μεταστρέφω (metastrephō)
metastrephō
to change
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb metastrephō means to turn around or change direction, carrying a strong sense of reversal. It combines the prefix for "change" with a root meaning "to turn," creating an image of something being flipped over. In the New Testament, this word appears only twice: in Acts 2:20 and Galatians 1:7.
In Acts, it describes the cosmic signs preceding the Day of the Lord, where the sun will be turned into darkness. Here, the sense is physical transformation on a grand scale. In Galatians, however, Paul uses it in a negative sense to describe those who are "perverting" or corrupting the gospel of Christ. The sources note that this usage aligns with the idea of twisting something from its true course.
While rare in Scripture, the word’s dual nature is notable. It can describe neutral or even positive shifts in state, as in the astronomical events of Acts. Yet when applied to teaching or truth, it implies a dangerous distortion. Translators often render it simply as "changed" or "turned," but the underlying image is one of active reversal.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Greek word metastrephō carries a vivid image: turning something completely around, flipping it over so that its original direction is lost. In Acts 2:20, this change describes the dramatic cosmic signs preceding the Day of the Lord, where the sun turns to darkness. This usage reminds us that God alone holds the power to shift the very fabric of creation, bringing about moments of profound awe and divine intervention.
Yet in Galatians 1:7, Paul uses this same word with a much darker tone. He warns against those who want to 'pervert' or twist the Good News of Christ. Here, the turning is not a miraculous sign but a dangerous distortion of truth. It serves as a sobering reminder that while God can change circumstances for His glory, human beings can also twist spiritual truths for their own purposes.
For your faith life, this word invites careful attention to what you believe and who teaches it. The same power that flips the sun into darkness can also flip truth into error. We are called to hold fast to the original message of Christ, recognizing that true stability comes not from shifting winds, but from the unchanging nature of God's Word.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- will be turned1×
- to pervert1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- μεταστρέψαι1×
- μεταστραφήσεται1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 2:20
The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
This verse uses the word to describe a literal, cosmic reversal where the sun becomes darkness, highlighting God's sovereign power over creation.
-
Galatians 1:7
but there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.
Here the word describes a negative twisting of the gospel message, showing how truth can be actively distorted by those who trouble believers.