στρέφωstréphō
to twist, i.e. turn quite around or reverse (literally or figuratively)
Greek (New Testament) · G4762
Meanings
to turn: with accusative of thing dative of person, Matthew 5:39; = ἀποσ-, to bring back, Matthew 27:3 (cf. Isaiah 38:8); reflexively (WM, § 38, 1), to turn oneself, Acts 7:42; with accusative followed by εἰς, = μετασ-, to change, Revelation 11:6. Pass., reflexive, to turn oneself: followed by εἰς, John 20:14, Acts 7:39, Acts 13:46; participle, στραφείς, with indicative, Matthew 7:6, Matthew 9:22, Matthew 16:23, Luke 7:9, Luke 9:55, Luke 14:25, Luke 22:61, John 1:38, John 20:16; id. followed by πρός, Luke 7:44, Luke 10:22, Luke 7:23, Luke 23:28; metaphorically, to change: absolutely, Matthew 18:3, John 12:40 (cf. ἀνα-, ἀπο-, δια-, ἐκ, ἐπι-, κατα-, μετα-, συ(ν)-, ὑπο-στρέφω).
Same root
- τροπήtropḗ · G5157a turn ("trope"), i.e. revolution (figuratively, variation)
- ὑποστρέφωhypostréphō · G5290to turn under (behind), i.e. to return (literally or figuratively)
- ἐκστρέφωekstréphō · G1612to pervert (figuratively)
- ἀποστρέφωapostréphō · G654to turn away or back (literally or figuratively)
- καταστρέφωkatastréphō · G2690to turn upside down, i.e. upset
- μεταστρέφωmetastréphō · G3344to turn across, i.e. transmute or (figuratively) corrupt
- συστρέφωsystréphō · G4962to twist together, i.e. collect (a bundle, a crowd)
- στρεβλόωstreblóō · G4761to wrench, i.e. (specially), to torture (by the rack), but only figuratively, to pervert
Where it appears
Appears 21 times in the Bible.
- Matthew 5:39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.
- Matthew 7:6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.
- Matthew 9:22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
- Matthew 16:23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
- Matthew 18:3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Matthew 27:3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders.
Source: G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), public domain.