When I was young, I enjoyed building my vocabulary. I actually enjoyed randomly opening up a dictionary and reading it. Somewhere along the way, I came across a book about how to build an even larger vocabulary. One of the “secrets” of vocabulary building is to understand etymology and how various parts of words fit together and modify the meaning of a word.
Later, as I learned other languages, this knowledge proved helpful in some instances. And, in other instances, learning other languages helped me to understand my own language better. One of those words that made more sense to me is the word “repent”.
The words that opened up the meaning are the translations of “to think” into French and Spanish. In these two languages, the verb looks almost the same: “penser” in French and “pensar” in Spanish. These words have crossed over into English as our word “pensive.” The Oxford dictionary defines this as “Engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought.” The origin is stated as “Late Middle English from Old French pensif, -ive, from penser ‘think’, from Latin pensare ‘ponder’, frequentative of pendere ‘weigh’.” [1] The word “repent” is a two-syllable word that divides this way: “re-pent”. Notice how similar the second syllable of the word “repent” is to these foreign words. The first syllable “re” means “again”. So together with the second syllable, the word “repent” could easily have originated as a word to indicate to think again about things and come to a different conclusion.
Indeed, this idea of the meaning of the word is supported by the Greek words from the original translations. The Greek word most commonly translated to “repent” is μετανοέω (metanoeó).
Strong’s 3340. metanoeó
metanoeó: to change one’s mind or purpose
Original Word: μετανοέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: metanoeó
Phonetic Spelling: (met-an-o-eh’-o)
Definition: to change one’s mind or purpose
Usage: I repent, change my mind, change the inner man (particularly with reference to acceptance of the will of God), repent.
3340 metanoéō (from 3326 /metá, “changed after being with” and 3539 /noiéō, “think”) – properly, “think differently after,” “after a change of mind“; to repent (literally, “think differently afterwards”).
The Hebrew word most commonly translated as “repent” is נָחַם (nacham).
Strong’s 5162. nacham
nacham: to be sorry, console oneself
Original Word: נָחַם
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nacham
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-kham’)
Definition: to be sorry, console oneself
A primitive root; properly to sigh, that is, breathe strongly; by implication to be sorry, that is, (in a favorable sense) to pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself): – comfort (self), ease [one’s self], repent (-er, -ing, self).
The Hebrew word is particularly illustrative of the effects of repentance. At the moment when someone has a true change of mind, there is usually an energy release in the form of a sigh or something akin to a sigh. There is a move or shift of the body that can include a change in facial expression and a relaxing of the body when a true change of mind occurs. This is a type of healing.
With this as background, let’s consider what it really means to repent of something. To truly repent of our shortcomings, it’s going to take a little more than accepting Jesus and throwing ourselves on His mercy. That’s a good beginning, to be sure, but it is perhaps only the beginning of what Jesus has asked of us.
To know what Jesus has asked of us, it helps to read a red-letter Bible in which the words of Jesus are printed in red as well as the Ten Commandments and other laws found in the Old Testament.
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5:17,18
As we read each command and recommendation He spoke for how to conduct ourselves, we can then ponder and weigh in our minds how well we live up to each of them and come to conclusions about how we might do better. That is how we “think again” about things. Notice that this is a very specific process. It isn’t just saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord. Help me be more like you.” That is only where the process begins. It isn’t complete until the “sigh” takes place, as implied in the Hebrew word “נָחַם”.
As Dr. Francis Myles put it in his interview with Sid Roth, “… the word repentance simply means to be in right standing. It literally means to turn back in and come into alignment with the governing authority.”
Mark Taylor, who I respect very much as a prophet, shared a concept from the Lord that he calls “target focused repentance and prayer”. The Lord showed Mark Taylor that target focused prayer is what needs to take place in this nation. “Look at it like … you’re hitting your target. Your prayer is a laser-guided bomb. Hit your target.” [2] In other words, be specific in your prayers. Generalities won’t get you the success you want.
When repentance is done properly, there will be such a change of heart that the desire no longer exists to do the things that brought about the act of repentance in the first place. Or, as Dr. Dennis Clark says, “If the hurt’s still there, that’s not forgiveness.” If you still haven’t arrived at the point that the desire is no longer there, consider carefully what wrong action does to harm you and those around you and how doing the right thing benefits you and those around you. God’s commandments are not random, and they are not intended to deprive us in any way. Each one supports the development of a sound individual and a harmonious society. The commandments are gifts intended to benefit us. Where you have a shortcoming in the keeping of God’s word, ponder deeply how doing better can help you personally.
If you feel the need for help, then pray to the Father for His assistance in seeing the Love in His commandments and making that change of heart needed to live them well. The good news is that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross has provided us the opportunity to repent and make ourselves right with God. This concept is the heart of the Gospel.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
[1] https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/pensive
[2] Mark Taylor briefly explains the concept here: https://youtu.be/d1avr6lhD9c?t=695
Here is an example of such a prayer from Mark Taylor: https://sordrescue.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/prayer_of_repentance.pdf
This prayer is spoken here: https://youtu.be/8MhlFa7yuh0
