1. Introduction
Among the most thought-provoking statements in Scripture are those describing God as “regretting” or “repenting” of an action. Verses such as Genesis 6:6 (“The LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth”) and 1 Samuel 15:11 (“I regret that I have made Saul king”) seem to challenge the idea of divine immutability. Yet a close examination of the original language, literary form, and theological context reveals that such expressions do not depict divine inconsistency but rather the relational grief of a holy God confronted with human rebellion (Frame 2013; Feinberg 2001).
2. The Hebrew Word נָחַם (nāḥam)
The key term rendered “regret,” “repent,” or “relent” is the Hebrew verb nāḥam, which carries a range of meanings including “to be sorry,” “to console oneself,” or “to be moved with compassion.” Its nuance depends on context.
| Text | Usage | Translation | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis 6:6 | Divine subject | “The LORD regretted” | Emotional grief and moral sorrow |
| Exodus 32:14 | Divine subject | “The LORD relented from the disaster” | Compassionate change of relational stance |
| 1 Samuel 15:11 | Divine subject | “I regret that I made Saul king” | Covenant disappointment, not divine error |
The semantic range of nāḥam therefore includes both sorrow and mercy. It portrays the heart of God responding consistently with His character to changing human circumstances.
3. Apparent Contradiction: God’s “Regret” vs. God’s Immutability
At first glance, statements of divine regret appear to contradict passages affirming that “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent” (Num 23:19) and “I the LORD do not change” (Mal 3:6). The resolution lies in understanding the difference between:
| Aspect | Immutable | Relationally Responsive |
|---|---|---|
| Essence / Character | God’s nature, holiness, and eternal purpose never change. | |
| Relational Actions | God’s responses vary according to human obedience or rebellion. |
Thus, divine “regret” is not a change in God’s being but a change in the expression of His will within the moral history of the covenant relationship.
4. The Context of Genesis 6:6 – Grief Before Judgment
“The LORD regretted that He had made human beings on the earth, and His heart was deeply troubled.” (Gen 6:6, NIV)
Here nāḥam is paired with ʿāṣab (“to grieve, to hurt”), revealing that God’s response to human wickedness is pain, not surprise. The flood narrative depicts divine sorrow preceding divine judgment. God’s grief shows His moral sensitivity: creation’s corruption wounds its Creator. The subsequent preservation of Noah demonstrates that judgment and mercy coexist within His consistent righteousness (Hamilton 1990).
5. The Context of 1 Samuel 15:11 – The Rejection of Saul
“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not performed My commandments.”
Saul’s disobedience forced a rupture in the covenant between God and His chosen monarch. God’s “regret” expresses relational pain and judicial decision, not divine ignorance. Later in the chapter, Samuel clarifies:
“The Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man that He should change His mind” (v. 29).
The same passage therefore affirms both divine sorrow and divine constancy—two aspects of one reality: God’s unchanging holiness dynamically engaging with moral history (Erickson 2013).
6. Prophetic and Poetic Parallels
Other passages use similar language to describe God’s responsive compassion:
| Passage | Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Exodus 32:14 | God “relented” after Moses’ intercession | Divine mercy responding to prayer |
| Jeremiah 18:7–10 | God will “relent” concerning disaster if a nation repents | Conditional moral governance |
| Jonah 3:10 | God “relented” from destroying Nineveh | Revelation of divine compassion |
In each instance, divine “relenting” reveals not volatility but consistency—God always opposes evil and always responds favourably to repentance.
7. Theological Meaning of Divine Sorrow
| Dimension | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Moral | God’s holiness is offended by sin; His grief expresses righteous disapproval. |
| Emotional | Divine sorrow communicates God’s personal involvement in creation. |
| Covenantal | His “regret” marks the pain of broken relationship. |
| Redemptive | Sorrow motivates divine action toward restoration (as in the flood or Calvary). |
As Berkouwer (1956) observed, “The repentance of God is not the repentance of a sinner but the sorrow of love; it is the holy reaction of God’s fidelity within the movement of human unfaithfulness.”
8. Divine Grief and the Person of the Spirit
Isaiah 63:10 records that Israel “grieved His Holy Spirit,” and Paul echoes, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God” (Eph 4:30). The same moral-emotional principle applies: the unchanging Spirit personally feels pain at human rebellion. Divine grief demonstrates that the God of Scripture is relationally alive, not an abstract force. His emotions are not passions that control Him, but expressions of His perfect love and justice (Ware 2004).
9. Divine Sorrow in the Light of Christ
The fullest revelation of divine sorrow appears in Jesus Christ—the incarnate Word who wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41) and at Lazarus’s tomb (John 11:35). Christ’s tears embody the eternal compassion of God: a sorrow that bears sin to redeem sinners. At the cross, divine grief and divine justice converge. What Genesis 6:6 hinted, Calvary fulfilled: God’s heart broken for humanity’s salvation.
10. Conclusion
When Scripture states that God “regretted” or “repented,” it does not describe instability or ignorance but holy sorrow within a faithful relationship. Divine regret is the language of love wounded by rebellion. It reveals a God who is immutable in essence yet intimately responsive in relationship. His unchanging holiness grieves over changing human hearts—and in that grief lies the hope of redemption.
References
- Berkouwer, G.C. (1956) The Providence of God. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
- Erickson, M.J. (2013) Christian Theology. 3rd edn. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
- Feinberg, J.S. (2001) No One Like Him: The Doctrine of God. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
- Frame, J.M. (2013) Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.
- Hamilton, V.P. (1990) The Book of Genesis: Chapters 1–17. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
- Ware, B.A. (2004) God’s Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.