Scriptures
Tertullian
“And it now remains that we should understand what God’s repentance means. For although man repents most frequently on the recollection of a sin, and occasionally even from the unpleasantness of some good action, this is never the case with God. For, inasmuch as God neither commits sin nor condemns a good action, in so far is there no room in Him for repentance of either a good or an evil deed. Now this point is determined for you even in the scripture which we have quoted. Samuel says to Saul, “The Lord has rent the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbour of yours that is better than you;” [1 Samuel 15:28] and into two parts shall Israel be divided: “for He will not turn Himself, nor repent; for He does not repent as a man does” [1 Samuel 15:29]. According, therefore, to this definition, the divine repentance takes in all cases a different form from that of man, in that it is never regarded as the result of improvidence or of fickleness, or of any condemnation of a good or an evil work. What, then, will be the mode of God’s repentance? It is already quite clear, if you avoid referring it to human conditions. For it will have no other meaning than a simple change of a prior purpose; and this is admissible without any blame even in a man, much more in God, whose every purpose is faultless. Now in Greek the word for repentance (μετάνοια) is formed, not from the confession of a sin, but from a change of mind, which in God we have shown to be regulated by the occurrence of varying circumstances.” Tertullian, Against Marcion, Book 2, chapter 24
Origen
“Since then the limit has been spoken, does the limit need to happen? God, who does not repent, is said to repent according to the Scripture, and let us pay close attention to the text, so that if we can defend how this is said, we may grasp the meaning. “I will pronounce, he says, a limit to a nation or a kingdom by cutting off and destroying them, and if that nation turns back from their evils which I have pronounced on it, I will also repent for the evils which I intended to do to them. And I will pronounce an end to a nation or to a kingdom in order to rebuild and plant, and they will do evil before me in order not to hear my voice, and I will repent about the good which I decreed to do to them.” Concerning the repentance of God, we are demanded to defend ourselves. For to repent seems to be culpable and unworthy not only of God but also of the wise man. For I cannot conceive of a wise man repenting; rather when a man repents, supposing the customary use of the word, he repents for not having decided to be good. But God, a foreknower of what happens in the future, is unable not to have decided to be good and to repent for this. How then has the Scripture brought forth this phrase which says, “I will repent”? I am not yet saying. And in Kings it is mentioned in the text, “I have repented that I annointed Saul as king,” and it is generally said concerning him, “And he repents for evils”. But see what we are generally taught about God. Where God is not as a man to be deceived nor as the son of man to be threatened (Num. 23:19), we learn through this text that God is not as man, but through another text that God is as a man, when it says, “For the Lord your God has taught you as a man teaches his son”, and again, “As a man he takes on the manners of his son.” Hence whenever the Scriptures speak theologically about God in relation to himself and do not involve his plan for human matters, they say that he is not as a man… You can find numerous other passages, when you select from the sacred Scriptures, to which you can relate the words, “God is not as a man.” Homilies on Jeremiah, Homily 18
(Note) Origen, in this passage, is explaining that the concept of God “repenting” as seen in the Scriptures must be understood in a non-literal sense. While human repentance implies regret or a change of mind due to imperfection, Origen emphasizes that this is not the case with God. God, being all-knowing and perfect, cannot change His mind in the same way humans do. Instead, the Scriptures use the term “repent” to describe God’s responsive actions toward human behavior, particularly in cases where people turn from their sins or fall into evil. For example, when a nation repents, God “repents” by relenting from a punishment He had planned. Origen highlights that this change of action does not imply a mistake or regret on God’s part but is a reflection of His justice and mercy. God’s repentance, therefore, reflects a shift in how He deals with humanity, not a shift in His divine will or purpose.
A few paragraphs later in Homilies on Jeremiah (Homily 18), Origen further elaborates that human repentance involves turning away from sin:
“And now through what has been written the Lord speaks to us: “Let each turn away from his evil way.” The Lord himself addresses you when he says, “And make more commendable your habits.” But these, to whom the hortatory words have been spoken concerning repentance, respond.”
Here, Origen clearly states that human repentance is not merely a change of mind but a moral transformation—a literal turning from evil and improving one’s conduct. This shows that, for Origen, while God’s repentance is about responding to human actions, human repentance is centered on abandoning sin and adopting a better way of life. Origen further clarifies that when Scripture speaks of God in relation to His divine nature, He is not like a man who repents. However, when dealing with human affairs, God sometimes condescends to use language or actions humans can understand, including repentance. In this way, Origen resolves the apparent tension between God’s immutability and the Scriptural language that seems to imply God changes His mind, showing that God’s will remains unchanging while His actions adapt to human free will.
Origen and Tertullian share a similar understanding of God’s repentance, although they express it slightly differently. Both Church Fathers emphasize that when Scripture speaks of God “repenting,” it is not meant to be understood in the human sense of regret or a change of mind due to error or lack of foresight. Tertullian, in Against Marcion, explains that God’s repentance is an expression of His righteous and just response to human actions, whether they turn from sin or persist in wickedness. He highlights that God’s repentance is not a sign of imperfection but rather an aspect of His perfect justice and relational dealings with humanity. God’s repentance is not based on any fault or mistake, but on His merciful adjustments in response to human conduct.
Origen, in a similar line of thinking, teaches that the concept of God “repenting” in Scripture should not be taken literally. He emphasizes that God, being all-knowing and unchangeable, cannot repent in the way humans do because His nature is perfect. However, when Scripture uses the term “repent” for God, it expresses His merciful and just response to human behavior.
This aligns with Tertullian’s view that God’s repentance signifies a response to the moral and spiritual state of humanity. Both Fathers, therefore, distinguish between God’s figurative repentance, which reflects His just and merciful responses to human decisions, and human repentance. Tertillian said “man repents most frequently on the recollection of a sins” and Origen defines repentance as turning from sin and reforming one’s ways. By incorporating Origen’s clear statement on repentance as a turning from evil in Homilies on Jeremiah, both he and Tertullian consistently affirm that God’s repentance is different from human repentance.