When the Bible says that God repented, it does not mean that He sinned or made a mistake. Rather, it indicates that God changed His course of action in response to human behavior. The word “repent” in these passages, often translated from the Hebrew nacham, means to relent, to grieve, or to be moved with compassion, not to repent of wrongdoing.
“And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”
(Genesis 6:6)
This verse describes God’s sorrow over the widespread wickedness of mankind before the flood. It is a relational expression, showing that God is not indifferent, He responds to sin with grief. The change in action, sending the flood, was consistent with His holiness and justice.
Another example is with King Saul:
“And the Lord said, ‘I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me…’”
(1 Samuel 15:11)
Here, God expressed regret over Saul’s disobedience. Yet just a few verses later, it says:
“And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”
(1 Samuel 15:29)
There is no contradiction. God does not repent like man, from sin or ignorance. His purposes are unchanging, but His dealings with man can change based on obedience or rebellion. He is consistent in character, yet responsive in relationship.
In the case of Nineveh, when the people repented, God withheld judgment:
“Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them…”
(Jonah 3:10)
This was not indecision, but mercy. God had said through Jeremiah:
“If that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.”
(Jeremiah 18:8)
God’s repentance is not like man’s. It is a revelation of His moral consistency. He responds righteously, judging when there is sin, and forgiving when there is repentance. The term describes a change in outcome, not a change in His nature.
God is immutable in essence but relationally responsive. He repents in the sense that He adjusts His actions to align with His justice, mercy, and promises.