(68) What About God “Repenting?”

One of the questions that always comes up when we talk about the immutability of God regards passages in scripture that speak of God “repenting” or “relenting” of something.

Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, "I regret [KJV= “repent”] that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands." (1 Samuel 15:10-11)

If God is immutable and does not change, how do we make sense of these verses? How can God be immutable and also “repent” for doing something?

There are three main explanations for this confusing question. First, it is important to understand the Hebrew word behind the English translation. The Hebrew word used in the passages that speak of God “repenting” is nacham. This word has several meanings, including "to be sorry or grieved," "console oneself," "repent," "regret," and "be comforted." The actual meaning is determined from the context where it is used.

Unfortunately, the archaic, if not inaccurate translation of this Hebrew word in the King James Version has caused the most confusion. The KJV often translates this Hebrew word with the English word “repent” making it seam that God has recognized that something He did was wrong. But, there is actually another Hebrew word that is used in reference to repentance from sin, shub and it is never used of God. In many of the passages where nacham is used, it would be far more accurate to translate it as sorrow of grief. This only means that God is grieved by something – by man’s actions and how man has fallen into evil. God has not, does not, and cannot do anything that is not perfectly right. Therefore, God cannot repent of doing something wrong or even less than perfect.

This does not completely solve our problem. While it is clear that God never “repents” of doing something wrong, it is not clear yet if scripture is indicating that God changed His mind, intentions, or actions because of some event or due to the actions of man or some other influence.

To understand scripture when it speaks of God relenting or changing His mind, we need to understand how the Bible speaks in a way to help finite human beings make sense of an infinite God.


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