Question
Does God change His mind?
Analysis
The same verb, both ways
Every verse in this table uses the Hebrew verb nacham (H5162):
| Says God did nacham | Says God does not nacham |
|---|---|
| "And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth" (Genesis 6:6, BSB) | "God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind." (Numbers 23:19, BSB) |
| "So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people." (Exodus 32:14, BSB) | "the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind" (1 Samuel 15:29, BSB) |
| "He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them." (Jonah 3:10, BSB) | |
| "I regret that I have made Saul king" (1 Samuel 15:11, BSB) | |
| "the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel." (1 Samuel 15:35, BSB) |
Verb identified in each verse from the tagged Hebrew (TAHOT, Tyndale House Cambridge / STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0).
⭐ 1 Samuel 15 holds both in one chapter
| Verse | What it says |
|---|---|
| 1 Samuel 15:11 | God speaks: "I regret that I have made Saul king" (BSB) |
| 1 Samuel 15:29 | Samuel speaks: "the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind." (BSB) |
| 1 Samuel 15:35 | The narrator: "the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel." (BSB) |
The same verb, three times, in one chapter, pointing both ways. Whatever one concludes, the writer did not see these as a contradiction he needed to remove.
God's own stated pattern
Two passages describe nacham as part of how God deals with people:
"But if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I will relent of the disaster I had planned to bring." (Jeremiah 18:8, BSB)
"I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion — One who relents from sending disaster." (Jonah 4:2, BSB)
A different word: God's nature does not change
Two verses use different language about God not changing:
"Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed." (Malachi 3:6, BSB)
"the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow." (James 1:17, BSB)
Malachi 3:6 uses a different Hebrew verb (shanah, H8138), not nacham. Readers often distinguish these: shanah speaks of God's nature or character, while nacham describes His response to what people do.
Where Christians divide
| View | The reading |
|---|---|
| Classical theism | God does not change in His being or His plans (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17). The "regret" and "relent" verses describe God in human terms, as He appears from our side, and express His real opposition to sin, not a change in His eternal purpose. |
| Relational / covenantal reading | God's character never changes, and part of that unchanging character is that He responds to people. Jeremiah 18 states it as a rule: if a nation turns, God relents. The "change" is in the people, and God's response to it is consistent. |
| Open theism | God genuinely responds, and the "relent" verses mean what they say; the future is partly open and God changes course in real interaction with people. A minority view, developed by some modern theologians. |
The interpretive fault lines
| Question | Classical theism | Open theism |
|---|---|---|
| How to read Genesis 6:6, Exodus 32:14? | Human language used of God. | A real change of course. |
| How to read Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29? | God's purposes are fixed. | God keeps His word and does not lie; that is different from never responding. |
| What does 1 Samuel 15 show? | The chapter itself sets God's regret beside the statement that He "does not lie or change His mind" (1 Samuel 15:29, BSB). | The chapter shows God can regret a decision and still be utterly reliable. |
Common ground
Across the views, Christians agree that God's character does not change (Malachi 3:6), that He is truthful and keeps His word (Numbers 23:19), and that He is "gracious and compassionate" toward those who turn to Him (Jonah 4:2).