LUKE 17:4 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. Καί
2. kai
3. And
4. then
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. S
10. Y33
11. 54560
1. ἐάν
2. ean
3. if
4. -
5. 14370
6. C·······
7. if
8. if
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54561
1. ἑπτάκις
2. heptakis
3. seven times
4. -
5. 20340
6. D·······
7. seven_times
8. seven_times
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54562
1. τῆς
2. ho
3. in the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GFS
7. ˱in˲ the
8. ˱in˲ the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54563
1. ἡμέρας
2. hēmera
3. day
4. day
5. 22500
6. N····GFS
7. day
8. day
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54564
1. ἁμαρτήσῃ
2. hamartaō
3. he may sin
4. -
5. 2640
6. VSAA3··S
7. ˱he˲ ˓may˒ sin
8. ˱he˲ ˓may˒ sin
9. -
10. Y33; R54549
11. 54565
1. εἰς
2. eis
3. against
4. -
5. 15190
6. P·······
7. against
8. against
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54566
1. σέ
2. su
3. you
4. -
5. 47710
6. R···2A·S
7. you
8. you
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54567
1. καί
2. kai
3. and
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54568
1. ἐάν
2. ean
3. -
4. -
5. 14370
6. C·······
7. if
8. if
9. -
10. -
11. 54569
1. τό
2. ho
3. -
4. -
5. 35880
6. R····NNS
7. ¬which
8. ¬which
9. -
10. -
11. 54570
1. ἑπτάκις
2. heptakis
3. seven times
4. -
5. 20340
6. D·······
7. seven_times
8. seven_times
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54571
1. τῆς
2. ho
3. -
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GFS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. -
11. 54572
1. ἡμέρας
2. hēmera
3. -
4. -
5. 22500
6. N····GFS
7. day
8. day
9. -
10. -
11. 54573
1. ἐπιστρέψῃ
2. epistrefō
3. he may return
4. -
5. 19940
6. VSAA3··S
7. ˱he˲ ˓may˒ return
8. ˱he˲ ˓may˒ return
9. -
10. Y33; R54549
11. 54574
1. πρός
2. pros
3. to
4. -
5. 43140
6. P·······
7. to
8. to
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54575
1. ἐπί
2. epi
3. -
4. -
5. 19090
6. P·······
7. against
8. against
9. -
10. -
11. 54576
1. σέ
2. su
3. you
4. -
5. 47710
6. R···2A·S
7. you
8. you
9. -
10. Y33
11. 54577
1. λέγων
2. legō
3. saying
4. -
5. 30040
6. VPPA·NMS
7. saying
8. saying
9. -
10. Y33; R54549
11. 54578
1. Μετανοῶ
2. metanoeō
3. I am repenting
4. -
5. 33400
6. VIPA1··S
7. ˱I˲ ˓am˒ repenting
8. ˱I˲ ˓am˒ repenting
9. D
10. Y33; R54549
11. 54579
1. Μετανοήσω
2. metanoeō
3. -
4. -
5. 33400
6. VIFA1··S
7. ˱I˲ ˓will_be˒ repenting
8. ˱I˲ ˓will_be˒ repenting
9. D
10. -
11. 54580
1. ἀφήσεις
2. afiēmi
3. you will be forgiving
4. forgive
5. 8630
6. VIFA2··S
7. ˱you˲ ˓will_be˒ forgiving
8. ˱you˲ ˓will_be˒ forgiving
9. -
10. Y33; R54494
11. 54581
1. ἄφες
2. afiēmi
3. -
4. -
5. 8630
6. VMAA2··S
7. forgive
8. forgive
9. -
10. -
11. 54582
1. ἀφήσει
2. afiēmi
3. -
4. -
5. 8630
6. VIFM2··S
7. ˱you˲ ˓will_be˒ forgiving
8. ˱you˲ ˓will_be˒ forgiving
9. -
10. -
11. 54583
1. αὐτῷ
2. autos
3. to him
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3DMS
7. ˱to˲ him
8. ˱to˲ him
9. -
10. Y33; R54549
11. 54584

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 17:1–10: Jesus taught his disciples about sin, faith, and duty

At the end of chapter 16, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees. He concluded his parable about Lazarus and the rich man. Here in 17:1–10, he spoke to his disciples and taught them about several issues.Scholars have different opinions about whether the teachings in this section are thematically related to Jesus’ teachings in chapter 16. Some scholars say that the teachings in the two chapters are not connected. Other scholars do see a broad connection. Green says, “Especially due to its location adjacent to prior accounts of Jesus’ interaction with Pharisees, this pericope recapitulates Jesus’ message to his followers: They are not to be like the Pharisees!” (p. 611). Liefeld says that “it is also possible to see a logical connection between the end of chapter 16 and the beginning of chapter 17, if we understand ‘the things that cause people to sin’ to be the sins of the Pharisees, such as those mentioned in 16:14.” Scholars also disagree about whether the paragraphs in this section are related to each other. About this, Liefeld says that “there is a common unifying theme of attitudes in the Christian community” (p. 994). Morris also mentions this possible connection: “The connecting link here may be the attitude of the religious leaders. They were in danger of using their wealth wrongly, and they were also in danger of leading their lesser brethren astray—temptations that would confront his disciples as well as people like the Pharisees” (p. 279). Nolland (p. 835) says, “Luke seems to have cobbled a unity together here of three separate blocks of tradition (verses 1–2, 3–4, 5–6). The catchword link “into/in the sea” from verse 2 to verse 6 helps to give a formal unity to the piece, and it is likely that he intends the blocks so juxtaposed, to mutually qualify the meaning of one another.” He also says, “As he opens this new section (17:1–19) Luke has brought together three blocks of tradition to form a unit about the adequacy, despite all human frailty, of even the most meager of kingdom faiths for the radical challenge of Jesus’ teaching” (p. 839).

English versions divide these verses into sections in different ways. For example:

Most versions put 17:1–10 together in one section and have one heading. (The Notes follow these versions.)
Some versions divide 17:1–10 into three sections with a heading for each one. For example, the GNT has:

17:1–4	Sin
17:5–6	Faith
17:7–10	A servant’s duty

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Jesus taught his disciples to not cause others to sin, to forgive others, and to serve him humbly

Teachings about Forgiveness and Faith (NLT)

Sin, Forgiveness, Faith, and Service (NET)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 18:6–7 and 18:15 and in Mark 9:42. However, Jesus may have spoken these passages in a different context from the one in this section.

Paragraph 17:3b–4

In this paragraph, Jesus taught his followers that they must always forgive people who repent for sinning against them. This may be one way to avoid causing “one of these little ones” to sin (17:1–2).

17:4a

Even if he sins against you seven times in a day,

If he does wrong to you^(sing) seven times during one day,
Even though he wrongs you^(sing) as often as seven times in a single day,
Suppose he sins against you^(sing) many times in one day,

Even if he sins against you seven times in a day: The phrase Even if introduces a situation that might happen. It does not refer to a situation that has actually occurred. Some other ways to translate this are:

Your brother might sin against you seven times in one day. If he does….

Suppose that your friend sins against you seven times in one day

sins against you seven times in a day: As in 17:3b, the word sins refers here to something wrong or bad that one person does to another person. The phrase sins against you seven times in a day does not necessarily refer to doing the same sin each time. It could refer to seven different sorts of sin.

seven times: Jesus used the number seven to emphasize that the person continued to sin against the same person a number of times. The number seven does not imply that a disciple should not forgive his brother the eighth time he sinned. Jesus probably did not want his disciples to count each time the person sinned!

If a literal translation may imply that wrong meaning, it may be helpful to use a more general expression. For example:

even if he sins against you many times a day

If you decide to translate literally, you may want to include a footnote in your translation to make the meaning clear. For example:

Jesus’ point is that we should forgive others unconditionally as many times as they sin against us. Also see Matthew 18:21–35. (TRT)

in a day: The phrase in a day means “during one day” or “within a single day.” A day here refers to one twenty-four hour period.

17:4b

and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’

and he returns to you^(sing) seven times and says, ‘I regret what I did,’
if he comes back and says to you^(sing) seven times, ‘I am sorry,’
then each time he returns and asks you^(sing) to forgive him.

and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent’: In some languages it may not be natural to repeat the words seven times. It may be more natural to use a more general expression. For example:

and each time he comes to you saying, “I repent…” (GNT)

returns: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as returns is literally “turns around” or “turns back.” The context implies that after some minutes or hours, the person who sinned regrets his sin. The Greek word may indicate that he turns again to the offended believer or it may imply that he goes somewhere and then returns. Some ways to translate this are:

and…returns to you (NET)

and comes back to you (GW)

and turns to you (RSV)

to say, ‘I repent’: The Greek word that the BSB translates as I repent is the same Greek word as in 17:3c. Here Jesus used it to quote what a person might say to express his repentance to the person whom he offended.

In many languages, there are certain specific things that a person says when he asks someone to forgive him. If that is true in your language, you may be able to use such an expression here. It is good to use an expression that implies actual repentance, not merely polite apology. For example:

and says, “I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

In some languages, it will be more natural to use indirect speech here. For example:

and says that he is sorry (GW)

and asks you to forgive him

17:4c

you must forgive him.”

forgive^(sing) him.”
you^(sing) must pardon him every/each time.”
Every time he does this, you^(sing) must forgive him.”

you must forgive him: The phrase you must forgive him is a command. Here is another way to translate this:

forgive him (NCV)

The word forgive also occurs in 17:3c.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

καὶ ἐὰν ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς σὲ, καὶ ἑπτάκις ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς σὲ, λέγων μετανοῶ, ἀφήσεις αὐτῷ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐάν ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς σέ καί ἑπτάκις ἐπιστρέψῃ πρός σέ λέγων Μετανοῶ ἀφήσεις αὐτῷ)

Jesus is describing a hypothetical situation in order to tell his disciples what they should do if it takes place. Alternate translation: [Suppose a fellow believer were to sin against you seven times in the same day. And suppose each time he came to you and said, ‘I am sorry.’ Then you would have to forgive him each time]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας & καὶ ἑπτάκις

seven_times ˱in˲_the day & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐάν ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς σέ καί ἑπτάκις ἐπιστρέψῃ πρός σέ λέγων Μετανοῶ ἀφήσεις αὐτῷ)

The number seven in the Bible represents a large or sufficient quantity. Alternate translation: [many times in the same day, and each time]

τῆς ἡμέρας

˱in˲_the day

Alternate translation: [in the same day]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / youcrowd

σὲ & σὲ & ἀφήσεις

The word you is singular in this verse, since Jesus is addressing an individual situation, even though he is speaking to a group. If these singular forms would not be natural in your language for someone who was speaking to a group of people, you could use plural forms in your translation.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς σὲ, λέγων μετανοῶ, ἀφήσεις αὐτῷ

˱he˲_˓may˒_return (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐάν ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς σέ καί ἑπτάκις ἐπιστρέψῃ πρός σέ λέγων Μετανοῶ ἀφήσεις αὐτῷ)

If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: [comes to you and says that he is sorry, you must forgive him]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / declarative

ἀφήσεις αὐτῷ

˱you˲_˓will_be˒_forgiving ˱to˲_him

Jesus is using a future statement to give an instruction and command. Alternate translation: [you must forgive him]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.