Matthew 18:21–22
Peter asks how many times; Jesus answers “seventy-seven”
Study it word by word21Then 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.
In its context
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.”
…
23For this reason the kingdom of heaven has become like to a man, a king, who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves.
24And when he began to settle them, one debtor was brought to him who owed ten thousand talents.
Its words in the original
- ΤότεTote· then
Then, at that time.
- προσελθὼνproselthōn· come to, approach
Come up to, approach someone.
- ΠέτροςPetros· Peter
Peter, "rock": the name Jesus gave to Simon.
- εἶπενeipen· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- ΚύριεKyrie· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- ποσάκιςposakis· how often
"How often?", "how many times?".
- ἁμαρτήσειhamartēsei· sin
Sin: fail God, do what he forbids.
- ἀδελφόςadelphos· brother
Brother. Also a close relative, a fellow countryman and, among believers, a brother in the faith.
- ἀφήσωaphēsō· let go, forgive
Leave, let go, allow; said of sins and debts, forgive.
- ἑπτάκιςheptakis· seven times
Seven times.
- ἸησοῦςIēsous· Jesus
Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua), which means "YHWH saves". It is the name the angel told Joseph to give him (Matthew 1:21).
- ἑβδομηκοντάκιςhebdomēkontakis· seventy times
Seventy times; "seventy times seven" or "seventy-seven times".
- ἑπτάhepta· seven
Seven.