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G396 · Greek · New Testament
ἀνατρέπω
anatrepō
Verb
to overturn, upset, subvert

Definition

The verb anatrepō means to overturn, tip over, or subvert — to turn something completely upside down. It appears twice in the New Testament: John 2:15 (Jesus overturning the money changers' tables) and Titus 1:11 (false teachers "ruining whole households").

Usage & Theological Significance

The two uses of anatrepō present a fascinating contrast. Jesus' overturning of the money changers' tables in the Temple was an act of righteous zeal — the purification of God's house by the one with authority over it. False teachers' overturning of whole households (Titus 1:11) is the same physical image but a catastrophically opposite spiritual reality: destruction instead of purification, ruin instead of renewal. Both involve turning upside down; only one is divine. The test of any spiritual disruption is whether it proceeds from the authority of Christ and results in holiness.

Key Bible Verses

John 2:15 He made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts... and overturned the tables of the money changers.
Titus 1:11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach.
Matthew 21:12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there.
2 Timothy 2:18 ...who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.
Mark 11:15 Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there.

Related Words

External Resources

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