KJV: Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
YLT: Jesus saith to him, 'I do not say to thee till seven times, but till seventy times seven.
Darby: Jesus says to him, I say not to thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven.
ASV: Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.
Λέγει | Says |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: λέγω Sense: to say, to speak. |
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αὐτῷ | to him |
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
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ὁ | - |
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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Ἰησοῦς | Jesus |
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: Ἰησοῦς Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor. |
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λέγω | I say |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular Root: λέγω Sense: to say, to speak. |
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σοι | to you |
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Singular Root: σύ Sense: you. |
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ἕως | up to |
Parse: Preposition Root: ἕως Sense: till, until. |
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ἑπτάκις | seven times |
Parse: Adverb Root: ἑπτάκις Sense: seven times. |
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ἑβδομηκοντάκις | seventy times |
Parse: Adverb Root: ἑβδομηκοντάκις Sense: seventy times seven times. |
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ἑπτά | seven |
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Neuter Plural Root: ἑπτά Sense: seven. |
Greek Commentary for Matthew 18:22
It is not clear whether this idiom means seventy-seven or as the Revised Version has it (490 times). If επτακις heptakis were written it would clearly be 490 times. The same ambiguity is seen in Genesis 4:24, the lxx text by omitting και kai In the Test. of the Twelve Patriarchs, Benj. vii. 4, it is used in the sense of seventy times seven. But it really makes little difference because Jesus clearly means unlimited forgiveness in either case. “The unlimited revenge of primitive man has given place to the unlimited forgiveness of Christians” (McNeile). [source]
It was a settled rule of Rabbinism that forgiveness should not be extended more than three times. Even so, the practice was terribly different. The Talmud relates, without blame, the conduct of a rabbi who would not forgive a very small slight of his dignity, though asked by the offender for thirteen successive years, and that on the day of atonement; the reason being that the offended rabbi had learned by a dream that his offending brother would attain the highest dignity; whereupon he feigned himself irreconcilable, to force the other to migrate from Palestine to Babylon, where, unenvied by him, he might occupy the chief place (Edersheim). It must, therefore, have seemed to Peter a stretch of charity to extend forgiveness from three to seven times. Christ is not specifying a number of times greater than the limit of seven. He means that there is to be no limit. “Forgiveness is qualitative, not quantitative. ” [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 18:22
Seven times within the day. On another occasion Peter‘s question (Matthew 18:21) brought Christ‘s answer “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22), which see note. Seven times during the day would be hard enough for the same offender. [source]