Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, May 14th, 2025
the Fourth Week after Easter
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Matthew 18:22

"No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Charitableness;   Commandments;   Family;   Forgiveness;   Fraternity;   Jesus, the Christ;   Scofield Reference Index - Life;   Parables;   Thompson Chain Reference - Periods and Numbers;   Seventy;   The Topic Concordance - Forgiveness;   Gathering;   God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Families;   Forgiveness of Injuries;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Forgiveness;   Lending;   Mercy;   Seven;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Discipline;   Forgiveness;   Guilt;   Numbers, Symbolic Meaning of;   Wages;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hutchinsonians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Seven;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Number;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ethics;   Forgiveness;   Lamech;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Number Systems and Number Symbolism;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Number;   Perfection;   Prayer;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Character;   Commandments;   Debt, Debtor (2);   Discourse;   Doctrines;   Forgiveness (2);   Guilt (2);   Heaven ;   Justice (2);   Manliness;   Matthew, Gospel According to;   Metaphors;   Numbers (2);   Paradox;   Prayer (2);   Property (2);   Sanctify, Sanctification;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Numbers as Symbols;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Forgiveness;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Number;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Seven;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Debt;   Forgiveness;   Intercession;   Jesus Christ (Part 2 of 2);   Mercy;   Number;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for October 15;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“I tell you, not as many as seven,”
King James Version (1611)
Iesus saith vnto him, I say not vnto thee, Untill seuen times: but, Untill seuentie times seuen.
King James Version
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
English Standard Version
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
New American Standard Bible
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.
New Century Version
Jesus answered, "I tell you, you must forgive him more than seven times. You must forgive him even if he wrongs you seventy times seven.
Amplified Bible
Jesus answered him, "I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Iesus said vnto him, I say not to thee, Vnto seuen times, but, Vnto seuentie times seuen times.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Legacy Standard Bible
Jesus *said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Berean Standard Bible
Jesus answered, "I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!
Contemporary English Version
Jesus answered: Not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!
Complete Jewish Bible
"No, not seven times," answered Yeshua, "but seventy times seven!
Darby Translation
Jesus says to him, I say not to thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.
Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus answered, "I tell you, you must forgive them more than seven times. You must continue to forgive them even if they do wrong to you seventy-seven times.
George Lamsa Translation
Jesus said to him, I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Good News Translation
"No, not seven times," answered Jesus, "but seventy times seven,
Lexham English Bible
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven!
Literal Translation
Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, Until seven times, but, Until seventy times seven.
American Standard Version
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.
Bible in Basic English
Jesus says to him, I say not to you, Till seven times; but, Till seventy times seven.
Hebrew Names Version
Yeshua said to him, "I don't tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.
International Standard Version
Jesus said to him, "I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!seventy times seven">[fn]Matthew 6:14; Mark 11:25; Colossians 3:13;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
Jeshu said to him, I say not to thee, Until seven, but, Until seventy times seven and seven. [fn]
Murdock Translation
Jesus said to him: I do not say to thee, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Iesus sayth vnto hym, I say not vnto thee vntyll seuen tymes: but, vntyll seuentie tymes seuen.
English Revised Version
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.
World English Bible
Jesus said to him, "I don't tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Till seven times? Jesus saith to him, I say not unto thee, till seven times, but till seventy times seven.
Weymouth's New Testament
"I do not say seven times," answered Jesus, "but seventy times seven times.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whether til seuen tymes? Jhesus seith to hym, Y seie not to thee, til seuene sithis; but til seuenti sithis seuene sithis.
Update Bible Version
Jesus says to him, I do not say to you, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.
Webster's Bible Translation
Jesus saith to him, I say not to thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
New English Translation
Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy-seven times!
New King James Version
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
New Life Bible
Jesus said to him, "I tell you, not seven times but seventy times seven!
New Revised Standard
Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Jesus saith to him - I say not unto thee, unto, seven, times, but, until seventy times seven.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Jesus saith to him: I say not to thee, till seven times; but till seventy times seven times.
Revised Standard Version
Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Iesus sayd vnto him: I saye not vnto the seven tymes: but seventy tymes seven tymes.
Young's Literal Translation
Jesus saith to him, `I do not say to thee till seven times, but till seventy times seven.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Iesus saide vnto hi: I saye not vnto ye seue tymes, but seuetie tymes seuen tymes.
Mace New Testament (1729)
Jesus answered, I tell thee not only seven: but seventy times seven.
THE MESSAGE
Jesus replied, "Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Jesus replied, "No Pete, not seven times—every time!"

Contextual Overview

21 Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" 22 "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven! 23 "Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn't pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. 26 "But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.' 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. 28 "But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29 "His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,' he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn't wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

but: Matthew 6:11, Matthew 6:12, Matthew 6:14, Matthew 6:15, Isaiah 55:7, Micah 7:19, Mark 11:25, Mark 11:26, Romans 12:21, Ephesians 4:26, Ephesians 4:31, Ephesians 4:32, Ephesians 5:1, Colossians 3:13, 1 Timothy 2:8

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:24 - seventy Proverbs 19:11 - and Ecclesiastes 11:2 - seven Zechariah 8:23 - ten men Luke 17:4 - if

Cross-References

Genesis 18:1
The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day.
Genesis 18:2
He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.
Genesis 18:16
Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way.
Genesis 19:1
That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground.
Psalms 106:23
So he declared he would destroy them. But Moses, his chosen one, stepped between the Lord and the people. He begged him to turn from his anger and not destroy them.
Jeremiah 15:1
Then the Lord said to me, "Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading for these people, I wouldn't help them. Away with them! Get them out of my sight!
Jeremiah 18:20
Should they repay evil for good? They have dug a pit to kill me, though I pleaded for them and tried to protect them from your anger.
Ezekiel 22:30
"I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one.
Acts 7:55
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand.
1 Timothy 2:1
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Till seven times? - The Jews caught that a man was to forgive another three times, but not the fourth. Peter more than doubled this, and asked whether forgiveness was to be exercised to so great an extent.

I say not unto thee, Until seven times, but, Until seventy times seven - The meaning is, that we are not to limit our forgiveness to any fixed number of times. See Genesis 4:24. As often as a brother injures us and asks forgiveness, we are to forgive him. It is, indeed, his duty to ask forgiveness, Luke 17:4. If he does this, it is our duty to declare that we forgive him, and to treat him accordingly. If he does not ask us to forgive him, yet we are not at liberty to follow him with revenge and malice, but are still to treat him kindly and to do him good, Luke 10:30-37.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 18:22. Seventy times seven. — There is something very remarkable in these words, especially if collated with Genesis 4:24, where the very same words are used-"If any man kill LAMECH, he shall be avenged seventy times seven." The just God punishes sin in an exemplary manner. Sinful man, who is exposed to the stroke of Divine justice, should be abundant in forgiveness, especially as the merciful only shall find mercy. Matthew 5:7, and on Matthew 6:14; Matthew 6:15. The sum seventy times seven makes four hundred and ninety. Now an offence, properly such, is that which is given wantonly, maliciously, and without ANY PROVOCATION. It is my opinion, that, let a man search ever so accurately, he will not find that he has received, during the whole course of his life, four hundred and ninety such offences. If the man who receives the offence has given any cause for it, in that case, the half of the offence, at least, towards his brother, ceases.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile