Repentance in the OT
Overview
Handling the issue of God's "repentance" - does He or not?
Key Passages (KJV)
Numbers 23:19: God does not repent like a man.
1 Samuel 15:29: God, the Strength of Israel, does not repent.
Genesis 6:6: God repented for making man, grieved at heart.
1 Samuel 15:11: God repented for making Saul king.
The Hebrew word "Nacham" means "to be sorry, repent, regret, comfort."
The Greek word "metanoia" (μετάνοια), means "a change of mind" or "rethinking," implying a deep, moral reorientation rather than mere regret.
Theological Nuance: Unlike the OT Hebrew nacham (sorrow or regret, sometimes applied to God), NT metanoia focuses on human response to God's grace, not divine emotion.
Major Views on Reconciling the Contradiction
Anthropomorphic Language
God's "repentance" is human-like language describing divine sorrow or action (e.g., judgment, mercy), not a literal change of mind.
Christian: Reformed (Calvin) and Catholic (Aquinas) scholars say it reflects God's actions adapting to human behavior within His fixed plan. Evangelicals (Grudem) agree it's a figure of speech.
Jewish: Maimonides sees it as metaphorical to preserve God's unchanging nature. Midrash compares God's grief to a parent's compassion.
Contextual Differences
Passages have different purposes: Numbers 23:19 and 1 Samuel 15:29 stress God's reliable promises or judgments; Genesis 6:6 and 1 Samuel 15:11 show responses to human sin.
Christian: Reformed (Henry) view 1 Samuel 15:11 as God's displeasure with Saul, 15:29 as final judgment. Arminians (Clarke) see responsiveness within God's foreknowledge.
Jewish: Rashi interprets Genesis 6:6 as compassiona |
