to turn
epistrepho denotes turning toward a person or destination, including turning to God, returning, or physically turning around.
The verb most often marks a directed change toward God or the Lord, sometimes explicitly away from idols, darkness, or error. It also describes returning to a prior person, place, or condition, and physical reorientation toward someone or something.
Senses in use
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Turning toward God or the Lord · dominant
This use marks people changing direction toward God or the Lord: in Acts 14:15 the APB renders the appeal to turn from vain things to a living God, and in 1 Thessalonians 1:9 it describes turning to God from idols. In Acts 26:18, the aorist active infinitive stands within the stated movement from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God; Acts 3:19 places the imperative alongside repentance and the blotting out of sins.
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Returning or turning back · common
The verb can describe going back to a former location, person, or condition. In Luke 2:39 the APB renders the completed action as returning to Galilee, while Luke 17:31 and Matthew 24:18 prohibit someone in the field from turning back; Galatians 4:9 depicts a present turning back again to former principles.
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Physical turning toward an object or person · occasional
In narrative scenes, the verb describes bodily reorientation. In Acts 9:40 the participle occurs before Peter addresses Tabitha's body, and in John 21:20 it precedes Peter's seeing the disciple who followed; Revelation 1:12 likewise links turning with seeing the voice and then the lampstands.
In the Anselm Project Bible: Across these verses, the APB variously uses “turn,” “turned to,” “turn back,” and “return.” These renderings reflect the clauses' differing destinations and contexts, but the translation does not isolate a fixed English equivalent for the term.