picture from lumoproject.com
An interpretation of Peter and Jesus' exchange on forgiveness as recorded in Matthew 18:21-22“21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
We read in Genesis 4
13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.”
[...]
23 Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me.
24 If Cain's revenge is sevenfold,
then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold.”
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Parallelism:
God to Cain (in Genesis 4):
“If anyone kills Cain, VENGENCE shall be taken on him 7 fold.”
Lamech to his wives:
"If Cain's REVENGE is 7 fold,
then Lamech's is 70 7 fold."
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Peter to Jesus (in Matthew 18):
“Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I FORGIVE him? As many as 7 times?”
Jesus to Peter and the disciples:
“I will not tell you (forgive) 7 times,
but 70 7 times."
but 70 7 times."
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Interpretation:
Lamech, a descendant of Cain, killed a man in self-defense.
So he boldly claimed that if God would avenge Cain's death 7 times (an expression of exaggeration to give the meaning of "certainty") - Cain the murderer who schemed to kill his brother - then surely HE would be avenged 70 7! (infinitely more! the equivalent of someone saying today "infinity x infinity" - an exaggeration for emphasizing that he will be avenged by God if anyone kills him)
In Matthew 18,
Peter is shocked by Jesus' teaching on always going after the one who is lost and the one who sins against you (something you NEVER do in the Middle East - what you do is take a stand and refuse to talk to him until a mediator comes and brings the one who wronged you to apologize "without really apologizing" )
So Peter frustrated asks Jesus "are you telling me that I have to keep forgiving my brother even 7 times (infinitely) ??? (probably wanting Jesus to give a more reasonable answer)
Jesus answers "I will NOT tell you 7 times, but 70 7 !" (I will not tell you infinity, but infinity x infinity!!)
Jesus inverses the narratives of Cain and Lamech from never-ending Vengence to never-ending Forgiveness.
