Repentance 

The Hebrew Concept of Teshuvah

‍                                              By Drew & Deborah McKenna

Is repentance something that happens in the life of a Christian only at conversion?  This question needs to be explored in the teaching of Jesus and the letters of the other New Testament writers.

The Greek word for repentance is metanoia. It means to change one's mind or purpose.  We must remember that repentance is a Hebrew concept. The concept of repentance was NOT known in the Greek world during the first century. Spiros Zodhiates explains in his book, The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament, "This word derives its moral content from Jewish and Christian thought since nothing analogous to the Bible concept and conversion was known to the Greeks." 

Keeping in mind that repentance was first a Hebrew concept, we need to look at how Jesus' Jewish audience versus a Greek-speaking gentile audience would have understood repentance. The Hebrew word for repentance is teshuvah.  This word has richness and depth not seen in the Greek word metanoia. Teshuvah means to turn, return, to straighten out, turn back, to come back, to restore. It means to walk a straight path.

I like how Lois Tverberg describes the Hebrew language in her book Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, "Biblical Hebrew includes about 8,000 words, far fewer than the 100,000 or more we have in English. Because Hebrew has so few words, each is like an overstuffed suitcase, bulging with extra meanings that it must carry in order for the language to fully describe reality."

Teshuvah means to turn and face God and walk toward Him. It means to look at the damage your sin has caused and consider how you and others have lost as a result. It means not only asking God for forgiveness but it means asking forgiveness of the person you've sinned against as well.

Tverberg continues, "Teshuvah also has within it a picture of a person rediscovering what had been left behind before – a new, whole relationship that replaces the broken one. Interestingly, it doesn't refer to having inward remorse for sin, which is the initial response to the realization of wrongdoing. Rather it points to the latter, outward results of repentance – that a person actually makes a decision to change and do things differently."

The Hebrew word teshuvah is used over 1,050 times in the OT. The word is often translated into English as return(ed), turn(ed), turn away, turn back, restores, brought back, and bring back rather than repent. Interestingly, teshuvah is only translated into English as “repent” 11 times. In an inductive study, key repeated words are essential. When God uses the same word repeatedly throughout scripture, we need to pay attention.

Because the concept of repentance was not known in the Greek world at that time, Paul, James, and Peter use a variety of Greek words that encompass and define to a gentile audience the Hebrew understanding of repentance. Ideas of turning away from or fleeing sin, confessing sins, laying aside the old self, putting on the new self, being renewed, asking for forgiveness, and returning to God are what it means to repent - teshuvah.

Jesus taught His followers that repentance and seeking forgiveness go hand-in-hand. "Take heed to yourselves, if your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times a day and returns to you seven times, saying 'I repent,' forgive him." (Luke 17:3-4).

Jesus, after teaching a large crowd of people the parable of the "Sower and the Seed," was told that His mother and brothers were asking to see Him. He responded, "My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." (Luke 8:21 emphasis added).

In Hebrew, the word for "hear" is shema. It is a verb, an action word. It means to hear with undivided attention, AND then act on what you've heard. It means to understand what is heard and do it. It means to obey.

Lois Tverberg and Bruce Okkema, in their book Listening to the Language of the Bible - Hearing It Through Jesus' Ears, help believers to understand the Hebrew word shema.   "In our American culture, we say, 'It's the thought that counts.' But biblical cultures are very action-oriented and this is reflected in the language. In our culture, hearing means that our ears have heard sounds, but in the Bible, the word shema means not only hearing but includes the outcome; it's doing what is asked.  Knowing the greater meaning of shema helps us understand why Jesus says, ‘He who has an ear let him hear.’  He is calling us to put His words into action, not just listen. He wants us to be doers of the word, not hearers only. (James 1:22)"

Teacher, historian, and founder of That the World May Know, Ray Vander Laan often encourages audiences with these words, "I have found that using the Hebrew word teshuvah is helpful in my walk because the words repent and repentance have become too trivial in our modern Christian culture. We use them too readily. ‘I sinned, I repent.' We tend to look at repentance like this: ‘God, I did something wrong. I'm sorry. Thank you.’  Then we just go our way rarely going to the people we've hurt, asking them for forgiveness."

Repentance in the life of a Christian means not only asking forgiveness of those we've sinned against but also making specific changes in our lives.  It means to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, not as we formerly walked, but to please Him, bearing fruit and increasing in the knowledge of Him.  

A life of teshuvah truly is a life of total turn around! 

More information on this topic my be found on the Books/Video page of this website.  

We recommend the books:

-Listening to the Language of the Bible - Hearing It Through Jesus’ Ears by L. Tverberg & B. Okkema

-Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg