From meta (denoting change) and ballō (to throw/cast). Means to change one's mind, to turn about. Used in Acts 28:6 when the Maltese people changed their minds about Paul after the viper did not harm him.
This word captures the human tendency toward fickle judgment. When Paul was bitten by a viper, the islanders first concluded he was a murderer; when he suffered no harm, they changed their minds and said he was a god (Acts 28:6). Both conclusions were wrong, illustrating how unreliable human assessment can be apart from divine revelation.