Matthew 18:22 Meaning and Explanation
“Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus answers that forgiveness is not to be counted but given without limit.
What Does Matthew 18:22 Mean?
Jesus answers Peter's careful seven with an overwhelming seventy times seven. The number is not a new ceiling to reach but a way of saying that forgiveness is not to be counted at all.
Where Peter wanted a limit, Jesus removes the limit. To keep tally of pardons is to misunderstand mercy from the start. The disciple is called to forgive again and again, as freely and tirelessly as he himself has been forgiven. The parable that follows will show why such boundless mercy is the only fitting response for those who have been forgiven so great a debt.
Matthew 18:22 in the Original Language
hebdomekontakis (ἑβδομηκοντάκις), 'seventy times' -- a sweeping figure for limitless repetition.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 18:22
What does Matthew 18:22 mean?
Jesus answers that forgiveness is not to be counted but given without limit.