Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Matthew 18:21

ποσάκις, etc.: the question naturally arose out of the directions for dealing with an offending brother, which could only be carried out by one of placable disposition. Their presupposition is that a fault confessed is to be forgiven. But how far is this to go? In Luke 17:3 the case is put of seven offences in a day, each in turn repented of and confessed. Is there not reason for doubting the sincerity of repentance in such a case? Or is this not at least the extreme limit? Such is Peter's feeling. ἁμαρτήσει, ἀφήσω : two futures instead of ποσ. ἁμαρτόντι ἀφήσω : Hebrew idiom instead of Greek. ἕως ἑπτάκις : Peter meant to be generous, and he went considerably beyond the Rabbinical measure, which was three times (Amos 1:6): “quicunque remissionem petit a proximo, ne ultra quam ter petat,” Schöttgen.

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Matthew 18:21

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