OET interlinear MAT 18:22

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-tense

λέγει

/is/_saying

To call attention to a development in the story, Matthew uses the present tense in past narration. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you could use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: “said”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

οὐ λέγω σοι ἕως ἑπτάκις, ἀλλὰ ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά

not ˱I˲_/am/_saying ˱to˲_you up_to seven_times but up_to seventy_times seven

If your language would not naturally put the negative statement before the positive statement, you could reverse the two clauses here. Alternate translation: “I say to you up to 77 times, not up to seven times”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ἕως ἑπτάκις, ἀλλὰ ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά

up_to seven_times but up_to seventy_times seven

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from the previous verse if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “that you should forgive your brother up to seven times, but that you should forgive him up to 77 times”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά

seventy_times seven

Here Jesus uses the large number 77 to indicate that Peter and all believers must always forgive other people. Jesus does not mean to count up to 77 and then stop forgiving other people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “77 times and beyond” or “77 times, by which I mean always”

ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά

seventy_times seven

Here, the phrase translated as 77 times could be indicating: (1) 70 times plus seven times. Alternate translation: “70 times plus seven times” (2) 70 times multiplied by seven times. Alternate translation: “70 times seven times”