στρέφω

στρέφω fut. στρέψω LXX; 1 aor. ἔστρεψα. Pass.: 2 fut. στραφήσομαι LXX; 2 aor. ἐστράφν (Hom. +).

① to change the position of someth. relative to someth. by turning

ⓐ turn (SibOr 5, 497 στ. ψυχάς) τί τινι someth. to someone Mt 5:39; D 1:4.—So perh. also in a nonliteral sense ἔστρεψεν ὁ θεός God turned the Israelites toward the heavenly bodies, so that they were to serve them as their gods Ac 7:42 (s. 3 Km 18:37 σὺ ἔστρεψας τὴν καρδίαν τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου ὀπίσω. But s. 4 below).

ⓑ turn around, turn toward pass. w. act. force

α. lit. στραφείς foll. by a finite verb he turned (around) and … (X., Cyr. 3, 3, 63; TestAbr B 12 p. 116, 14 [Stone p. 80]). The purpose of the turning can be to attack someone Mt 7:6, or a desire to see or speak w. someone 9:22 (cp. Mitt-Wilck. I/2, 20 I, 6 στραφεὶς καὶ ἱδὼν Ἡλιόδωρον εἶπεν); 16:23; Lk 7:9; 9:55; 14:25; 22:61; J 1:38; 20:16; MPol 5:2. Finite verb instead of ptc. (ApcMos 19) ἐστράφη … καὶ εἶδεν GJs 15:1; 17:2ab. στρ. πρός w. acc. turn to or toward (schol. on Nicander, Ther. 677 πρὸς ἥλιον στρέφεσθαι of the heliotrope): στραφεὶς πρός τινα foll. by a finite verb (TestJob 27:1; 29:3; ApcMos 23:25, 28) Lk 7:44; 10:22 v.l., 23; 23:28. στρ. εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω turn around J 20:14; GJs 7:2 (cp. X., De Re Equ. 7, 12 στρέφεσθαι εἰς τὰ δεξιά).

β. in a transf. sense of 1a compounded of change of mind and direction στρεφόμεθα εἰς τὰ ἔθνη we turn to the Gentiles Ac 13:46. ἐστράφησαν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν εἰς Αἴγυπτον in their hearts they turned back to Egypt 7:39.

② to carry someth. back to its previous location, bring back, return τὶ someth. τὰ τριάκοντα ἀργύρια Mt 27:3

③ to turn someth. into someth. else, turn, change (Just., A I, 59, 1 ὕλην of God) τὶ εἴς τι someth. into someth. ὕδατα εἰς αἷμα Rv 11:6 (cp. Ps 113:8; 29:12). Pass. be changed, be turned (1 Km 10:6 εἰς ἄνδρα ἄλλον) στραφήσονται τὰ πρόβατα εἰς λύκους D 16:3a. ἡ ἀγάπη στραφήσεται εἰς μῖσος D 16:3b (cp. La 5:15; 1 Macc 1:39, 40).

④ to turn away so as to dissociate oneself, turn intr. (X., An. 4, 3, 26; 32, Ages. 2, 3) so perh. ἔστρεψεν ὁ θεός God turned away from them Ac 7:42 (s. 1a above).

⑤ to experience an inward change, turn, change, pass. in act. sense. For the better: make a turn-about, turn around (SibOr 3, 625) Mt 18:3 (JDupont, MBlack Festschr., ’69, 50–60); J 12:40 (Is 6:9.—Field, Notes 99.—The Eng. term ‘conversion’ could suggest a change from one religious persuasion to another, which is not the case in these pass.). For the worse: turn to someth. evil, be perverted D 11:2.—B. 666. DELG. M-M. TW.