στρέφω G4762
To turn, turn around, or turn back; of physical reorientation, spiritual conversion, redirecting something, or returning what was given
One of the New Testament's most physically vivid verbs, στρέφω captures the decisive moment of turning — whether Jesus turning to face the woman who touched his garment (Matt 9:22), or the radical reorientation demanded by 'unless you turn and become like children' (Matt 18:3). The word carries enormous theological weight in its metaphorical uses, where physical turning becomes a figure for repentance and conversion. Spanish consistently uses 'volverse' (to turn oneself), while German 'umkehren' (to reverse course) brings out the directional reversal inherent in the word.
Senses
1. turn physically around — The dominant physical sense: turning one's body around or toward someone. Jesus turns to address Peter (Matt 16:23), turns to see the woman who touched him (Matt 9:22), and turns to look at the crowd following him (Luke 7:9, 44). The aorist passive participle στραφείς ('having turned') appears repeatedly as a narrative marker introducing direct speech. Spanish 'habiéndose vuelto' and French 'se tourner' confirm the reflexive bodily motion — a deliberate physical reorientation that often signals a shift in the scene's focus. 15×
AR["التَفَتَ", "الْتَفَتَ", "الْتَفَتَتْ", "الْتَفَتُوا", "اِلتَفَتَ", "اِلْتَفَتَ", "تَحَوَّلَ", "يَلتَفِتونَ"]·ben["ঘুরে", "ফিরলেন", "ফিরে", "ফিরে-গেল", "ফিরে-গেলেন"]·DE["umkehren", "wendet-sich"]·EN["having-turned", "she-turned", "turned", "turning"]·FR["se-tourner", "tourner"]·heb["הִפְנָה", "יִפְנוּ", "פָּנְתָה", "פָּנָה", "פָּנוּ", "פֹּנֶה"]·HI["फेरा", "मुड़कर", "मुड़ी", "मुड़े", "मुदकर"]·ID["Berbalik", "Berpaling", "berbalik", "berpaling"]·IT["voltare", "voltarsi"]·jav["mbalik", "minger", "nolèh", "sasampunipun-minger", "sasampunipun-minger,"]·KO["돌렸다", "돌아보시며", "돌아서서", "돌아서시고", "돌아섯다", "돌아섰다"]·PT["Voltando-se", "tendo-se-voltado", "virando-se", "virou-se", "voltando-se", "voltaram-se"]·RU["Обернувшись", "обернувшись", "обратились", "отвратился", "повернувшись", "повернулась"]·ES["Habiéndose-vuelto", "habiéndose-vuelto", "habiéndose‒vuelto", "se-volvieron", "se-volvió", "volviéndose"]·SW["Akageuka", "akageuka", "akigeuka", "wakageuka", "waki-geuka,"]·TR["Dönünce", "döndü", "döndüler", "dönerek", "dönüp"]·urd["-کی-طرف", "موڑ-گئے", "موڑا", "مُڑ-کر", "مڑ-کر", "پلٹ-کر", "پھری"]
Matt 7:6, Matt 9:22, Matt 16:23, Luke 7:9, Luke 7:44, Luke 9:55, Luke 10:23, Luke 14:25, Luke 22:61, Luke 23:28, John 1:38, John 20:14 (+3 more)
2. turn back spiritually or metaphorically — The metaphorical or spiritual extension: turning back in a moral or spiritual sense. Matthew 18:3 delivers Jesus' famous demand — 'unless you turn (στραφῆτε) and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.' John 12:40 quotes Isaiah on hearts that refuse to turn (στραφῶσιν) and be healed. Acts 13:46 records Paul and Barnabas turning to the Gentiles. Spanish 'os volvéis' and 'nos volvemos' preserve the reflexive quality, while the contexts make clear that the turning is inward and transformative, not merely directional. 3×
AR["تَرْجِعُوا", "نَتَحَوَّلُ", "يَرْجِعُوا"]·ben["ফিরছি", "ফেরেন", "ফেরো"]·DE["umkehren", "wendet-sich"]·EN["may-turn", "we-turn", "you-turn"]·FR["se-tourner", "tourner"]·heb["יָשׁוּבוּ", "פּוֹנִים-אֲנַחְנוּ", "תָּשׁוּבוּ"]·HI["पलतो", "फिरते-हैं", "फिरें"]·ID["berbalik", "bertobat", "kami-berbalik"]·IT["voltare", "voltarsi"]·jav["kawula-sedaya-malik", "mratobat", "mratobat,"]·KO["돌아오지", "돌이켜", "돌이킨다"]·PT["voltamo-nos"]·RU["обратились", "обратитесь", "обращаемся"]·ES["nos-volvemos", "os-volvéis", "se-vuelvan"]·SW["geuka", "tunageuka", "wasigeuke"]·TR["dönerseniz", "dönsünler", "dönüyoruz"]·urd["بدلو", "رجوع-کریں", "پھرتے-ہیں"]
3. turn or direct something — The transitive use: turning or directing something or someone else. Matthew 5:39 instructs the one struck on the right cheek to 'turn (στρέψον) the other also' — a command to redirect one's own body as an act of nonresistance. Revelation 11:6 speaks of the two witnesses having authority to 'turn (στρέψαι) the waters into blood.' Spanish splits between 'vuelve' (turn the cheek) and 'convertir' (turn water to blood), revealing how the transitive sense ranges from bodily repositioning to material transformation. 2×
AR["أَدِرْ", "أَن-يُحَوِّلوها"]·ben["ঘোরাও", "পরিবর্তন-করার"]·DE["umkehren", "wendet-sich"]·EN["to-turn", "turn"]·FR["se-tourner"]·heb["הַפְנֵה", "לְ-הָפוֹךְ"]·HI["बदलने-की", "मोड़"]·ID["palingkanlah", "untuk-mengubah"]·IT["strephein", "voltarsi"]·jav["maliha", "ngéwahi"]·KO["돌려라", "돌리는"]·PT["para-converter", "volta"]·RU["подставь", "превращать"]·ES["de-convertir", "vuelve"]·SW["kuyageuza", "mgeuzie"]·TR["çevir", "çevirmek"]·urd["بدلنے-کا", "موڑ"]
4. return or give back — A single occurrence denoting the return or giving back of something: Judas 'returned' (ἔστρεψεν) the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests (Matt 27:3). Spanish 'devolvió' (gave back, returned) captures the sense precisely. This usage extends the root metaphor of turning — here the silver turns back along the path it came, reversing the transaction. The physical-directional core of the verb persists even in this commercial context. 1×
AR["أَرْجَعَ"]·ben["ফিরিয়ে-দিল"]·DE["wendet-sich"]·EN["returned"]·FR["se-tourner"]·heb["הֵשִׁיב"]·HI["लौटाया"]·ID["mengembalikan"]·IT["voltarsi"]·jav["mbalèkaken"]·KO["돌려주었다"]·PT["devolveu"]·RU["возвратил"]·ES["devolvió"]·SW["alirudisha"]·TR["geri-getirdi"]·urd["واپس-کِیا"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
στρέφω, Refs 8th c.BC+; Doric dialect στράφω [ᾰ] Refs; Aeolic dialect στροφῶ (to be read στρόφω) Refs: Epic dialect imperfect __A στρέψασκον Refs 8th c.BC+: future στρέψω Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist 1 ἔστρεψα Refs, Epic dialect στρέψα Refs 8th c.BC+perfect ἔστροφα (ἀν-) Refs 3rd c.BC+; also ἔστρᾰφα (κατ-) Refs 2nd c.BC+ codices:—middle, Refs 8th c.BC+: future στρέψομαι Refs: aorist ἐστρεψάμην Refs 5th…