Matthew 18:21Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?"
The setting
Capernaum, northern Israel, ~29 AD. Jesus teaching disciples, likely in Peter's house courtyard...
The emotion here: proud of his generous suggestion
The original word
aphiēmi (ἀφίημι) — to send away, release completely, cancel debt
Why it matters
Seven was considered the perfect number by rabbis for complete forgiveness
Read with care
What most readers miss in Matthew 18:21
Peter thought he was being incredibly generous — rabbis taught three times maximum
Common misconceptionPeople think Peter was setting a low bar, but rabbis only required forgiving three times. Peter doubled it plus one — he thought he was being radically gracious.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Matthew 18:21
Bible Genome reading
Matthew 18:21 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Matthew 18:21 comes from the book of Matthew, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Peter. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include forgiveness, limits, relationships. Notable phrases: how often shall; until seven times.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Matthew 18:21 mean to you, today?
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