Matthew 18:21

THE MESSAGE

At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, "Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?”

King James Version (1611)
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sinne against mee, and I forgiue him? till seuen times?

King James Version
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

English Standard Version
Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"

New American Standard Bible
Then Peter came up and said to Him, "Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times?"

New Century Version
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, when my fellow believer sins against me, how many times must I forgive him? Should I forgive him as many as seven times?"

Amplified Bible
Then Peter came to Him and asked, "Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then came Peter to him, & said, Master, howe oft shall my brother sinne against me, and I shall forgiue him? vnto seuen times?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

Berean Standard Bible
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?"

Contemporary English Version
Peter came up to the Lord and asked, "How many times should I forgive someone who does something wrong to me? Is seven times enough?"

Complete Jewish Bible
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?"

Darby Translation
Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? until seven times?

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, when someone won't stop doing wrong to me, how many times must I forgive them? Seven times?"

George Lamsa Translation
Then Peter came up and said to him, My Lord, if my brother is at fault with me, how many times should I forgive him? up to seven times?

Good News Translation
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?"

Lexham English Bible
Then Peter came up to him and said, "Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I will forgive him? Up to seven times?"

Literal Translation
Then coming up to Him, Peter said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?

American Standard Version
Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times?

Bible in Basic English
Then Peter came and said to him, Lord, what number of times may my brother do wrong against me, and I give him forgiveness? till seven times?

Hebrew Names Version
Then Kefa came and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?"

International Standard Version
Then Peter came up and asked him, "Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I have to forgive him? Seven times?"Luke 17:4;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Then Kipha came near to him, and said to him, My Lord, how many times, if my brother offend me, shall I forgive him; until seven times?

Murdock Translation
Then Cephas approached him, and said to him: My Lord, how many times, if my brother commit offence against me, shall I forgive him? up to seven times?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then came Peter to hym, and sayde: Lorde howe oft shall my brother sinne agaynst me, and I forgeue hym? tyll seuen tymes?

English Revised Version
Then came Peter, and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times?

World English Bible
Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?

Weymouth's New Testament
At this point Peter came to Him with the question, "Master, how often shall my brother act wrongly towards me and I forgive him? seven times?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thanne Petre cam to hym, and seide, Lord, how ofte schal my brother synne ayens me, and Y schal foryyue hym?

Update Bible Version
Then Peter came and said to him, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times?

Webster's Bible Translation
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

New English Translation
Then Peter came to him and said, "Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother who sins against me? As many as seven times?"

New King James Version
Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

New Living Translation
Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?"

New Life Bible
Then Peter came to Jesus and said, "Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him, up to seven times?"

New Revised Standard
Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then, coming near, Peter said to him- Lord! how many times, shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until, seven, times?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then came Peter unto him and said: Lord, how often shall my brother offend against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Revised Standard Version
Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then came Peter to him and sayde: master howe ofte shall I forgeve my brother yf he synne agaynst me seven tymes?

Young's Literal Translation
Then Peter having come near to him, said, `Sir, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him -- till seven times?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then came Peter vnto him, & sayde, LORDE, how oft shal I forgeue my brother, yt trespaceth agaynst me? Seue tymes?

Mace New Testament (1729)
Then Peter advancing to him, said, Lord, if my brother injures me, how many injuries must I forgive him? must I forgive him seven?

Simplified Cowboy Version
Then Pete came up to Jesus and asked, "If a cowboy just keeps doing me wrong, how many times do I have to let it go? Seven times?"

Contextual Overview

²¹ At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, "Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?" ²² Jesus replied, "Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven. ²³"The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. He couldn't pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market. ²⁶"The poor wretch threw himself at the king's feet and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt. ²⁸ "The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, ‘Pay up. Now!' ²⁹"The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I'll pay it all back.' But he wouldn't do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king. ³²"The king summoned the man and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. Shouldn't you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?' The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. And that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn't forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

till: Matthew 18:15, Luke 17:3, Luke 17:4

Reciprocal: Proverbs 19:11 - and Zechariah 8:23 - ten men Matthew 5:22 - his brother Matthew 6:12 - debts Matthew 6:14 - General 1 Corinthians 8:12 - when Ephesians 4:32 - forgiving Colossians 3:13 - forgiving Philemon 1:12 - thou

Cross-References

Genesis 11:5
God came down to look over the city and the tower those people had built.

Genesis 18:1
God appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing. He ran from his tent to greet them and bowed before them.

Exodus 33:5
God said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, ‘You're one hard-headed people. I couldn't stand being with you for even a moment—I'd destroy you. So take off all your jewelry until I figure out what to do with you.'" So the Israelites stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb on.

Jeremiah 17:1
"Judah's sin is engraved with a steel chisel, A steel chisel with a diamond point— engraved on their granite hearts, engraved on the stone corners of their altars. The evidence against them is plain to see: sex-and-religion altars and sacred sex shrines Anywhere there's a grove of trees, anywhere there's an available hill.

Micah 1:3
Look, here he comes! God , from his place! He comes down and strides across mountains and hills. Mountains sink under his feet, valleys split apart; The rock mountains crumble into gravel, the river valleys leak like sieves. All this because of Jacob's sin, because Israel's family did wrong. You ask, "So what is Jacob's sin?" Just look at Samaria—isn't it obvious? And all the sex-and-religion shrines in Judah— isn't Jerusalem responsible?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then came Peter unto him,.... Having heard and observed the rules Christ gave concerning offences and brotherly reproofs, he drew near to Christ, and put this question to him:

and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? He instances in a brother, because it was such an one Christ had been speaking of; he makes no doubt of its being his duty to forgive him upon his repentance, and acknowledgment, but wanted to be reformed, how often this was to be done, and asks, whether

until seven times? Which was, as he might think, a large number; and especially, since it was double the number of times, that the Jewish doctors set for forgiveness: for thus they say d,

"A man that commits a sin, the "first" time they pardon him; the "second" time they pardon him; the "third" time they pardon him: the "fourth" time they do not pardon, according to Amos 2:6.''

Again,

"he that says I have sinned, and I repent, they forgive him "unto three times", and no more e.''

d T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 36. 2. Mainion. Hilch. Teshuba. c. 3. sect. 5. e Abot. R. Nathan, c. 40. fol. 9. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then came Peter ... - The mention of the duty Matthew 18:15 of seeing a brother when he had offended us, implying that it was a duty to forgive him, led Peter to ask how often this was to be done.

Forgive him - To forgive is to treat as though the offence was not committed - to declare that we will not harbor malice or treat unkindly, but that the matter shall be buried and forgotten.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 18:21. Till seven times? — Though seven was a number of perfection among the Hebrews, and often meant much more than the units in it imply, yet it is evident that Peter uses it here in its plain literal sense, as our Lord's words sufficiently testify. It was a maxim among the Jews never to forgive more than thrice: Peter enlarges this charity more than one half; and our Lord makes even his enlargement septuple, see Matthew 18:22. Revenge is natural to man, i.e. man is naturally a vindictive being, and, in consequence, nothing is more difficult to him than forgiveness of injuries.