Reviewing translations of metanoeō/μετανοἐω and metanoia/μετἀνοια as repent or repentance, the biblical scholar J. Glentworth Butler noted that, in the Greek, there is none of the sorrow or regret contained in the words repentance and repent. Repentance denotes “sorrow for what one has done or omitted to do; especially, contrition for sin.” Repent primarily means “to review one’s actions and feel contrition or regret for something one has done or omitted to do” Therefore, Butler asserts that translating metanoeō/μετανοἐω and metanoia/μετἀνοια as repent and repentance constitute “an utter mistranslation,” a mistranslation that translators excuse by the fact that no English word can adequately convey the meaning of the Greek words.
A. T. Robertson concurs with Butler. Regarding the translation of metanoia as repentance, Robertson calls it “a linguistic and theological tragedy.” Regarding John the Baptist’s call to “repent” as a translation of the Greek metanoeite, Robertson quotes Broadus as saying that this is “the worst translation in the New Testament.” Repent means “to be sorry,” but John’s call was not to be sorry, but to change mental attitudes [metanoeite] and conduct.”…