✨WEB · Luke 17:4
What does Luke 17:4 mean?
"If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”"
— Luke 17:4 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no occasions of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come!
It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.
Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him.
If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say, when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table,’
Explanation
Luke 17:4 records Jesus teaching his disciples about the extent of forgiveness within the community of believers. In plain language, the verse says that if someone wrongs you repeatedly in a single day—seven times—and each time comes back to you expressing genuine repentance, you are obligated to forgive them every single time. The number seven here is not meant as a literal cap but as a symbol of completeness, essentially meaning "as many times as it happens."
This statement comes in the context of Jesus's broader teaching to his disciples in Luke 17:1-4 about causing others to stumble, the seriousness of sin, and the necessity of forgiveness. Just prior to this verse, Jesus instructs his disciples that if their brother sins, they should rebuke him, and if he repents, they should forgive him. Verse 4 intensifies this teaching by addressing the natural human objection: what if the offense keeps happening? Jesus's answer removes any limit based on frequency. This teaching follows the pattern found elsewhere in the Gospels, such as Matthew 18:21-22, where Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him, suggesting seven times, and Jesus responds with "seventy times seven," again emphasizing limitless forgiveness rather than a literal count.
Theologically, this verse reveals the radical nature of forgiveness that Jesus expects from his followers. It reflects God's own character toward humanity—a willingness to forgive repeatedly when there is genuine repentance. The verse ties forgive
Compare translations
Go deeper with ScriptureCompanion AI
Ask questions about any verse, follow reading plans, write personal prayers, and track your daily habit — all grounded in verified scripture text.