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chaÌ„nj: A word which seeks to express the many shades of meaning contained in 13 variations of 9 Hebrew words and 5 Greek. These signify, in turn, “to change†“to exchange,†“to turn,†“to put or place,†“to make other†i.e. “alter,†“to disguise oneself.†חלף, hÌ£aÌ„laph, and its derivatives, occuring often, indicates “to pass away,†hence, alter, renew, e.g. (1) “changes of raiment†(; , , ); (2) “changed my wages ten times†(, ); (3) heavens changed “as a vesture†(); (4) “changes and warfare†(), i.e. relays of soldiers as illustrated in (the Revised Version, margin “host after host is against meâ€); (5) “till my change come†(the Revised Version (British and American) “releaseâ€), i.e. death (); (6) “changed the ordinances†(the American Standard Revised Version “violated the statutesâ€), i.e. disregarded law (); (7) change of mind ( the King James Version). Used also of change of character, הפך, haÌ„phakhÌŒ: (1) of leprosy, “changed unto white†(); (2) figuratively of the moral life, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin?†(); so also מוּר, muÌ„r, and derivatives, “changed their gods†and “their glory,†etc. (; ; ). Other words used to indicate change of name (); of day and night (); of times and seasons (); of countenance. (); of behavior (); God's unchangeableness, “I, Yahweh, change not†().
In the New Testament the word has to do chiefly with spiritual realities: (1) μετατιÌθημι, metatıÌtheÌ„mi, of the necessary change of the priesthood and law under Christ (); (2) ἀλλαÌττω, allaÌttoÌ„, of His changing the customs of Moses (); (3) of moral change, e.g. debasement (, , ); (4) of bodily change at the resurrection (, ; μετασχηματιÌζω, metascheÌ„matıÌzoÌ„, the King James Version); (5) μεταβαÌλλω, metabaÌlloÌ„, of change of mind in presence of a miracle (); (6) of the change to come over the heavens at the great day of the Lord (; compare , ).
Figurative uses indicated separately in the course of the article.