Luke 17:3

“Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he changes his mind, forgive him.”

Luke 17:3 · direct translation from the Greek
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If your brother changes his mind, forgive him, even seven times a dayForgivenessIf your brother sins, tell him; if he changes his mind, forgive himConflict and Reconciliation

With the Greek beneath

3

Luke 17:3, word by word

Watchπροσέχετεprosechete

beware

To be alert: "look out for…".

Where else “prosechete” appears
your brotherἀδελφόςadelphos

fellow countryman

A neighbor, someone of the same people.

Where else “adelphos” appears
sinsἁμάρτῃhamartēi

sin

Sin: fail God, do what he forbids.

Where else “hamartēi” appears
rebukeἐπιτίμησονepitimēson

rebuke

To scold sharply, even the wind or a demon.

Where else “epitimēson” appears
he changes his mindμετανοήσῃmetanoēsēi

change one's mind

Change one's mind: turn around one's way of thinking, and with it one's way of living, to return to God. It is usually translated "repent".

Where else “metanoēsēi” appears
forgiveἄφεςaphes

forgive

To wipe away sins or debts, not exact them.

Where else “aphes” appears

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Forgiving a brother

Matthew 18:15-22

A similar saying; scholars discuss whether it is the same saying in another setting or a repeated one.

See them side by side

Luke 17:3-4

3Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he changes his mind, forgive him. 4And if seven times a day he sins against you and seven times turns back to you, saying, ‘I change my mind,’ you will forgive him.”

Matthew 18:15-22

15And if your brother sins against you, go, reprove him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. 17And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly; and if he refuses to listen even to the assembly, let him be to you as the Gentile and the tax collector. 18Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven. 19Again, truly I tell you that if two of you agree on earth about any matter that they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.” 21Then Peter came to him and said, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus says to him, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.

The context

2It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.

3 · This verse (above)

4And if seven times a day he sins against you and seven times turns back to you, saying, ‘I change my mind,’ you will forgive him.”

Read all of Luke 17

To study Luke 17 in a group

  1. 1. What it says

    Of the ten lepers who are cleansed, how many come back to give thanks, and what does Jesus say to him? (vv. 12-19)

  2. 2. What it means

    Jesus points out that the one who returned was a Samaritan, a foreigner (vv. 16-18). What does that say about who recognizes what God has done?

  3. 3. How I live it

    Jesus says to forgive a brother who changes his mind, even seven times a day (vv. 3-4). Whom do you need to forgive this week?

How to use it