Matthew 18:35 Meaning and Explanation
“So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jesus applies the parable: the Father requires forgiveness from the heart.
What Does Matthew 18:35 Mean?
Jesus brings the parable home with sober directness. So will the heavenly Father deal with you, He says, if you do not forgive your brother from your hearts. The story was never about a distant king but about God and us.
The forgiveness God seeks is not a grudging formality but a release that comes from the heart. Those who have received His boundless mercy are called to let it flow freely to others; to dam it up is to refuse its very nature. This closes the chapter where it began, with the lowly and the wronged, and with a Lord who teaches mercy because He embodies it. We forgive from the heart because we have been forgiven from His.
Matthew 18:35 in the Original Language
paraptoma (παράπτωμα), 'trespasses' -- a false step, a wrong or offense against another.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 18:35
What does Matthew 18:35 mean?
Jesus applies the parable: the Father requires forgiveness from the heart.