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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Matthew 18:22

Jesus answered: Not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!

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!
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 Living Translation
"No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but 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 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?" 22 Jesus answered: Not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! 23 This story will show you what the kingdom of heaven is like: One day a king decided to call in his officials and ask them to give an account of what they owed him. 24 As he was doing this, one official was brought in who owed him fifty million silver coins. 25 But he didn't have any money to pay what he owed. The king ordered him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all he owned, in order to pay the debt. 26 The official got down on his knees and began begging, "Have pity on me, and I will pay you every cent I owe!" 27 The king felt sorry for him and let him go free. He even told the official that he did not have to pay back the money. 28 As the official was leaving, he happened to meet another official, who owed him a hundred silver coins. So he grabbed the man by the throat. He started choking him and said, "Pay me what you owe!" 29 The man got down on his knees and began begging, "Have pity on me, and I will pay you back." 30 But the first official refused to have pity. Instead, he went and had the other official put in jail until he could pay what he owed.

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
One hot summer afternoon Abraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent near the sacred trees of Mamre, when the Lord appeared to him.
Genesis 18:2
Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He quickly ran to meet them, bowed with his face to the ground,
Genesis 18:16
When the three men got ready to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked part of the way with them.
Genesis 19:1
That evening the two angels arrived in Sodom, while Lot was sitting near the city gate. When Lot saw them, he got up, bowed down low,
Psalms 106:23
You were angry and started to destroy them, but Moses, your chosen leader, begged you not to do it.
Jeremiah 15:1
The Lord said to me: Even if Moses and Samuel were here, praying with you, I wouldn't change my mind. So send the people of Judah away.
Jeremiah 18:20
I tried to help them, but they are paying me back by digging a pit to trap me. I even begged you not to punish them.
Ezekiel 22:30
I looked for someone to defend the city and to protect it from my anger, as well as to stop me from destroying it. But I found no one.
Acts 7:55
But Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked toward heaven, where he saw our glorious God and Jesus standing at his right side.
1 Timothy 2:1
First of all, I ask you to pray for everyone. Ask God to help and bless them all, and tell God how thankful you are for each of 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.


 
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