What does στρέφω (stréphō) mean in the Bible?
Στρέφω means to turn, turn around, change direction, or cause something to turn. Many uses are physical: Jesus turns toward a crowd or toward followers, and waters can be turned into blood.
Greek · G4762
στρέφω
To turn
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στρέφω G4762
Pronunciation stréphō
What does στρέφω (stréphō) mean in the Bible?
Στρέφω means to turn, turn around, change direction, or cause something to turn. Many uses are physical: Jesus turns toward a crowd or toward followers, and waters can be turned into blood.
Reader summary
Full entry for στρέφω (G4762) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4762?
The BSB source-word alignment has 21 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include turned (5), [Jesus] turned (3), turn (2), Turning (2), [and] returned (1).
Where does στρέφω (stréphō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 5:39. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (7), Matthew (6), John (4), Acts (3).
Are there verse guides for στρέφω (stréphō)?
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
Στρέφω means to turn, turn around, change direction, or cause something to turn. Many uses are physical: Jesus turns toward a crowd or toward followers, and waters can be turned into blood. Other passages extend the movement morally or relationally. Stephen says Israel's fathers turned back to Egypt in their hearts, revealing inward apostasy before outward return.
Jesus commands the struck disciple to turn the other cheek within His teaching against retaliation. The verb itself does not mean repent in every occurrence, though turning can become an image of changed allegiance elsewhere. Interpretation must distinguish bodily movement, transformed objects, nonretaliatory posture, and inward direction. A visible turn may express a deeper change, but context must make that connection.
How the Bible Uses It
Στρέφω describes physical or figurative turning. Its uses range from bodily movement to changed objects, nonretaliation, and hearts turning back toward bondage.
- Matt.5.39
But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also;
Turning the other cheek belongs to Jesus' rejection of personal retaliation and His call to surprising enemy-love, not a denial of justice or safety.
- Luke.7.9
When Jesus heard this, He marveled at the centurion. Turning to the crowd following Him, He said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.”
Jesus physically turns to the crowd and publicly commends the centurion's extraordinary faith.
- John.1.38
Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked. They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”
Jesus' turn toward the first disciples initiates a question about their desire and an invitation into His presence.
- Acts.7.39
But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
Israel's inward turn to Egypt reveals covenant refusal and longing for former bondage despite outward proximity to Moses.
- Rev.11.6
These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.
The witnesses' power to turn water to blood echoes Exodus judgment and belongs to Revelation's symbolic-prophetic scene.
Book contextPassage contextCanonical parallel
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It turned 5× Matthew 9:22, Luke 22:61, Luke 23:28, John 1:38
[Jesus] turned 3× Matthew 16:23, Luke 9:55, Luke 10:23
turn 2× Matthew 5:39, John 12:40
Turning 2× Luke 7:9, Luke 7:44
[and] returned 1× Matthew 27:3
He turned 1× Luke 14:25
she turned 1× John 20:14
then turn [and] 1× Matthew 7:6
to turn 1× Revelation 11:6
turned away [from them] 1× Acts 7:42
turned back 1× Acts 7:39
we now turn 1× Acts 13:46
you change 1× Matthew 18:3
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 5:39 στρέψον to turn Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular Matthew 7:6 στραφέντες to then turn [and] Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural Matthew 9:22 στραφεὶς to turned Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 16:23 στραφεὶς to [Jesus] turned Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 18:3 στραφῆτε to you change Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 2nd Person Plural Matthew 27:3 ἔστρεψεν to [and] returned Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Luke 7:9 στραφεὶς to Turning Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular Luke 7:44 στραφεὶς to turning Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular Luke 9:55 Στραφεὶς to [Jesus] turned Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular Luke 10:23 στραφεὶς to [Jesus] turned Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 5:39
Aligned rows 21
Books represented 5
Matthew 6 Luke 7 John 4 Acts 3 Revelation 1
Source forms
στραφεὶς 8x strapheis Matthew 9:22, Matthew 16:23, Luke 7:9, Luke 7:44
ἔστρεψεν 2x estrepsen Matthew 27:3, Acts 7:42
Στραφεὶς 2x Strapheis Luke 9:55, John 1:38
ἐστράφη 1x estraphē John 20:14
ἐστράφησαν 1x estraphēsan Acts 7:39
Στραφεῖσα 1x Strapheisa John 20:16
στραφέντες 1x straphentes Matthew 7:6
στραφῆτε 1x straphēte Matthew 18:3
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular 10x Matthew 9:22, Matthew 16:23, Luke 7:9, Luke 7:44
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 2x Matthew 27:3, Acts 7:42
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular 1x Matthew 5:39
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural 1x Acts 7:39
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular 1x John 20:14
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Feminine Singular 1x John 20:16
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural 1x Matthew 7:6
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 2nd Person Plural 1x Matthew 18:3
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not make a physical narrative turn symbolize conversion unless the passage itself develops that meaning.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not use turning the other cheek to require passive endurance of ongoing abuse or to forbid lawful protection and justice.
- Do not claim that every use of στρέφω is the full New Testament command to repent.
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Physical turning becomes moral/spiritual turning: repentance, conversion, changed direction of life.
Source Gloss
to turn
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 18 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 5:39 Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Active Imperative
στρέψον streyon
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse Matthew 7:6 Verb Second Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
στραφέντες strafentev
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse Matthew 16:23 Verb Second Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
στραφεὶς strafeiv
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse Matthew 18:3 Verb Second Person Plural Second Aorist Passive Subjunctive
στραφῆτε strafhte
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse Luke 7:9 Verb Second Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
στραφεὶς strafeiv
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse Luke 7:44 Verb Second Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
στραφεὶς strafeiv
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse Luke 9:55 Verb Second Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
στραφεὶς strafeiv
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse Luke 10:23 Verb Second Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
στραφεὶς strafeiv
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse Luke 14:25 Verb Second Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
στραφεὶς strafeiv
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse Luke 22:61 Verb Second Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
στραφεὶς strafeiv
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse Luke 23:28 Verb Second Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
στραφεὶς strafeiv
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse strafeiv
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse John 20:14 Verb Third Person Singular Second Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐστράφη estrafh
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse John 20:16 Verb Second Aorist Passive Participle Nominative Singular Feminine
στραφεῖσα strafeisa
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse Acts 7:39 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐστράφησαν estrafhsan
I turn, am converted, change
Read verse Acts 7:42 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἔστρεψε estreyen
I turn, am converted, change
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 5 Aligned forms 21 Tenses Aorist, Present Voices Passive, Active
Tenses
Voices
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 12×
Aorist Passive Matt 9:22 · Matt 16:23 · Luke 7:9 · Luke 7:44 · Luke 9:55 · Luke 10:23 · Luke 14:25 · Luke 22:61 · Luke 23:28 · John 1:38 · Matt 7:6 · John 20:16 12×
Indicative states a fact or reality 5×
Aorist Active Matt 27:3 · Acts 7:42 2×
Aorist Passive John 20:14 · Acts 7:39 2×
Present Passive Acts 13:46 1×
Imperative command or strong request 1×
Aorist Active Matt 5:39 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 2×
Aorist Passive Matt 18:3 · John 12:40 2×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 1×
Present Active Rev 11:6 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 21 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 19 present 2
Voice
passive 17 active 4
Mood
participle 12 indicative 5 subjunctive 2 imperative 1 infinitive 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 5:39 στρέψον aorist active imperative imperative Matthew 7:6 στραφέντες aorist passive participle participle Matthew 9:22 στραφεὶς aorist passive participle participle Matthew 16:23 στραφεὶς aorist passive participle participle Matthew 18:3 στραφῆτε aorist passive subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 27:3 ἔστρεψεν aorist active indicative completed Luke 7:44 στραφεὶς aorist passive participle participle Luke 7:9 στραφεὶς aorist passive participle participle Luke 9:55 στραφεὶς aorist passive participle participle Luke 10:23 στραφεὶς aorist passive participle participle Luke 14:25 στραφεὶς aorist passive participle participle Luke 22:61 στραφεὶς aorist passive participle participle Luke 23:28 στραφεὶς aorist passive participle participle John 1:38 στραφεὶς aorist passive participle participle John 12:40 στραφῶσιν aorist passive subjunctive subjunctive John 20:14 ἐστράφη aorist passive indicative completed John 20:16 στραφεῖσα aorist passive participle participle Acts 7:39 ἐστράφησαν aorist passive indicative completed Acts 7:42 ἔστρεψεν aorist active indicative completed Acts 13:46 στρεφόμεθα present passive indicative ongoing Revelation 11:6 στρέφειν present active infinitive infinitive
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)
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Jesus turns to rebuke his disciples for their vengeful attitude
Jesus turns to address large crowds following him with teaching
turning around physically to look at someone or something
Mary turns herself around to see the risen Jesus behind her
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 21 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
στρέφω is built from this root:
τροπή G5157
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Turning is a simple motion that can carry deep significance without always doing so. Jesus turns toward people in ordinary narrative movement, yet those moments can frame revelation, faith, and invitation. The command to turn the other cheek embodies refusal of personal vengeance in a kingdom ethic that also loves enemies. Stephen's history exposes a heart that turns toward Egypt even while the people remain in the wilderness, showing how allegiance can reverse inwardly before action follows.
Revelation uses transformed water as an Exodus-shaped judgment sign. These uses should not be merged into one conversion formula. Teachers can still show that direction matters: disciples orient themselves toward Jesus, sufferers refuse retaliation, and God's people must guard against hearts nostalgic for bondage. Faithful application follows the passage's kind of turning and does not ask the verb to carry an entire doctrine of repentance.
Anchor passage
Matt.5.39
Doctrinal connections
- Matthew 5:38-48, nonretaliation and enemy-love
- John 1:35-42, Jesus turning toward seekers
- Acts 7:35-43, hearts turning back to Egypt
- Exodus 7:14-25, water turned to blood in judgment
- Isaiah 30:15, salvation in repentance and rest
- 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, turning from idols to serve God
Στρέφω can be transitive, causing something to turn, or intransitive, turning oneself. Voice and object clarify the movement. More specialized conversion language may use compounds or other verbs, so the simple form should not automatically be spiritualized.
From Old to New Testament
Israel repeatedly faces the choice of turning toward the Lord or back toward bondage and idols. Jesus embodies and commands nonretaliatory love, gathers disciples who turn toward Him, and will execute the final judgments anticipated by Exodus.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain