μετανοέω
To repent
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What does μετανοέω (metanoéō) mean in the Bible?
μετανοέω (metanoéō) is a Greek word meaning "to repent". μετα-νοέω, -ῶ [in LXX for נָחַם ni. Defines the required response to kingdom revelation. This term runs through the canonical themes of Covenant, Faith, Kingdom.
Full entry for μετανοέω (G3340) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
Repentance involving change of mind and amendment of life, not mere regret or sorrow for sin.
to change one's mind or purpose, hence, to repent; in NT (exc. Luk.17:3-4), of repentance from sin, involving amendment: before ἀπό, Act.8:22; ἔκ, Rev.2:21-22 9:20-21 16:11 (מִן שׁוּב); ἐπί, 2Co.12:21; absol., Mat.3:2 4:17 11:20 12:41, Mrk.1:15 6:12, Luk.11:32 13:3, 5 15:7, 10 16:30 17:3-4, Act.2:38 3:19 17:30 26:20 2:5, 16 2:21 3:3, 19; with inf., Rev.16:9; ἐν σάκκῳ κ. σποδῷ, Mat.11:21, Luk.10:13.
Why This Word Matters
Defines the required response to kingdom revelation. Acts 17:22-31
Repentance is required entrance into the kingdom. Acts 2:14-41
Central message of kingdom proclamation. Acts 26:19-23
Repentance is the necessary response to divine revelation. Acts 3:11-26
Defines the necessary response to avoid perishing. Acts 8:9-25
Describes the turning response that brings heavenly joy. Luke 10:13–16
Defines the required response to God’s revealed authority.
Repentance is the necessary response to the gospel proclamation, marking a decisive break with unbelief.
Defines the necessary human response to the gospel.
Repentance is central to receiving covenant blessing and forgiveness.
Highlights the necessity of inward transformation for true faith.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
Indicative states a fact or reality 11×
Imperative command or strong request 10×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 7×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 3×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 3×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 33 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
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.
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