Sorry
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Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of being "sorry" in the Bible is closely related to themes of repentance, remorse, and seeking forgiveness. While the word "sorry" itself may not frequently appear in some translations, the underlying principles are deeply embedded in the biblical narrative.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the idea of being sorry is often linked with repentance and turning away from sin. The Hebrew word "nacham" is sometimes translated as "to be sorry" and can also mean to repent or to be comforted. This is seen in the account of Jonah, where the people of Nineveh express their sorrow for their sins and turn to God in repentance. Jonah 3:10 states, "When God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them."

King David's life provides a profound example of sorrow and repentance. After his sin with Bathsheba, David expresses deep remorse in Psalm 51, a psalm of repentance. In Psalm 51:17 , David acknowledges, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the concept of being sorry is closely tied to repentance and the transformative power of God's grace. The Greek word "metanoia," often translated as repentance, involves a change of mind and heart, reflecting genuine sorrow for sin and a commitment to change.

The parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 illustrates the theme of sorrow leading to repentance. The younger son, after squandering his inheritance, comes to a point of realization and sorrow for his actions. Luke 15:21 records his confession: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."

The Apostle Paul also addresses the concept of godly sorrow in 2 Corinthians 7:10 : "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." Here, Paul distinguishes between genuine sorrow that leads to repentance and mere regret that does not result in spiritual transformation.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, being sorry in the biblical sense involves more than just feeling regret or remorse. It is an acknowledgment of sin and a heartfelt turning towards God. This sorrow is not an end in itself but a step towards reconciliation with God and others. True sorrow leads to repentance, which is a fundamental aspect of the Christian faith, emphasizing the need for forgiveness and the transformative power of God's grace.

Practical Application

In practical terms, Christians are encouraged to examine their lives regularly, confess their sins, and seek God's forgiveness. The act of being sorry is not merely an emotional response but a commitment to change and align one's life with God's will. This involves both personal reflection and communal practices, such as confession and accountability within the church community.

In summary, the biblical concept of being sorry is deeply intertwined with repentance, forgiveness, and spiritual renewal. It is a vital aspect of the believer's journey towards holiness and a restored relationship with God.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (a.) Grieved for the loss of some good; pained for some evil; feeling regret; -- now generally used to express light grief or affliction, but formerly often used to express deeper feeling.

2. (a.) Melancholy; dismal; gloomy; mournful.

3. (a.) Poor; mean; worthless; as, a sorry excuse.

Greek
3076. lupeo -- to distress, to grieve
... sorrowful (1). cause grief, grieve, make sorry. From lupe; to distress;
reflexively or passively, to be sad -- cause grief, grieve ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3076.htm - 8k

4036. perilupos -- very sad
... Word Origin from peri and lupe Definition very sad NASB Word Usage deeply
grieved (2), very sad (1), very sorry (1). very sorrowful. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4036.htm - 7k

627. apologia -- a speech in defense
... supplying . [An "apology" in times had nothing to do with saying, "I'm
sorry," but rather was a () that presented (supplied ).]. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/627.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew
5162. nacham -- to be sorry, console oneself
... 5161, 5162. nacham. 5163 . to be sorry, console oneself. Transliteration: nacham
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-kham') Short Definition: comfort. Word Origin a prim ...
/hebrew/5162.htm - 6k

1672. daag -- to be anxious or concerned, to fear
... be afraid careful, sorry, sorrow, take thought. A primitive root; be anxious --
be afraid (careful, sorry), sorrow, take thought. 1671, 1672. daag. 1673 . ...
/hebrew/1672.htm - 6k

6087. atsab -- to hurt, pain, grieve
... displease, grieve, hurt, make, be sorry, vex, worship, wrest A primitive
root; properly, to carve, ie Fabricate or fashion; hence ...
/hebrew/6087.htm - 5k

2470a. chalah -- to be weak or sick
... the sick (1), pretend to be ill (1), pretended to be ill (1), putting him to grief
(1), serious (1), sick (13), sickliness (1), sickly (1), sorry (1), strained ...
/hebrew/2470a.htm - 6k

5999. amal -- trouble, labor, toil
... trouble, labor, toil NASB Word Usage anguish (1), fruit of his labor (1), fruit
of my labor (3), labor (16), mischief (9), misery (1), sorry (1), toil (3 ...
/hebrew/5999.htm - 6k

2347. chus -- to pity, look upon with compassion
... 1), had compassion (1), have compassion (3), have pity (1), have...pity (4), looked
with pity (1), pity (6), show pity (2), show...pity (1), sorry (1), spare (2 ...
/hebrew/2347.htm - 6k

5110. nud -- to move to and fro, wander, flutter, show grief
... deplore, or (from tossing the head in scorn) taunt -- bemoan, flee, get, mourn,
make to move, take pity, remove, shake, skip for joy, be sorry, vagabond, way ...
/hebrew/5110.htm - 6k

2470. chalah -- to be weak or sick
... put to) grief, be grieved, (be) grievous, infirmity, intreat, lay to, put to pain,
X pray, make prayer, be (fall, make) sick, sore, be sorry, make suit (X ...
/hebrew/2470.htm - 6k

Library

Of the Occasion on which the Disciples were Exceeding Sorry when ...
... Chapter LIX."Of the Occasion on Which the Disciples Were Exceeding Sorry When He
Spoke to Them of His Passion, as It is Related in the Same Order by the ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter lix of the occasion on.htm

On Contrition
... A boy, for example, might cry in the confessional and pretend to the priest to be
very sorry, and the priest might be deceived and absolve him; but God, who ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 18 on contrition.htm

Faith (Preached Before the Queen at Windsor, December 5, 1865)
... Meanwhile, we are sorry (for the English are a kindhearted people) for
the victims of our luxury and our neglect. Sorry for the ...
/.../the water of life and other sermons/sermon xiii faith preached before.htm

2 Cor. vii. 8
... to the corinthians. Homily XV. 2 Cor. vii. 8. 2 1 Corinthians 7:8 So that [770]
though I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret. ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xv 2 cor vii.htm

Whether There is Sorrow in the Demons?
... Objection 3: Further, it is a good thing to be sorry for evil. But the demons
can do no good action. Therefore they cannot be sorry ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether there is sorrow in.htm

True Repentance
... 'Being sorry for what we have done wrong,' say some. But is that all? ... The first
time he does a wrong thing, he feels sorry and ashamed after it. ...
/.../kingsley/the good news of god/sermon xii true repentance.htm

Toleration
... But we may do that in two ways: we may say, 'I am very sorry that all Christians
do not think alike,' when all we mean is, 'I am very sorry that all Christians ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/sermons for the times/sermon xxi toleration.htm

2 Cor. I. 23
... is the expression, "to spare you?" I heard, he saith, that some among you had committed
fornication; I would not therefore come and make you sorry: for had I ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily iv 2 cor i.htm

Whether Sorrow for one Sin Should be Greater than for Another?
... 108) commends Paula for that "she deplored her slightest sins as much as great ones."
Therefore one need not be more sorry for one sin than for another. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether sorrow for one sin.htm

Whether Man Should be Contrite on Account of the Punishment, and ...
... i), quoting Augustine (De vera et falsa Poenitentia [*Work of an unknown author]),
that the penitent should be sorry for having deprived himself of virtue. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether man should be contrite.htm

Thesaurus
Sorry (27 Occurrences)
... 2. (a.) Melancholy; dismal; gloomy; mournful. 3. (a.) Poor; mean; worthless; as,
a sorry excuse. Multi-Version Concordance Sorry (27 Occurrences). ...
/s/sorry.htm - 14k

Sorrowful (29 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV ASV WBS YLT RSV). 2 Corinthians 2:2 for if I make you sorry, then who is
he who is making me glad, except he who is made sorry by me? (See NAS). ...
/s/sorrowful.htm - 15k

Godly (50 Occurrences)
... (KJV WBS NAS RSV). 2 Corinthians 7:9 I now rejoice, not that you were made
sorry, but that you were made sorry to repentance. For ...
/g/godly.htm - 21k

Intended (38 Occurrences)
... 2 Corinthians 7:9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that
you were made sorry to repentance. For you were made sorry...
/i/intended.htm - 17k

Reformation (24 Occurrences)
... 2 Corinthians 7:9 I now do rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were
made sorry to reformation, for ye were made sorry toward God, that in nothing ...
/r/reformation.htm - 14k

Exceedingly (167 Occurrences)
... YLT). Matthew 17:23 and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised
up." They were exceedingly sorry. (WEB WEY WBS). Matthew ...
/e/exceedingly.htm - 37k

Exceeding (101 Occurrences)
... (Root in WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS). Matthew 17:23 and they will kill him, and the
third day he will be raised up." They were exceedingly sorry. ...
/e/exceeding.htm - 37k

Repent (74 Occurrences)
... dissatisfaction. 5. (vi) To be sorry for sin as morally evil, and to seek
forgiveness; to cease to love and practice sin. 6. (vt ...
/r/repent.htm - 29k

Felt (40 Occurrences)
... (WEY). 2 Corinthians 7:9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but
that you were made sorry to repentance. For you were made ...
/f/felt.htm - 18k

Sorrow (277 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) To feel pain of mind in consequence of evil experienced, feared, or done;
to grieve; to be sad; to be sorry. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. SORROW. ...
/s/sorrow.htm - 41k

Resources
How to repent'what does the Bible say? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about apologizing? | GotQuestions.org

Witnessing to Muslims - what is the key? | GotQuestions.org

Sorry: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Sorry (27 Occurrences)

Matthew 14:9
And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
(KJV WBS RSV)

Matthew 17:23
and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up." They were exceedingly sorry.
(WEB KJV ASV YLT)

Matthew 18:31
So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done.
(WEB KJV ASV WBS)

Matthew 21:29
"'I will not,' he replied. "But afterwards he was sorry, and went.
(WEY)

Matthew 21:32
For John came to you observing all sorts of ritual, and you put no faith in him: the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners did put faith in him, and you, though you saw this example set you, were not even afterwards sorry so as to believe him.
(WEY)

Mark 6:26
The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn't wish to refuse her.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV)

Luke 17:3
Be on your guard. "If your brother acts wrongly, reprove him; and if he is sorry, forgive him;
(WEY)

Luke 17:4
and if seven times in a day he acts wrongly towards you, and seven times turns again to you and says, 'I am sorry,' you must forgive him."
(WEY)

2 Corinthians 2:2
For if I make you sorry, then who will make me glad but he who is made sorry by me?
(WEB KJV ASV WBS YLT)

2 Corinthians 2:4
For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made sorry, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.
(WEB ASV YLT)

2 Corinthians 7:8
For though I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. For I see that my letter made you sorry, though just for a while.
(WEB KJV ASV WBS YLT RSV)

2 Corinthians 7:9
I now rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you were made sorry to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly way, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing.
(WEB KJV ASV WBS YLT NIV)

2 Corinthians 7:11
For behold, this same thing, that you were made sorry in a godly way, what earnest care it worked in you. Yes, what defense, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vengeance! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter.
(WEB ASV YLT)

Genesis 6:6
Yahweh was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart.
(WEB NAS RSV)

Genesis 6:7
Yahweh said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground; man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them."
(WEB NAS RSV)

Exodus 2:6
She opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."
(See NIV)

Judges 21:6
The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, "There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.
(See NAS)

Judges 21:15
The people grieved for Benjamin, because that Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.
(See NAS)

1 Samuel 22:8
that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none who discloses to me when my son makes a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me, or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?"
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV)

1 Chronicles 21:15
God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was about to destroy, Yahweh saw, and he relented of the disaster, and said to the destroying angel, It is enough; now stay your hand. The angel of Yahweh was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
(See NAS)

Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
(KJV)

Job 16:2
I have heard many such things: Miserable comforters are ye all.
(See JPS NAS)

Psalms 38:18
For I will declare my iniquity. I will be sorry for my sin.
(WEB KJV ASV WBS YLT RSV)

Psalms 90:13
Relent, Yahweh! How long? Have compassion on your servants!
(See NAS)

Isaiah 51:19
These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?
(KJV WBS)

Jeremiah 13:14
I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says Yahweh: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have compassion, that I should not destroy them.
(See NAS)

Ezekiel 24:14
I, Yahweh, have spoken it: it shall happen, and I will do it: I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to your ways, and according to your doings, shall they judge you, says the Lord Yahweh.
(See NAS)

Subtopics

Sorry

Related Terms

Manner (351 Occurrences)

Pointing (13 Occurrences)

Moving (117 Occurrences)

Plants (70 Occurrences)

Manners (6 Occurrences)

Producing (20 Occurrences)

Bason (3 Occurrences)

Plant (92 Occurrences)

Move (113 Occurrences)

Bank (28 Occurrences)

Expert (59 Occurrences)

Basin (37 Occurrences)

Orders (736 Occurrences)

Fowl (73 Occurrences)

Workmen (52 Occurrences)

Quality (14 Occurrences)

Livestock (124 Occurrences)

Invention (4 Occurrences)

Field-work (12 Occurrences)

Tools (3 Occurrences)

Rabble (7 Occurrences)

Evil-doing (106 Occurrences)

Moves (30 Occurrences)

Poorest (9 Occurrences)

Banking

Awe-struck (9 Occurrences)

Sea-hawk (2 Occurrences)

Sea-beasts (3 Occurrences)

Sorts (65 Occurrences)

Ornament (23 Occurrences)

Try (84 Occurrences)

Creeping (43 Occurrences)

Bird (65 Occurrences)

Wild (147 Occurrences)

Godly (50 Occurrences)

Esau (89 Occurrences)

Foul (41 Occurrences)

Bread (433 Occurrences)

Astonished (92 Occurrences)

Animal (163 Occurrences)

Worker (36 Occurrences)

Seems (99 Occurrences)

Birds (125 Occurrences)

Kinds (110 Occurrences)

Test (105 Occurrences)

Wherever (107 Occurrences)

Handwork (2 Occurrences)

Ordinance (89 Occurrences)

Special (89 Occurrences)

Behaviour (115 Occurrences)

Carefully (76 Occurrences)

Design (84 Occurrences)

Innocents (2 Occurrences)

Undergo (91 Occurrences)

Low (216 Occurrences)

Flat (33 Occurrences)

Massacre (1 Occurrence)

Sorry (27 Occurrences)

Beast (243 Occurrences)

Alive (166 Occurrences)

Press (57 Occurrences)

Priesthood (30 Occurrences)

Touch (82 Occurrences)

Animals (224 Occurrences)

Rooms (69 Occurrences)

Cattle (277 Occurrences)

Fair (147 Occurrences)

Wine (282 Occurrences)

Decree (82 Occurrences)

Gnosticism

Yielding (19 Occurrences)

Quietly (30 Occurrences)

30 (5 Occurrences)

1000 (7 Occurrences)

410 (1 Occurrence)

Vehement (10 Occurrences)

Virgin (62 Occurrences)

Virtue (21 Occurrences)

Sorrows
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