And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
Parallel translations
- WEB If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
- KJV And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
- BSB Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
- NASB And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
- NLT Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Even if a brother sins and repents seven times in a day, forgiveness must be extended each time. Forgiveness is to be generous and repeated.
Overview
The 'seven times' signals limitless, ungrudging forgiveness toward the genuinely repentant. Jesus calls His followers to mirror the boundless mercy of God. Because we have been forgiven so much in Christ, we are to forgive freely and again and again.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Col 3:12–13Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;
- Matt 18:21–22Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”
- Rom 12:20Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
- Matt 6:14–15“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
- Matt 5:44But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,
- Matt 6:12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
- Eph 4:31–32Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.
- Matt 18:16But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
- Matt 18:35So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”
- 1 Cor 13:4–7Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
- 2 Th 3:13–14But you, brothers, don’t be weary in doing well.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 17:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.