Let go of the debt, as God let go of yours: “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” In Matthew 18:21–22, the Greek word is aphiēmi (G863): to let go, to release, to send away. The Berean puts it as ‘forgive’ almost as often as ‘leave’: the same word lets go of a debt and walks...
Get DeepWordWhat the original says
Behind “shall I forgive” in this verse is the Greek word aphiēmi (said ah-FEE-ay-mee).
It means to let go, to release, to send away. The Berean puts it as ‘forgive’ almost as often as ‘leave’: the same word lets go of a debt and walks away from a place.
This form, aphēsō, is ‘I will forgive’: Peter speaking of himself and what he will do. Word for word he asks, ‘how often will my brother sin against me, and I will forgive him?’
In the Berean Standard Bible, it is ‘forgive’ 47 times and ‘leave’ 46 times, counting their other forms. When the fishermen “left their nets and followed Him”, this is the word (Matthew 4:20):
Word by word
| ἀδελφός | μου | καὶ | ἀφήσω | αὐτῷ; | ἕως | ἑπτάκις; |
| brother | of mine | and | I will forgive | him | up to | seven times |
Original form
What this tells us
Jesus has just told his disciples what to do when someone wrongs them: “If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately” (Matthew 18:15). Peter wants to know where the limit is. “Up to seven times?” he asks. Seven sounds generous. Peter may well have thought he was offering a great deal. The word for “forgive” is aphiēmi: to let go, to release. Jesus answers, “not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!” He is not setting a higher number to count up to. He is saying forgiveness is not something you keep a tally of. Some Bibles put it as ‘seventy times seven’; either way the point is the same. Then Jesus tells a story to show why (Matthew 18:23). A servant who owes a fortune is let off by his king: “His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him” (Matthew 18:27). The same servant goes out, finds a man who owes him a little, and starts to choke him. The king’s question is the heart of the story: “Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?” (Matthew 18:33). Forgiving is not pretending it did not hurt, and it may not happen in one moment. It starts from remembering how much you have been let go of yourself.
What the original says
Behind “forgive” in this verse is aphiēmi again (said ah-FEE-ay-mee).
It is the same word you met in Matthew 18: to let go, to release, to forgive.
This form, aphes, is a request to one person, here to God: forgive. The second half of the verse uses the same verb again, aphēkamen, “have forgiven”, for what we have done.
This line is from the Lord’s Prayer, and Jesus comes back to it at once: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14). In all, the Berean has it as ‘forgive’ 47 times:
Word by word
| καὶ | ἄφες | ἡμῖν | τὰ | ὀφειλήματα | ἡμῶν | ὡς |
| and | do forgive | us | the | debts | of us | as |
Original form
What this tells us
Jesus is teaching his disciples how to pray. He begins, “So then, this is how you should pray” (Matthew 6:9), and the prayer moves from God’s name and kingdom to daily bread: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Then comes this line, the only one he stops to explain afterwards. The word for “forgive” is aphiēmi, to let go. In this prayer it runs in both directions at once: “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Wrongs are pictured as debts, something owed that can be cancelled. The same word covers what God does for us and what we do for others. As soon as the prayer ends, Jesus says, “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours” (Matthew 6:15). Christians read this link in different ways, some as a condition and others as a sign that a forgiven heart learns to forgive; all of them take it seriously. Think of a hand clenched tight around what someone owes you: a closed hand cannot open to receive at the same moment. You pray this line every time you pray the Lord’s Prayer. Who comes to mind when you reach the words ‘as we also have forgiven’?
What the original says
Behind “forgive” in this verse is aphiēmi (said ah-FEE-ay-mee), the word of the Lord’s Prayer.
It is the same word: to let go, to release, to forgive.
This form, aphes, is the same request form as in the Lord’s Prayer, now spoken by Jesus to his Father about the people putting him to death. A few early manuscripts do not have this first sentence; most Bibles print it, as the Berean does.
In the Berean Standard Bible, it is ‘forgive’ 47 times. Here Jesus prays the request he once taught: “And forgive us our debts” (Matthew 6:12):
Word by word
| Ἰησοῦς | ἔλεγεν | πάτερ | ἄφες | αὐτοῖς | οὐ | γὰρ |
| Jesus | was saying | Father | do forgive | them | not | for |
Original form
What this tells us
Jesus has just been nailed to a cross: “When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals” (Luke 23:33). Soldiers are dividing up his clothes. The rulers stand by and sneer, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God” (Luke 23:35). The word for “forgive” is aphiēmi. Jesus uses it in pain, while the wrong is still being done to him: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” He does not wait for anyone to apologize. He hands the people who are hurting him to his Father, with a request for mercy. The first Christians took this as a pattern. As Stephen was being stoned, he cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). Peter writes of Jesus, “When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate” but “entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). Forgiving, in these verses, is not saying the wrong was fine. It is handing the wrong, and the person, over to God, who judges justly. If you cannot yet forgive someone, you may still be able to pray Jesus’ words about them. A prayer can come first, before the feeling does.
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Download on the App StoreWhat the original says
Behind “Forgive” in this verse is the Greek word apoluō (said ah-po-LOO-oh).
It means to set free, to release, to let go. In the Gospels it is the word for releasing a prisoner, as when Pilate offered to release Jesus; here it is put as ‘forgive’.
This form, apoluete, is a command to many people, in a form that usually describes something ongoing. Right after it comes the same verb again, apolythēsesthe, “you will be forgiven”.
In the Berean Standard Bible, it is ‘release’ 28 times and ‘forgive’ only 2 times, both in this verse. It is the governor’s custom “to release to the crowd a prisoner of their choosing” (Matthew 27:15):
Word by word
| ἀπολύετε | καὶ | ἀπολυθήσεσθε |
| do forgive | and | you will be forgiven |
Original form
What this tells us
Jesus has come down with his disciples and “stood on a level place” (Luke 6:17), with a large crowd around him. He has just said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27), and “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). This verse spells out what that mercy looks like. The word behind “Forgive” is apoluō: to release, to set free, the word for letting a prisoner go. Jesus puts it after two things not to do: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.” Then the positive step: let the person go. The next verse pictures what comes back to the one who gives: “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap” (Luke 6:38). Think of someone you keep locked up in your mind, replaying what they did over and over. Forgiving is opening that cell door. It sets them free from your sentence, and very often it sets you free too. Is there someone you are still holding prisoner in your thoughts? This verse invites you to picture what it would be like to let them go.
What the original says
Behind “forgive” in this verse is the Hebrew word nasa (said nah-SAH).
It means to lift, to carry, to take up. When what is lifted is a wrong, it means to forgive: to lift the wrong off someone.
This form, sa, is a request to one person: lift, carry away. The next word, na, means ‘please’. Word for word the brothers ask, ‘lift, please, the transgression of your brothers’.
In the Berean Standard Bible, it is ‘lift’ 94 times, ‘carry’ 65 times and ‘forgive’ 18 times, counting their other forms:
Word by word
| תֹאמְרוּ | לְיוֹסֵף | אָנָּא | שָׂא | נָא | פֶּשַׁע | אַחֶיךָ |
| you will say | To · Joseph | we beg you | forgive | please | transgression of | brothers · your |
Original form
What this tells us
Years before, Joseph’s brothers had “sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt” (Genesis 37:28). Now Joseph governs Egypt under Pharaoh, and their father Jacob has died. The brothers are afraid: “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him” (Genesis 50:15). The word for “forgive” here is nasa: to lift, to carry away. The brothers ask Joseph to lift their wrong off them, and they say plainly that it was wrong: “they did you wrong.” Forgiveness in this story does not begin by pretending nothing happened. And then: “When their message came to him, Joseph wept.” Joseph answers, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God?” (Genesis 50:19), and then, “what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good” (Genesis 50:20). He promises, “I will provide for you and your little ones” (Genesis 50:21). His forgiveness took years and came with tears, and when it came, it came with care for the people who had hurt him. Forgiving can take a long time, and it can come with tears. Joseph shows that naming the wrong and letting it go can belong to the same moment.
What the original says
Behind “avenge” in this verse is the Greek word ekdikeō (said ek-dee-KEH-oh).
It means to pay someone back, to take revenge; it can also mean to see that justice is done for someone.
This form, ekdikountes, is an ‘‑ing’ form used with mē, ‘not’: word for word, ‘not avenging yourselves’. Here it works as a command: do not take revenge.
In the Berean Standard Bible, it is ‘avenge’ 3 times and ‘justice’ 2 times, as when a widow keeps pleading, “Give me justice against my adversary” (Luke 18:3):
Word by word
| μὴ | ἑαυτοὺς | ἐκδικοῦντες | ἀγαπητοί | ἀλλὰ | δότε | τόπον |
| never | yourselves | avenging | beloved | instead | do give | place |
Original form
What this tells us
Paul is describing what love looks like among people who have been shown God’s mercy. Just before this he writes, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil” (Romans 12:17), and “If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). He knows it will not always be possible. The word for “avenge” is ekdikeō: to pay back, to get even, to see that justice is done. Paul does not say that justice does not matter. He says whose job it is: “leave room for God’s wrath”. Then he quotes the old words, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay” (Deuteronomy 32:35). Then comes the surprise: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink” (Romans 12:20), and “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Letting go of revenge is not the same as letting someone off. Some Christians stress that God may bring justice through courts and rulers, as Paul goes on to say (Romans 13:4); others stress the cross, where every wrong is answered; both agree you do not have to carry the job of paying it back yourself. What would change if you handed the job of justice to God? It does not make the wrong smaller. It makes your load lighter.
What the original says
Behind “Be angry” in this verse is the Greek word orgizō (said or-GEE-zo).
It means to be angry, to be stirred up to anger.
This form, orgizesthe, is a command to many people, and these words come from Psalm 4:4. Right after it comes kai mē hamartanete, “yet do not sin”.
In the Berean Standard Bible, it is ‘angry’ 4 times and ‘enraged’ 3 times, counting their other forms:
Word by word
| ὀργίζεσθε | καὶ | μὴ | ἁμαρτάνετε | ὁ | ἥλιος | μὴ |
| do be angry | and yet | not | do sin | the | sun | not |
Original form
What this tells us
Paul is writing about the new way of life of people in Christ. Just before this he says, “each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25). Being truthful includes being truthful about anger. The word for “Be angry” is orgizō: to be angry, stirred up. Paul is quoting a psalm: “Be angry, yet do not sin; on your bed, search your heart and be still” (Psalm 4:4). Anger at a real wrong is not treated as something to hide. It is treated as something to deal with before it deals with you: “Do not let the sun set upon your anger.” The next verse says why: “and do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:27). Anger kept overnight becomes a place where bitterness settles in. A few lines later Paul writes, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger” (Ephesians 4:31), and then, “forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). Christians read “Be angry” in different ways, as permission within limits or as ‘when you are angry’, but all of them hear the warning in what follows. Your anger at what was done to you does not have to be hidden from God. Forgiving often starts when you bring it to him honestly, before the sun goes down.
Behind "forgive" are 9 different words
Your English Bible says "forgive" 124 times. Behind it stand several Hebrew and Greek words:
Reflect
Read it as yours
Jesus prayed these words while the wrong was still being done to him. Read them slowly:
Name it
Who do you need to forgive? Write their name, and what they did, plainly. Then, if you can, write Jesus’ words after it: ‘Father, forgive them.’ If you cannot yet, write that too.
Carry with you
Whose name came to mind when you read “as we also have forgiven our debtors”?
A note
Forgiving someone does not mean staying in danger, keeping quiet about abuse, or trusting them again straight away. It can take time. If someone is hurting you, tell someone you trust; a pastor or a counselor can help.