Matthew 18:22

22 "No, not seven times," answered Yeshua, "but seventy times seven!

Matthew 18:22 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 18:22

Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee
Which is as if he had said, observe what I am about to say, I do not agree to what thou sayest to fix the number, "until seven times only", but

until seventy times seven;
a certain number for an uncertain, see ( Genesis 4:24 ) . Christ's meaning is, that a man should be all the days, and every day of his life, forgiving those that sin against him, as often as they repent and acknowledge their fault; and that no time is to be set for the exercise of the grace of forgiveness; but as often as there are objects and occasions, though ever so many and frequent, it should be used; and which he illustrates by the following parable.

Matthew 18:22 In-Context

20 For wherever two or three are assembled in my name, I am there with them."

21 Then Kefa came up and said to him, "Rabbi, how often can my brother sin against me and I have to forgive him? As many as seven times?"

22 "No, not seven times," answered Yeshua, "but seventy times seven!

23 Because of this, the Kingdom of Heaven may be compared with a king who decided to settle accounts with his deputies.

24 Right away they brought forward a man who owed him many millions;