holy life in a walking with God in the way of his commandments.
The true penitent is conscious of guilt (Ps 51:4,9), of pollution (Ps 51:5,7,10), and of helplessness (Ps 51:11; 109:21-22). Thus he apprehends himself to be just what God has always seen him to be and declares him to be. But repentance comprehends not only such a sense of sin, but also an apprehension of mercy, without which there can be no true repentance (Ps 51:1; 130:4).
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I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees thee. Therefore I abhor [myself], and repent in dust and ashes.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Against thee, thee only, I have sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight, that thou may be justified when thou speak, and {may prevail (LXX/NT)} when thou {are criticized (LXX/NT)}. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. read more. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
But deal thou with me, O lord LORD, for thy name's sake. Because thy loving kindness is good, deliver thou me, for I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
Blessed are thou, O LORD. Teach me thy statutes.
But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou may be feared.
Then Judas, who betrayed him, after seeing that he was condemned, having repented, he brought back the thirty silver pieces to the chief priests and elders,
Hastings
Repentance, in the sense of turning from a purpose, is frequently predicated of God in the OT (Ge 6:6-7; Ex 32:14 etc.). Repentance for sin is commonly expressed by 'turn' or 'return' (e.g. De 4:30; Isa 55:7; Eze 3:2; Ho 14:2). Repentance has a prominent place in the NT, alone (Mt 4:17; Lu 15:7; Ac 2:38 etc.), or in conjunction with faith (Mr 1:15; Ac 20:21 etc.), as an Indispensable condition of salvation. The word ordinarily used (metanoia) means literally 'change of mind.' The change, however, is one in which not the intellect only, but the whole nature (understanding, affections, will), is involved. It is such an altered view of God and sin as carries with it heartfelt sorrow for sin, confession of it, and decisive turning from it to God and righteousness (Lu 15:17-18; Ro 6:17-18; 2Co 7:10-11 etc.). Its reality is tested by its fruits (Mt 3:8; Lu 6:43-46). From this 'godly sorrow', which works 'repentance unto salvation' (2Co 7:10-11), is distinguished a 'sorrow of the world' which 'worketh death' (2Co 7:10), i.e. a sorrow which has no relation to God, or to the intrinsic evil of sin, but only to sin's harmful consequences. There may be keen remorse, and blaming of one's self for one's folly, yet no real repentance.
Disputes have arisen in theology as to the priority of faith or repentance, but unnecessarily, for the two, rightly viewed, are but the positive and negative poles of the same state of soul. There can be no evangelical faith which does not spring from a heart broken and contrite on account of sin; on the other hand, there can be no true repentance which has not the germ of faith in God, and of hope in His mercy, in it. The Law alone would break the heart; the Gospel melts it. Repentance is the turning from sin; Gospel faith is the turning to Christ for salvation. The acts are inseparable (Ac 20:21).
James Orr.
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And LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart. And LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground, from man, to beast, to creeping things, and birds of the heavens, for I regret that I have made them.
And LORD relented of the evil which he said he would do to his people.
When thou are in tribulation, and all these things have come upon thee, in the latter days thou shall return to LORD thy God, and hearken to his voice.
Let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. And let him return to LORD, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat the roll.
Take with you words, and return to LORD. Say to him, Take away all iniquity, and accept that which is good. So we will render [as] bullocks [the offering of] our lips.
Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance.
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent ye, for the kingdom of the heavens has approached.
and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent ye, and believe in the good-news.
For a good tree is not producing corrupt fruit, nor a corrupt tree producing good fruit. For each tree is known from its own fruit. For they do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they harvest grapes from a bramble bush. read more. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth the good, and the bad man out of the bad treasure of his heart brings forth the bad, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. And why do ye call me, Lord, Lord, and not do the things that I say?
I say to you, that thus there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous men who have no need of repentance.
But when he came to himself, he said, How many hired men of my father's have abundance of loaves, but I am perishing with hunger. After rising, I will go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight.
And Peter said to them, Repent ye, and be immersed each of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.
testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.
But thanks to God, that ye were bondmen of sin, but ye obeyed from the heart a model of doctrine for which ye were delivered. And having been set free from sin, ye were made servile to righteousness
For sorrow toward God works repentance for salvation without regret, but the sorrow of the world works death.
For sorrow toward God works repentance for salvation without regret, but the sorrow of the world works death. For behold this same thing--your grieving toward God. How much eagerness it worked in you, even a defense, even indignation, even fear, even longing, even zeal, even vengeance! In everything ye demonstrated yourselves to be pure in
Morish
The idea conveyed in this term is of great importance from the fact of its application not only to man but to God, showing how God, in His government of the earth, is pleased to express His own sense of events taking place upon it. This does not clash with His omniscience. There are two senses in which repentance on the part of God is spoken of.
1. As to His own creation or appointment of objects that fail to answer to His glory. He repented that He had made man on the earth, and that He had set up Saul as king of Israel. Ge 6:6-7; 1Sa 15:11,35
1Sa 15:2. As to punishment which He has threatened, or blessing He has promised. When Israel turned from their evil ways and sought God, He often repented of the punishment He had meditated. 2Sa 24:16, etc. On the other hand, the promises to bless Israel when in the land were made conditionally on their obedience, so that God would, if they did evil, turn from or repent of the good that He had said He would do, either to Israel or in fact to any nation. Jer 18:8-10. He would alter the order of His dealings towards them, and as to Israel He said, "I am weary with repenting." Jer 15:6. In all this the responsibility of man is concerned, as well as the divine government.
But the unconditional promises of God, as made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are not subject to repentance. "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance." Ro 11:29. "God is not a man that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it?" Nu 23:19; 1Sa 15:29; Mal 3:6. And this must hold good in regard to every purpose of His will.
As regards man, repentance is the necessary precursor of his experience of grace on the part of God. Two motives for repentance are presented in scripture: the goodness of God which leads to repentance (Ro 2:4) and coming judgement, on account of which God now commands all men to repent (Ac 17:30-31); but it is distinctly of His grace and for His glory that this door of return to Him is granted (Ac 11:18) in that He has approached man in grace and by His glad tidings, consequent on His righteousness having been secured in the death of Christ. Hence God's testimony is "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Ac 20:21.
Repentance has been described as "a change of mind Godward that leads to a judgement of self and one's acts." 1Ki 8:47; Eze 14:6; Mt 3:2; 9:13; Lu 15:7; Ac 20:21; 2Co 7:9-10; etc. This would not be possible but for the thought of mercy in God. It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance. Ro 2:4.
Repentance is also spoken of as a change of thought and action where there is no evil to repent of. 2Co 7:8.
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And LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart. And LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground, from man, to beast, to creeping things, and birds of the heavens, for I regret that I have made them.
God is not a man, that he should lie, neither the son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?
And when the [heavenly] agent stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, LORD relented of the evil, and said to the agent who destroyed the people, It is enough. Now stay thy hand. And the agent of LORD was by the thres
yet if they shall rethink themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to thee in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have
Thou have rejected me, says LORD. Thou have gone backward. Therefore I have stretched out my hand against thee, and destroyed thee. I am weary with relenting.
if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from their evil, I will relent of the evil that I thought to do to them. And at that instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, read more. if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they obey not my voice, then I will relent of the good with which I said I would benefit them.
Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says lord LORD: Return ye, and turn yourselves from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
For I, LORD, do not change. Therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
Repent ye, for the kingdom of the heavens has approached.
But after going, learn what this means, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners for repentance.
I say to you, that thus there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous men who have no need of repentance.
And when they heard these things, they relaxed and glorified God, saying, Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.
Indeed therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands for all men everywhere to repent. Because he appointed a day during which he is going to judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he appointed, having provided assurance to all men because he raised him from the dead.
testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.
testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.
Or do thou despise the wealth of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God guides thee to repentance?
Or do thou despise the wealth of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God guides thee to repentance?
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Because even though I grieved you in the letter, I am not remorseful (even though I was remorseful), for I perceive that that letter grieved you, even though for an hour.
Watsons
REPENTANCE is sometimes used generally for a change of mind, and an earnest wishing that something were undone that has been done. Esau found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears; he could not move his father Isaac to repent of what he had done, or to recall the blessing from Jacob and confer it on himself, Heb 12:17; Mt 3:2; 4:17. Taken in a religious sense it signifies conviction of sin and sorrow for it. But there is,
1. A partial or worldly repentance, wherein one is grieved for and turns from his sin, merely on account of the hurt it has done, or is likely to do, him; so a malefactor, who still loves his sin, repents of doing it, because it brings him to punishment.
2. An evangelical repentance, which is a godly sorrow wrought in the heart of a sinful person by the word and Spirit of God, whereby, from a sense of his sin, as offensive to God, and defiling and endangering to his own soul, and from an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, he, with grief and hatred of all his known sins, turns from them to God, as his Saviour and Lord. This is called "repentance toward God," as therein we turn from sin to him; and "repentance unto life;" as it leads to spiritual life, and is the first step to eternal life, Mt 3:2; Ac 3:19; 11:18; 20:12. God himself is said to repent, but this can only be understood of his altering his conduct towards his creatures, either in the bestowing of good or the infliction of evil: which change in the divine conduct is founded on a change in his creatures; and thus, speaking after the manner of men, God is said to repent.
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Repent ye, for the kingdom of the heavens has approached.
Repent ye, for the kingdom of the heavens has approached.
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent ye, for the kingdom of the heavens has approached.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted in order to wipe away your sins, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
And when they heard these things, they relaxed and glorified God, saying, Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.
For ye also know that wanting afterward to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though having sought it with tears.