What does 'Repent' mean ?

My understanding is that repentance simply means ' change of mind ' .
It could also be breaking frame from a current set of propositions.

Jesus gives an example of repentance being a change of mind in Mathew 21 .
28¶But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
29He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he REPENTED AND WENT.
30And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
31Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
32For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
So we see two things . He repented ( changed his mind and went . So repenting isn't the action its the changing of mind .

Thoughts?
Agree ?
Disagree ?

Yeah, that's pretty much it. Somehow crying, condemnation, lack of self worth has also crept into the meaning of repentance but truly it's deciding to not go on doing what you were doing.

agree - it is literally a change of heart/mind from agreeing with one course to disagreeing with it. this may be instructive in drawing out the sense --



Paul here seems to be expressing that the thoughts of his heart & mind about being harsh in his previous letter to Corinth have gone back and forth between wishing perhaps he hadn't been, to being content that he had been. he's thought twice about it, changed his mind, then changed his mind back -- he 'repented' being so blunt when he considered that he should have been more gentle, then did not 'repent' it when he realized that being firm had had good effect.

the NKJV recognizes this and uses 'regret' instead, in attempt to give a clearer translation to the reader, avoiding all the religious connotation that's become attached to the word.

certainly Paul did not "unsend" then "resend" his previous letter to them. the 'repentance' all took place in his heart and mind -- as the NKJV puts it, regret, this is a mental/emotional property, not a physical action. physical actions may result from repentance, in the way of making amends, but repentance itself is something that takes place internally, not externally.

i've often described it that, to repent from sin is to call sin, sin. to look at is as sinful. to recognize it as wrong, going through a change in your thinking and heart from seeing it as 'ok' or 'good.' the success or failure of your willpower to keep yourself from committing it again is a separate issue -- as they famously say in AA, 'the first step is admitting it's a problem'

I've always been taught that "repent" means to "turn away".

Change your mindset and agree with God!

It means to ease oneself. . be sorry. . have empathy or mercy . Turn from ones anger.

Sometime being ones own best friend can be by having mercy on oneself, (not saving mercy but healing mercy ) so in turn we can ease the pains of others Mercy without judgment will be shown to those who do not turn after God who repents and turns his love toward the one he is calling or pulling the reigns to turn.

I would think a perfect example defining the word "repent" is shown in the context a parable below. Using a bullock to represent the resisting power of him at the reigns. Having sorrow for the creature he gently pulls the reigns. After having been turned the creature can rejoice in a merciful master and worker harder the next time it feels the tug of the reigns .

Two tunings First Christ eases his own pain ( repents)and has mercy. And once turned the creature can ease his own burden making it lighter.

Repentance is a work of God. he holds the reigns of our salvation.

Jerimiah 31: 18-18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God.
Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

It also means 'a turning' with God:

Strong's Concordance
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.

HELPS Word-studies
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").

to change one's mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins:

From meta and noieo; to think differently or afterwards, i.e. Reconsider (morally, feel compunction) -- repent.

Ex: Before we came to Christ we were slaves to the sinful nature, to perform it. After we came to Christ we were in agreement with God's word about our sin and have a spirit that is turning away from the deeds of the sinful nature and are now slaves to righteousness.

A turning took place a change of mind.

Brown-Driver-Briggs' Definition

1) to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion

1a2) to be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent

1a3) to comfort oneself, be comforted

1a4) to comfort oneself, ease oneself

1b) (Piel) to comfort, console

1c) (Pual) to be comforted, be consoled

Repent is when you morally feel compunction according to Greek interpretation. A person that has been quickened to a new spiritual life has had his heart changed from a stony heart to a fleshy heart that can be pricked by God to feel guilty when he has broken a spiritual law. The natural man will not repent of breaking a spiritual law that he cannot understand, and thinks it to be foolishness.

In the context of preaching the Gospel. "Repent and believe the Gospel" it means to quit sinning against God and stop doing what you have been doing that is contrary to the commandments of God. So when they asked John for examples he gave them some.

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, .....

And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 11He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 12Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 13And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. 14And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

Mercy will be shown to those who don't turn after God? Which bible are you reading?

How does the bullock "represent the resisting power of" the one holding the reins?

In what sense did Christ ever "repent"? In what sense did He "ease his own pain"?

Isaiah 66:2, But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word..

The mercy I used was without judgement. "Merciless" .No mercy will be shown to them .

Even God himself is subject to his own law in James 2 . He is not a God on vengeance as if he wrestled against flesh and blood .

When mankind breaths his last breath .His temporal spirit under the letter of the law returns to the father of all spirits and his earthen body returns to the field of clay

Again in his mercy God the ones with the reigns does first work of comfort or repent of his own self comforting the creature who resist the reigns or will of the master . You say not using the whip to help him turn. But a firm gentle tug

James 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

I would think . The bullock represents like those of the foolish Galatians 3;3-5 Not accustomed to the love of the master. the reign holder. Who say be their actions there is no god in their hearts, denying Christ the source of faith.
In Galatian 3 God repented and called them back having mercy teaching them of the power called the "hearing of faith". perhaps next time the reigns will not as much effort to turn the bullock. . the hope of the long suffering master .

Christ, working in the Son of man, Jesus "repented" eased the judgment of the letter of the law as the father poured out the wrath of mankind and working with him strengthened the Son of man. In that sense working with the father. He did "ease his own pain" the letter of the law making the burden lighter

Romans 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

as this also,

we must not repent of the way, but repent of all that takes our eyes off of it -- of The Way; of Him
when we turn aside, to repent is to look straight ahead again

Repentance means change of mind. In the context of the 4 gospels and early Acts, the idea of repentance is for the Jews and can be viewed from the parable of the tenants, told in all 3 synoptic gospels. (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19)

When Jesus and the 12 were preaching from Matt-John, they need to repent of rejecting God their Father in the OT, and believe in his Son is their promised King and Messiah, as foretold by their prophets.

But as Jesus told them in the parable of the tenants, they were wicked and decided to slay the son instead, thinking they can then take control of the vineyard. The words they told Pilate was really horrific from this perspective

Matthew 27:25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

When Jesus was on the cross, he asked his father to forgive them for this act, because they know not what they do, the Father agreed to Jesus request.

So when Peter urged his Jewish brothers at Pentecost to repent (Acts 2:38), they are to repent from their horrific act of murdering the Son of God, and accept him once again as the Son of God and their King.

But of course they did not, so God blinded them temporary.

Repentance for Gentiles is not strictly necessary. We need to believe in Jesus's death burial and resurrection for our sins. If there is repentance, it more to repent of our works to get right with God, and rest in Jesus's finished works.

yeah me too . I like the distinction Jesus makes that its changing your mind . Turning away was separated . He repented ( changed his mind ) then went .

Isnt the ' stony heart , replaced by a fleshy heart ,about Israel in the future?

////
that can be pricked by God to feel guilty when he has broken a spiritual law///// Which verse says this?
And Rom 2.14
For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: