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ἐπιστρέφω

epistréphō

G1994 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To turn (toward or back), to return, to change direction or orientation; in some contexts, to turn one’s attention, consideration, or allegiance. In moral or figurative contexts, can refer to a change in attitude or conduct, or a turning back to a prior state.

Semantic Range

to return (to a place or person), to turn toward, to turn back, to change direction, to pay attention to something, to convert (in the sense of turning toward a new allegiance or change in conduct)

Root / Etymology

From the preposition ἐπι- ('upon, toward') and the verb στρέφω ('to turn, turn about'). The compound indicates a turning toward or back to something/someone.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The verb ἐπιστρέφω appears in both literal and figurative senses in Koine Greek. In secular and Septuagintal/NT usage, it often means to turn back physically (e.g., return to a location, or turn around). In the Septuagint and New Testament, it is frequently used as a metaphor for returning or turning to a person or to God, sometimes translated in English Bibles as 'to convert.' However, the sense of religious or moral conversion is usually contextually inferred, not lexicalized. Unlike some English translations, the verb itself does not always contain a strictly religious or moral nuance—its base meaning concerns turning or returning. When used in contexts of religious allegiance (e.g., returning to God), the wider theme of 'conversion' is present by implication of the context, not intrinsically in the verb. Compared to the simple στρέφω ('to turn'), ἐπιστρέφω emphasizes turning toward or back to something specific. The verb is common in the LXX for Israelite or Judean ‘return’ to covenant fidelity or repentance. In Greco-Roman sources outside the biblical corpus, it covers a similar range of literal and figurative ‘turning.’

Translation Consistency

primary "turn" 33 occurrences

"Turn" naturally covers the full semantic range of ἐπιστρέφω — physical turning or returning, changing direction or orientation, and figurative turning (attending to, converting, or changing allegiance). It is the most common, natural-sounding English choice that can be inflected consistently for all forms (turned, turning, turns) while matching typical New Testament usage and the SILEX senses.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"return" (1x) "returning" (1x) "having returned" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἐπί and στρέφω; to revert (literally, figuratively or morally):--come (go) again, convert, (re-)turn (about, again).

Root Family

στρέφ- (ekstréphō) — to turn, to twist, to direct, to change direction

Root στρέφ- to turn, to return, to turn around
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G1612 ἐκστρέφω has been turned aside
G390 ἀναστρέφω turn yourselves back

Word Forms

19 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1994-13 ἐπιστρέψας epistrepsas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG having turned having turned back having turned back 6
G1994-06 ἐπιστραφεὶς epistrapheis V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M SG having turned having been turned back having turned around 3
G1994-15 ἐπιστρεψάτω epistrepsato V AOR ACT IMP 3P SG turn back Let him turn back Let him turn back 3
G1994-16 ἐπιστρέψῃ epistrepse V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG he returns may turn back he may turn back 3
G1994-19 ἐπιστρέψωσιν epistrepsosin V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL return they might turn back they might turn back 3
G1994-03 ἐπέστρεψαν epestrepsan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL turned they turned back they turned back 2
G1994-05 ἐπέστρεψεν epestrepsen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG returned he/she turned back he/she turned back 2
G1994-08 ἐπιστρέφειν epistrephein V PRS ACT INF to turn to turn back to turn back 2
G1994-11 ἐπιστρέψαι epistrepsai V AOR ACT INF of Elijah to turn back to turn back 2
G1994-01 ἐπεστράφητε epestraphete V AOR PASS IND 2P PL you have returned you were turned back you were turned back 1

Occurrences in Scripture

36 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1994-07 Matthew 10:13 ἐπιστραφήτω epistrapheto V AOR PASS IMP 3P SG let return let him be turned back let it be turned back
G1994-18 Matthew 12:44 ἐπιστρέψω epistrepso V FUT ACT IND 1P SG I will return I will turn back I will return
G1994-19 Matthew 13:15 ἐπιστρέψωσιν epistrepsosin V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL return they might turn back they might turn back
G1994-15 Matthew 24:18 ἐπιστρεψάτω epistrepsato V AOR ACT IMP 3P SG turn back Let him turn back Let him turn back
G1994-19 Mark 4:12 ἐπιστρέψωσιν epistrepsosin V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL they should turn they might turn back they might turn back
G1994-06 Mark 5:30 ἐπιστραφεὶς epistrapheis V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M SG turned around having been turned back having turned around
G1994-06 Mark 8:33 ἐπιστραφεὶς epistrapheis V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M SG having turned having been turned back having turned back
G1994-15 Mark 13:16 ἐπιστρεψάτω epistrepsato V AOR ACT IMP 3P SG turn back Let him turn back Let him turn back
G1994-17 Luke 1:16 ἐπιστρέψει epistrepsei V FUT ACT IND 3P SG he will turn he will turn back he will turn
G1994-11 Luke 1:17 ἐπιστρέψαι epistrepsai V AOR ACT INF of Elijah to turn back to turn back
G1994-03 Luke 2:39 ἐπέστρεψαν epestrepsan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL they returned they turned back they turned back
G1994-05 Luke 8:55 ἐπέστρεψεν epestrepsen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG returned he/she turned back he/she turned back
G1994-16 Luke 17:4 ἐπιστρέψῃ epistrepse V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG he returns may turn back he may turn back
G1994-15 Luke 17:31 ἐπιστρεψάτω epistrepsato V AOR ACT IMP 3P SG let him return Let him turn back Let him turn back
G1994-13 Luke 22:32 ἐπιστρέψας epistrepsas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG having turned having turned back having turned back
G1994-06 John 21:20 ἐπιστραφεὶς epistrapheis V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M SG turning around having been turned back having turned around
G1994-14 Acts 3:19 ἐπιστρέψατε epistrepsate V AOR ACT IMP 2P PL turn again Turn back! Turn back
G1994-03 Acts 9:35 ἐπέστρεψαν epestrepsan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL turned they turned back they turned back
G1994-13 Acts 9:40 ἐπιστρέψας epistrepsas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG turning having turned back having turned back
G1994-05 Acts 11:21 ἐπέστρεψεν epestrepsen V AOR ACT IND 3P SG turned he/she turned back turned
G1994-08 Acts 14:15 ἐπιστρέφειν epistrephein V PRS ACT INF to turn to turn back to turn back
G1994-10 Acts 15:19 ἐπιστρέφουσιν epistrephousin V PRS ACT PTCP DAT M PL turning to the returning ones returning
G1994-12 Acts 15:36 ἐπιστρέψαντες epistrepsantes V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M PL having returned having turned back having returned
G1994-13 Acts 16:18 ἐπιστρέψας epistrepsas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG turned having turned back having turned back
G1994-11 Acts 26:18 ἐπιστρέψαι epistrepsai V AOR ACT INF to turn to turn back to turn back
G1994-08 Acts 26:20 ἐπιστρέφειν epistrephein V PRS ACT INF to turn to turn back to turn back
G1994-19 Acts 28:27 ἐπιστρέψωσιν epistrepsosin V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL turn they might turn back they might turn back
G1994-16 2 Corinthians 3:16 ἐπιστρέψῃ epistrepse V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG it shall turn may turn back he may turn back
G1994-09 Galatians 4:9 ἐπιστρέφετε epistrephete V PRS ACT IND 2P PL do you turn you are turning back you are turning back
G1994-04 1 Thessalonians 1:9 ἐπεστρέψατε epestrepsate V AOR ACT IND 2P PL you turned you turned back you turned back
G1994-16 James 5:19 ἐπιστρέψῃ epistrepse V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P SG turns may turn back he may turn back
G1994-13 James 5:20 ἐπιστρέψας epistrepsas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG turns back having turned back having turned back
G1994-01 1 Peter 2:25 ἐπεστράφητε epestraphete V AOR PASS IND 2P PL you have returned you were turned back you were turned back
G1994-13 2 Peter 2:22 ἐπιστρέψας epistrepsas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG returns having turned back having turned back
G1994-02 Revelation 1:12 ἐπέστρεψα epestrepsa V AOR ACT IND 1P SG I turned I turned back I turned
G1994-13 Revelation 1:12 ἐπιστρέψας epistrepsas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG having turned having turned back having turned back
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