King James Bible Dictionary

RE'PENT, adjective [Latin repo, to creep.] Creeping; as a repent root.

REPENT', verb intransitive [Latin re and paeniteo, from paena, pain. Gr. See Pain.]

1. To feel pain, sorrow or regret for something done or spoken; as, to repent that we have lost much time in idleness or sensual pleasure; to repent that we have injured or wounded the feelings of a friend. A person repents only of what he himself has done or said.

2. To express sorrow for something past.

Enobarbus did before thy face repent

3. To change the mind in consequence of the inconvenience or injury done by past conduct.

Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return. Exodus 13:17.

4. Applied to the Supreme Being, to change the course of providential dealings. Genesis 6:7. Psalms 106:45.

5. In theology, to sorrow or be pained for sin, as a violation of God's holy law, a dishonor to his character and government, and the foulest ingratitude to a Being of infinite benevolence.

Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13:3. Acts 3:19.

REPENT', verb intransitive

1. To remember with sorrow; as, to repent rash words; to repent an injury done to a neighbor; to repent follies and vices. [See Repentance.]

2. With the reciprocal pronoun.

No man repented him of his wickedness. Jeremiah 8:6.

[This form of expression is now obsolete.]

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 (Matthew 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 (Psalms 119:128; Job 42:5, 6; 2 Corinthians 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 (Psalms 51:4, 9), of pollution (51:5, 7, 10), and of helplessness (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 (Psalms 51:1; 130:4).

Attributed to God
Genesis 6:6-7; Exodus 32:14; Deuteronomy 32:36; Judges 2:18; 1 Samuel 15:11; 1 Samuel 15:29; 1 Samuel 15:35; 2 Samuel 24:16; 1 Chronicles 21:15; Psalms 106:45; Psalms 110:4; Psalms 135:14; Jeremiah 15:6; Jeremiah 18:8; Jeremiah 18:10; Jeremiah 26:3; Jeremiah 42:10; Joel 2:13; Amos 7:3; Amos 7:6; Jonah 3:9-10

The burden of the preaching:

Of John the Baptist
Jonah 40:3

Of Jesus
Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15

Exhortation to
Proverbs 1:23-33; Jeremiah 7:3; Jeremiah 7:5; Jeremiah 26:3; Hosea 14:1-3; Amos 5:4-6; Matthew 3:2

Condition of God's favor
Leviticus 26:40-42; 2 Chronicles 7:14

Unavailing to Israel
Numbers 14:39-45

Unavailing to Esau
Hebrews 12:16-17

Unclassified scriptures relating to
Leviticus 26:40-42; Deuteronomy 4:29-31; Deuteronomy 30:1-3; Deuteronomy 30:8-10; Deuteronomy 32:29; 1 Kings 8:33-50; 2 Chronicles 7:14; 2 Chronicles 6:36-39; 2 Chronicles 30:6-9; Nehemiah 1:9; Job 11:13-15; Job 22:23; Job 33:26-28; Job 34:31-32; Job 36:10; Psalms 22:27; Psalms 34:14; Psalms 34:18; Psalms 51:17; Psalms 95:7-8; Psalms 147:3; Proverbs 1:22-23; Proverbs 9:6; Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 10:21; Isaiah 22:12; Isaiah 31:6; Isaiah 44:22; Isaiah 46:8; Isaiah 55:6-7; Isaiah 57:15; Isaiah 59:20; Isaiah 61:1-2; Jeremiah 3:4; Jeremiah 3:12-14; Jeremiah 3:19; Jeremiah 4:1-4; Deuteronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 4:14; Jeremiah 6:8; Jeremiah 6:16; Jeremiah 7:5; Jeremiah 7:7; Jeremiah 13:15-16; Jeremiah 18:8; Jeremiah 18:11; Jeremiah 24:7; Jeremiah 25:5; Jeremiah 35:15; Jeremiah 26:3; Jeremiah 26:13; Jeremiah 31:9; Jeremiah 36:3; Jeremiah 36:7; Jeremiah 50:4-5; Ezekiel 7:16; Ezekiel 11:18-20; Ezekiel 12:3; Ezekiel 14:6; Ezekiel 16:61-63; Ezekiel 18:21-23; Ezekiel 18:27-28; Ezekiel 18:30-32; Ezekiel 20:43; Ezekiel 36:31; Ezekiel 33:10-12; Ezekiel 33:14-16; Ezekiel 33:19; Ezekiel 37:23; Daniel 4:27; Hosea 2:7; Hosea 3:5; Hosea 5:15; Hosea 10:12; Hosea 12:6; Hosea 14:1-2; Joel 1:14; Joel 2:12-13; Joel 2:15-18; Amos 4:12; Amos 5:6; Amos 5:15; Jonah 3:8-9; Haggai 1:7; Zech 1:3; Zech 12:10; Malachi 3:7; Matthew 3:2; Matthew 3:7-8; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 5:4; Luke 6:21; Matthew 9:13; Mark 1:4; Mark 1:15; Luke 3:3; Mark 2:17; Mark 6:12; Luke 5:32; Luke 10:13; Luke 13:1-5; Luke 15:1-10; Luke 18:10-14; Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; Acts 2:40; Acts 3:19; Acts 5:31; Acts 8:22; Acts 17:30; Acts 20:21; Acts 26:20; Romans 2:4; Romans 11:23; Romans 14:11; Ephesians 5:14; 2 Timothy 2:25; Hebrews 6:1; James 4:8-10; 1 John 1:9; Revelation 2:5; Revelation 2:16; Revelation 3:2-3; Revelation 3:19
Conviction; Penitence; Remorse; Sin, Confession of; Sin, Forgiveness of

Instances of:

Joseph's brethren, of their maltreatment of Joseph
Genesis 42:21; Genesis 50:17-18

Pharaoh, of his hardness of heart
Exodus 9:27; Exodus 10:16-17

Balaam, of his spiritual blindness
Numbers 22:24-35

Israelites:

Of worshiping the golden calf
Exodus 33:3-4

Of their murmuring on account of lack of bread and water, when the plague of fiery serpents came upon them
Numbers 21:4-7

When rebuked by an angel for not expelling the Canaanites
Judges 2:1-5

Of their idolatry, when afflicted by the Philistines
Judges 10:6-16; 1 Samuel 7:3-6

In asking for a king
1 Samuel 12:16-20

In the time of Asa, under the preaching of Azariah
2 Chronicles 15:1-15

Under the preaching of Oded
2 Chronicles 28:9-15

Under the influence of Hezekiah
2 Chronicles 30:11

Achan, of his theft
Joshua 7:20

Saul, at the reproof of Samuel for not destroying the Amalekites
1 Samuel 15:6-31

David, at the rebuke of Nathan, the prophet, of his sins of adultery and murder
2 Samuel 12:7-14
Psalms, Penitential

Rehoboam, when his kingdom was invaded, and Jerusalem besieged
2 Chronicles 12:1-12

Hezekiah:

At the time of his sickness
2 Chronicles 32:26

When reproved by the prophet Micah
Jeremiah 26:18-19

Ahab, when reproved by Elijah for his idolatry
1 Kings 21:17-29

Jehoahaz
2 Kings 13:4

Josiah, when he heard the law which had been discovered in the temple by Hilkiah
2 Kings 22:11-20

Manasseh, when he was carried captive to Babylon by the king of Assyria
2 Chronicles 33:12-13

The Jews of the captivity:

At the dedication of the temple
Ezra 6:21

Of their idolatrous marriages
Ezra 15:10

Of their oppressive usury
Nehemiah 5:1-13

After hearing the law expounded by Ezra
Nehemiah 8:1-12; Nehemiah 9:1-3

Under the preaching of Haggai
Haggai 1:1-15

Jonah, after his punishment
Jonah 2:2-9

The Ninevites, under the preaching of Jonah
Jonah 3:5-9

The Jews, under the preaching of John the Baptist
Matthew 3:6

The woman who anointed Jesus with oil
Luke 7:37-48

The disobedient son
Matthew 21:29

The prodigal son
Luke 15:17-21

Peter, of his denial of Jesus
Matthew 26:75; Mark 14:72; Luke 22:62

Judas
Matthew 27:3-5; Acts 1:16; Acts 1:18

The Ephesians, under the preaching of Paul
Acts 19:18

Exemplified

General references
Numbers 21:7; 2 Samuel 24:10; 2 Samuel 24:17; 1 Chronicles 21:17; 2 Chronicles 29:6; Ezra 9:4; Ezra 9:6; Ezra 9:10; Ezra 9:13-14; Nehemiah 1:6-7; Nehemiah 9:16-37; Job 7:20; Job 9:20; Job 13:23; Job 40:4; Job 42:5-6; Psalms 32:5; Psalms 38:3-4; Psalms 38:18; Psalms 40:12; Psalms 41:4; Psalms 51:1-4; Psalms 51:7-17; Psalms 69:5; Psalms 69:10; Psalms 73:21-22; Psalms 106:6; Psalms 119:59-60; Psalms 119:176; Psalms 130:1-3; Isaiah 6:5; Isaiah 38:15; Isaiah 38:17; Isaiah 59:12-15; Isaiah 64:5-7; Jeremiah 3:21-22; Jeremiah 3:25; Jeremiah 8:14; Jeremiah 14:7; Jeremiah 14:20; Jeremiah 31:18-19; Lamentations 3:40-41; Daniel 9:5-7; Daniel 10:12; Hosea 6:1; Hosea 14:3; Hosea 14:8; Jonah 3:10; Micah 7:9; Luke 15:17-20; 1 Corinthians 15:9; 2 Corinthians 7:9-11; 1 Peter 2:25
Sin, Confession of

REPENT'ANCE, noun

1. Sorrow for any thing done or said; the pain or grief which a person experiences in consequence of the injury or inconvenience produced by his own conduct.

2. In theology, the pain, regret or affliction which a person feels on account of his past conduct, because it exposes him to punishment. This sorrow proceeding merely from the fear of punishment, is called legal repentance as being excited by the terrors of legal penalties, and it may exist without an amendment of life.

3. Real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of his holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence. This is called evangelical repentance and is accompanied and followed by amendment of life.

Repentance is a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to God.

Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation. 2 Corinthians 7:9. Matthew 3:8.

Repentance is the relinquishment of any practice, from conviction that it has offended God.

REPENT'ANT, adjective

1. Sorrowful for past conduct or words.

2. Sorrowful for sin.

3. Expressing or showing sorrow for sin; as repentant tears; repentant ashes; repentant sighs.

REPENT'ANT, noun

1. One who repents; a penitent.

2. One that expresses sorrow for sin.

REPENT'ER, noun One that repents.

REPENT'ING, participle present tense Grieving for what is past; feeling pain or contrition for sin.

REPENT'ING, noun Act of repenting Hosea 11:8.

REPENT'INGLY, adverb With repentance.