Matthew 18

Matthew · Chapter 18

Matthew 18:21

1At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?2And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,3And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.5And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.6But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.7Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!8Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.9And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.10Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.11For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.12How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?13And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.14Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.15Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.16But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.18Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.19Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.21Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.23Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
21Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”Then came Peter and said to him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times?

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
ThenΤότεToteG5119
then

τότε (tote) τότε, demonstr. adv. of time, correlat. of ὅτε, then, at that time; (a) of concurrent events: Mat.2:17 3:5 and freq., Rom.6:21; before ptcp., Mat.2:16, Gal.4:8; opposite to νῦν, Gal.4:29, Heb.12:26; ὁ τ. κόσμος, 2Pe.3:6; (b) of consequent events, then, thereupon: Mat.2:7 3:5 4:1 and freq., Luk.11:26; τ. οὖν, Jhn.11:14 19:1, 16 20:8; εὐθέως τ., Act.17:14; ὅτε . . . τ., Mat.13:26 21:1, Jhn.12:16; ἀπὸ τ., Mat.4:17 16:21 26:16, Luk.16:16; …

having comeπροσελθὼνproselthōnG4334
to come near/agree

προσέρχομαι (proserchomai) προσ-έρχομαι [in LXX for קָרַב, נָגַשׁ, etc. ;] to approach, draw near: absol., Mat.4:11, Luk.9:42, al.; with infin., Mat.24:1, al.; with dative loc., Heb.12:18, 22; dative of person(s), Mat.5:1, and freq., Jhn.12:21, al.; ptcp., προσελθών, with indic., Mat.8:2, and freq., Mrk.1:31, Luk.7:14, al.; π. αὐτῷ, with indic., Mat.4:3, Mrk.6:35, Metaphorical, (a) of approaching God: absol. (Lev.21:17, Deu.21:5, al.), Heb.10:1, 22; τ. θεῷ, Heb.7:25 11:6; τ. θρόνῳ τ. χάριτος, Heb.4:16; πρὸς Χριστόν, 1Pe.2:4; …

PeterΠέτροςPetrosG4074G
Bar-Jonah

Βαριωνᾶς (Bariōnas) Βαριωνᾶς, Βαριωνᾶ, -ᾶ, ὁ (Aram. בַּר־יוֹנָה, son of Jonah), Bar-Jonah, a surname of Peter: Mat.16:17.† (AS)

saidεἶπενeipenG2036
to say

εἶπον (eipon) εἶπον, 2 aorist of obsolete present ἔπω (cf. Veitch), used as aorist of λέγω, which see (AS)

to Him;αὐτῷ·autōG0846
it/s/he

αὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

Lord,κύριε,kurieG2962G
lord: God

κύριος (kurios) κύριος, -α, -ον (also -ος, -ον), [in LXX (subst.) chiefly for יהוה, also for בַּעַל ,אָדוֹן, etc. ;] having power (κῦρος) or authority; as subst., ὁ κ., lord, master; 1. in general: with genitive of thing(s), Mat.9:38 20:8, Mrk.12:9 13:35, Luk.19:33; τ. σαββάτου, Mat.12:8, Mrk.2:28, Luk.6:5; with genitive of person(s), δούλου, etc., Mat.10:24, Luk.14:21, Act.16:16, al.; absol, opposite to οἱ δοῦλοι, Eph.6:5, 9 al.; of the Emperor (Deiss., LAE, 161), Act.25:26; θεοὶ πολλοὶ καὶ κ. πολλοί, 1Co.8:5; of a husband, 1Pe.3:6; in voc, as a title of respect to masters, teachers, magistrates, etc., Ma …

how oftenποσάκιςposakisG4212
how often!

ποσάκις (posakis) ποσάκις interrog. num. adv., how often: Mat.18:21 23:37, Luk.13:34.† (AS)

will sinἁμαρτήσειhamartēseiG0264
to sin

ἁμαρτάνω (hamartanō) ἁμαρτάνω (present formed from aor. ἁμαρτεῖν), [in LXX for חָטָא, also for אָשַׁם, רָשַׁע, etc. ;] 1. to miss the mark (Hom., Æsch., al.), hence metaphorically (Hom., al.), to err, do wrong 2. In LXX and NT, to violate God's law, to sin (for non-Christian exx., see MM, VGT, see word): absol., Mat.18:25 27:4, Luk.17:3, Jhn.5:14 8:11 9:2-3 Rom.2:12 3:23 5:12, 14 5:16 6:15, 1Co.7:28 7:36 15:34, Eph.4:26, 1Ti.5:20, Tit.3:11, Heb.3:17 10:26, 1Pe.2:20, 2Pe.2:4 2:4 1Jn.1:10 Jn 2:1 Jn 3:6-9 Jn 5:18; with cogn. accusative, ἁ. ἁμαρτίαν (cf. Exo.32:30, חֲטָאָה חָטָא), 1Jn.5:16; before εἰς, Mat.18:21, Lu …

againstεἰςeisG1519
toward

εἰς (eis) εἰς, prep. with accusative, expressing entrance, direction, limit, into, unto, to, upon, towards, for, among (Lat. in, with accusative). I. Of place. 1. After verbs of motion; (a) of entrance into: Mat.8:23, 9:7, Mrk.1:45, Luk.2:15, 8:31, al.; (b) of approach, to or towards: Mrk.11:1, Luk.6:8, 19:28, Jhn.11:31, 21:6, al.; (with) before pl. and collective nouns, among: Mrk.4:7, 8:19, 20, Luk.11:49, Jhn.21:23, al.; …

me myselfἐμὲemeG1473
I/we

ἐγώ (egō) ἐγώ, genitive, etc., ἐμοῦ, ἐμοί, ἐμέ (enclitic μου, μοι, με), pl. ἡμεῖς, -ῶν, -ῖν, -ᾶς, of person(s) pron. I. (a) The nom. is usually emphatic, when expressed as subjc, as in Mat.3:11, Mrk.1:8, Luk.3:16, al. But often there is no apparent emphasis, as Mat.10:16, Jhn.10:17; ἰδοὺ ἐ. (= Heb. הִנֵּנִי, cf. 1Ki.3:8), Act.9:10; ἐ. (like Heb. אֲנִי), I am, Jhn.1:23 (LXX), Act.7:32 (LXX). …

brotherἀδελφόςadelphosG0080
brother

ἀδελφός (adelphos) ἀδελφός, -οῦ, ὁ (ἀ- copul., δελφύς, womb), in cl., a brother, born of the same parent or parents. [In LXX (Hort, Ja., 102f.), for אָח ;] 1. lit. of a brother (Gen.4:2, al.). 2. Of a neighbour (Lev.19:17). 3. Of a member of the same nation (Exo.2:14, Deu.15:3). In NT in each of these senses (1. Mat.1:2, al.; 2. Mat.7:3; 3. Rom.9:3) and also, …

of mineμουmouG3165
me

μέ (me) 1. apostrophe for με. 2. rarely for μοι, (Homer) (ML)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

I will forgiveἀφήσωaphēsōG0863H
to release: leave

ἀφίημι (aphiēmi) ἀφ-ίημι, [in LXX for נשׂא, נוח hi., נתן, סלח ni., עזב, etc. ;] 1. to send forth, send away, let go: of divorce (DB, iii, 274a), τ. γυναῖκα (Hdt.), 1Co.7:11-13; of death, τ. πνεῦμα (Gen.35:18, Hdt., al.), Mat.27:50; (φωνήν, to utter a cry, Mrk.15:37; of debts, to remit, forgive (cl.), τ. δανεῖον, Mat.18:27; τ. ὀφειλήν, Mat.18:32; esp. of sins (Cremer 296f.), τ. ἁμαρτίας, ἁμαρτήματα, ἀνομίας, Mat.9:2, Rom.4:7" (LXX), 1Jn.1:9, al.; punctiliar and iterative present (M, Pr., 119), Mrk.2:5, Luk.11:4; Ion. pf., ἀφέωνται (M, Pr., 38), Luk.5:23. …

him?αὐτῷ;autōG0846
it/s/he

αὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

Up toἕωςhe'ōsG2193
until

ἕως (heōs) ἕως, relative particle (Lat. donee, usque), expressing the terminus ad quem (cf. Burton, §321ff.). I. As conjunction; 1. till, until; (a) of a fact in past time, with indic.: Mat.2:9, al. (Wis.10:14, al.); (b) ἕως ἄν, with subjc. aor.: Mat.2:13 5:18, Mrk.6:10, al.; without ἄν (M. Pr., 168f.; Lft., Notes, 115), Mrk.14:32 (Burton, §325), Luk.12:59, 2Th.2:7, al.; (with) with indic., present (Burton, §328; BL, §65, 10): Mrk.6:45, Jhn.21:22, 23 1Ti.4:13. 2. C. indic., as long as, while (Burton, §327): Jhn.9:4 (Plat., Phaedo, 89c). II. As an adverb (chiefly in late writers). …

seven times?ἑπτάκις;¶heptakisG2034
seven times

ἑπτάκις (heptakis) ἐπτάκις adv., seven times: Mat.18:21-22, Luk.17:4.† (AS)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.