Matthew 18:22 (LSB)

Passage

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Nearby Context

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

Matthew 18:22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Matthew 18:23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

Matthew 18:24 When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "jesus", "said", "seven", "times", and "seventy". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "jesus" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "Then Peter came and said to Him..." into verse 23's "For this reason the kingdom of heaven...", so "jesus" and "said" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "jesus" and "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.