Quick Definition
ἐπιστρέφω v. I turn back to
Strong's Definition
from 1909 and 4762; to revert (literally, figuratively or morally)
KJV Usage: come (go) again, convert, (re-)turn (about, again)
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | aor.pass. ἐπεστράφην · ptc. ἐπιστραφείς | στρέφω
15.90 · Linear Movement · Return
to return to, to go back to, to turn around to return to a point or area where one has been before, with probable emphasis on turning about
MAT 10:13 · MAT 12:44 · MAT 24:18 · MRK 5:30 · MRK 8:33 · MRK 13:16 · LUK 2:39 · LUK 8:55 · LUK 17:4 · LUK 17:31 · JHN 21:20 · ACT 9:40 · ACT 15:36 · ACT 16:18 · 2PE 2:22 · REV 1:12 · REV 1:12
31.60 · Hold a View, Believe, Trust · Change an Opinion Concerning Truth
to turn to, to come to believe, to come to accept to change one’s belief, with focus upon that to which one turns In analyzing the meaning of στρέφω[g], ἐπιστρέφω[b], and ἐπιστροφή[a] in such passages as GAL 4:9 and 1PE 2:25, it is difficult to determine the extent to which belief or behavior is primarily in focus. In the case of 1PE 2:25, one could certainly argue that the emphasis is upon the interpersonal relationship. It is therefore essential in rendering these terms not to narrow the meaning too much, for in this way one would certainly do violence to certain crucial semantic features.
ACT 3:19 · ACT 9:35 · ACT 14:15 · ACT 15:19 · 2CO 3:16 · GAL 4:9 · 1TH 1:9 · 1PE 2:25
31.61 · Hold a View, Believe, Trust · Change an Opinion Concerning Truth
to cause to change belief, to cause to turn to to cause a person to change belief, with focus upon that to which one turns
41.51 · Behavior and Related States · Change Behavior
to change one’s ways, to turn to God, repentance to change one’s manner of life in a particular direction, with the implication of turning back to God In a number of languages it is not sufficient to simply translate ‘to change one’s manner of life,’ for this could either be neutral or even suggest a change for the worse. Therefore, it may be necessary in a number of instances to translate ‘to change one’s way of living as God would want’ or ‘to change and live like God would want one to live.’
MAT 13:15 · MRK 4:12 · LUK 22:32 · ACT 11:21 · ACT 26:20 · ACT 28:27
25.95 · Attitudes and Emotions · Acceptable To, To Be Pleased With
Collocation: ἐπιστρέφω καρδίας ἐπί
to make well-disposed toward, to make friendly toward, to cause to become acceptable (an idiom, literally: to turn hearts to) to cause a change of attitude in a positive and acceptable direction
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἐπι-στρέφω ; fut. ἐπιστρέψω; 1 aor. ἐπέστρεψα; 2 aor. pass. ἐπεστράφην; fr. Hom. down; Sept. for 394, 33D and 3973, 739, and times without number for 337 and wT; 1. transitively, a. to turn to: ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν, to the worship of the true God, Acts xxvi. 20. b. to cause to return, to bring back; fig. τινὰ ἐπὶ κύριον τὸν θεόν, to the love and obedience of God, Lk. i. 16; ἐπὶ τέκνα, to love for the children, Lk. i. 17; ἐν φρονήσει δικαίων, that they may bein [R. V. to walk in] the wisdom of the righteous, Lk. i. 17; τινὰ ἐπί τινα, supply from the context ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν and ἐπὶ τὴν ὁδόν, Jas. v. 19 sq. 2. intrans. ΟΥ̓. § 38, 1 [cf. p. 26; B. 144 (126 sq.)]); a. fo turn, to turn one’s self: ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον and ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν, of Gentiles passing over to the religion of Christ, Acts ix. 35; xi. 21; xiv. 15; xv. 19; xxvi. 20, cf. 1 Pet. ii. 25; πρός τι, Acts ix. 40; πρὸς τὸν θεόν, 1 Th. i. 9; 2 Co. iii. 16; ἀπό Twos εἴς τι, Acts χχνὶ. 18. Ὁ. to turn one’s self about, turn back: absol. Acts xvi. 18; foll. by an inf. expressing purpose, Rev. i. 12. ο. to return, turn back, come back; a. properly: Lk. ii. 20 Rec.; viii. 55; Acts xv. 36; with the addition of ὀπίσω (as in Ael. v. h. 1, 6 [var.]), foll. by an inf. of purpose, Mt. xxiv. 18; foll. by εἰς with acc. of place, Mt. xii. 44; [Lk. ii. 39 TWH Trmrg.]; εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, Mk. xiii. 16; Lk. xvii. 31; ἐπί re, to, 2 Pet. ii. 22. β. metaph.: ἐπί τι, Gal. iv. 9; ἐπί τινα, Lk. xvii. 4 Rec., but G om. ἐπί σε; πρός τινα, ibid. LT Tr WH; ἐκ τῆς ἐντολῆς, to leave the commandment and turn back to a worse mental and moral condition, 2 Pet. ii. 21 RG; absol. to turn back morally, to reform: Mt. xiii. 15; Mk. iv. 12; Lk. xxii. 32; Acts iii. 19; xxviii. 27. In the mid. and 2 aor. pass. a. fo turn one’s self about, to turn around: absol., Mt. ix. 22 RG; Mk. v.30; viii. 33; Jn. xxi. 30. b. to return: foll. by πρός [WH txt. ἐπί] twa, Mt. x. 13 (on which pass. see εἰρήνη, 3 fin.) ; ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν, 1 Pet. ii. 25 (see 2a. above); toreturn to a better mind, repent, Jn. xii. 40 [R G].
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἐπιστρέφω epistrephō 36x
trans. to turn towards; to turn round; to bring back, convert, Lk. 1:16, 17; Jas. 5:19, 20; intrans. and mid. to turn one’s self upon or towards, Acts 9:40; Rev. 1:12; to turn about, Mt. 9:22; to turn back, return, Mt. 12:44; met. to be converted, Acts 28:27
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἐπι-στρέφω
[very freq. in LXX, chiefly for שׁוּב, in its various senses, also for פָּנָה, etc. ;]
trans., to turn about, round or towards, hence metaph., to turn, cause to return (to God, virtue, etc.): Lk 1:16, 17 (cf. Ma 3:24), Ja 5:19, 20.
Intrans.,
to turn, turn oneself around: Ac 16:18; c. inf., Re 1:12; seq. πρός, Ac 9:40; so also pass. (cl.), Mk 5:30 8:33, Jo 21:20; metaph., of turning to God (v. Field, Notes, 246 ff.), ἐπὶ τ. κύριον (θεόν), Ac 9:35 11:21 14:15 15:19 26:20; πρὸς τ. θεόν, I Th 1:9, II Co 3:16; ἀπὸ σκότους εἰς φῶς, Ac 26:18; pass., I Pe 2:25;
to return (as in MGr.): Lk 8:55, Ac 15:36; seq. ὀπίσω, c. inf., Mt 24:18; seq. εἰς, Mt 12:44, Mk 13:16, Lk 2:39 17:31; ἐπί, II Pe 2:22; metaph., seq. ἐπί, Ga 4:9; πρός, Lk 17:4; of moral reform, Mt 13:15, Mk 4:12, Lk 22:32, Ac 3:19 28:27; pass., Mt 10:13 (Cremer, 531, 881).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἐπιστρέφω is used literally = ‘‘turn” or ‘‘turn back”? in P Tebt I. 138 (late ii/B.c.) ἐπιστρέψας Kal σπασάμενος ταύτην (sc. τὴν μάχαιραν). The word has a certain ethical significance in P Oxy III. 486% (a.p. 131) tlod Σ]αραπίωνος μὴ ἐπιστραφέντος ὥστε κ[ατα]πλεῦσαι, “‘but S. has paid no attention to the instruction to sail down” (Edd.), BGU I. 367 (ii/A.D.) ot ἀδελφοὶ “A. καὶ “QL. ὀφείλοντές μοι κατ᾽ οὐδὲν ἐπιστρέφονται ἀποδῶναί μοι, ““1πΠ6 brothers H. and H., although they owe me (money), do not show the smallest inclination to repay me,” P Fay 1288 (iii/A.D.) οὐκ ἐπέστρεπται ὃ ἸΤοντικὸς λαβεῖν τὴν οἰκίαν παρ᾽ ἡμῶν, ‘ Ponticus has not shown any inclination to take the house from us”’ (Edd.). On the misleading translation of the verb by ‘‘am converted” in the AV see Field Mores, p. 8f., and especially p- 246 ff. The absolute use of the verb in certain portions of the LXX is discussed in Thackeray Gr. i. p. 53: see also Anz Substdia, p. 289f. For the moral sense of ‘‘conversion,” as in Ac 315, Sharp (Zfzct. p. 73) cites Epict. ii. 20, 22 ty’ of πολῖται ἡμῶν ἐπιστραφέντες τιμῶσι τὸ θεῖον.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἐπιστρέφω (epistrephō) — to turn. ἐπι-στρέφω, perfect ἐπέστροφα [Refs 4th c.BC+]:—turn about, turn round, νῶτον Oracle texts cited in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐ. τὰς ναῦς tack [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also, put an enemy to flight, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; wheel about, τοὺς ἱππεῖς [Refs 1st c.AD+]; wheel through a right angle, [Refs 1st c.BC+] __b. intransitive, turn about, turn round, ἕλκε δ᾽ ἐπιστρέψας [Refs 8th c.BC+]; here only in [Refs 8th c.BC+], and perhaps transitive, whirl, but see [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of ships, put about, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; of a wild boar, turn upon the hunter, ἐπί τινα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; return, ἀπὸ τῆς στρατείας Epist. Philipp. in [NT]; of an illness, recur, falsa lectio for{ὑπο-}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: as Hebraism, with infinitive, as periphrasis of πάλιν, ἐπιστρέψει.. εὐφρανθῆναι [LXX]; so with καί and finite Verb, ἐπέστρεψεν καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν[LXX]
2. turn towards, νόημα [Refs 6th c.BC+]; ἐ. τινά turn his attention towards one, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; τινὰ πρός τι, εἰς ἑαυτόν, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; οἱ τὴν Ἑλλάδα ἐπεστροφότες ἐπὶ σοφίαν [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἐ. πίστιν press a pledge upon one, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐ. τὴν φάλαγγα bring it into action, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
2. b. intransitive, turn (oneself) towards, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐ. εἰς or πρὸς ἑαυτόν, of νοῦς, reflect, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]; τὸ ἐπιστρέφον βαθρικόν the steps leading to the sarcophagus, Judeich Altertümervon Hierapolis [Refs]
3. turn or convert from an error, correct, cause to repent, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; warn, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; coerce, [Refs 4th c.AD+]
3. b. passive, to be converted, return, ἐπὶ Κύριον [LXX]; intransitive, repent,[LXX+NT]
3. c. Philos., cause to return to the source of Being, τινὰς εἰς τὰ ἐναντία καὶ τὰ πρῶτα [Refs 3rd c.AD+]:—passive, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]; τὸ προϊὸν ἀπό τινος -στρέφεται πρὸς ἐκεῖνο ἀφ᾽ οὗ πρόεισιν [Refs 5th c.AD+]:—also intransitive in active, ἐ. εἰς ἑαυτόν [Refs 3rd c.AD+]; τὸ γεννηθὲν φύσει πρὸς τὸ γεννῆσαν ἐ. [Refs 3rd c.AD+]; οὐδὲν τῶν σωμάτων πρὸς ἑαυτὸ πέφυκεν ἐ. [Refs 5th c.AD+]
4. curve, twist, ὀδύνη σε περὶ τὰ σπλάγχν᾽ ἔοικ᾽ ἐπιστρέφειν variant in [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, to be distorted, ἢν τράχηλος ἐπιστραφῇ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of hair, curl, οἷς ἐπέστραπται τὸ τρίχιον [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἐπεστραμμένος, of a tree, crooked, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; of fir-needles, bent, [Refs]
II. middle and passive, especially in aorist 2 passive ἐπεστράφην [ᾰ], also ἐπεστρέφθην [Refs 3rd c.AD+]: Doric dialect 3rd.pers. singular future passive -στραφησεῖται[Refs]:—turn oneself round, turn about, ἤϊε ἐπιστρεφόμενος constantly turning, as if to look behind one, [Refs 5th c.BC+] turned to gaze on it, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so of a lion retreating, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; δι᾽ οὗ πάσας ἐπιστρέφεσθαι τὰς περιφοράς by which all the revolving spheres are turned, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δόξα τῇδ᾽ ἐπεστράφη thus turned about, changed, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.2. go back-and forwards, πάντῃ [Refs]; κατ᾽ ἄλσος [Refs 4th c.BC+] wanders over the earth, with collateral sense of observing, studying it, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: also with accusative loci, turn to a place, πόθεν γῆς τῆσδ᾽ ἐπεστράφης πέδο; [Refs 5th c.BC+] walk in.. , [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of the sun, revolve, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II.3. turn the mind towards, pay attention to, regard [Refs 6th c.BC+]; τῶν ἰδίων οὐδὲν ἐ. [Refs 6th c.BC+]: absolutely, return to oneself, pay attention, ἐπιστραφείς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐκ ἐπεστράφη, ={οὐκ ἐφρόντισε} (just above), [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.3. b. conduct oneself, behave, ἀξίως τᾶς τιμᾶς [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
II.4. c.accusative, θεοῦ νιν κέλευσμ᾽ ἐπεστράφη turned against her, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.5. perfect participle passive ἐπεστραμμένος, ={ἐπιστρεφής}, earnest, vehement, λέγειν ἐπεστραμμένα [Refs 5th c.BC+]