ἑπτάκις G2034
seven times, sevenfold
A straightforward numerical adverb meaning 'seven times,' yet in Jesus' teaching it carries theological weight far beyond arithmetic. When Peter asks whether forgiving seven times is enough (Matt 18:21), Jesus responds with a multiplication that shatters any legalistic counting. In Luke 17:4 the same term appears twice in a single verse, underscoring the radical completeness of forgiveness. Every major translation tradition renders it with the transparent numeral—Spanish 'siete veces,' French 'sept fois'—confirming its univocal meaning.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Seven times, used as a numerical adverb expressing repetition. In Matthew 18:21-22 Peter proposes forgiving 'seven times' as generous, only for Jesus to expand it to seventy-seven (or seventy times seven), transforming the adverb into a symbol of limitless grace. Luke 17:4 uses it twice to depict a brother sinning and repenting seven times in a single day. The cross-linguistic uniformity (Spanish 'siete veces,' French 'sept fois') confirms this is a single, transparent sense. 4×
AR["سَبعَ-مَرّاتٍ", "سَبْعَ-مَرَّاتٍ", "سَبْعِ-مَرَّاتٍ"]·ben["সাতবার"]·DE["ἑπτάκις"]·EN["seven-times"]·FR["sept-fois"]·heb["שֶׁבַע", "שֶׁבַע-פְעָמִים"]·HI["सअत-बअर", "सात-बार"]·ID["tujuh-kali"]·IT["eptakis"]·jav["kaping-pitu"]·KO["일곱", "일곱-번"]·PT["sete-vezes"]·RU["семи-раз", "семь-раз"]·ES["siete-veces"]·SW["mara-saba"]·TR["yedi-kez"]·urd["سات-بار"]
Related Senses
H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)H6258 1. and now (421×)G2250 1. day (388×)H5750 1. again, more, further (288×)H5769 1. forever, to eternity (280×)H6256 1. time, period (264×)H2320 1. month, calendar period (260×)H0310a 2. after (temporal) (258×)H3915 1. night, period of darkness (234×)H1242 1. morning (214×)H5750 2. still, yet (continuative) (166×)G5119 1. then (160×)G3568 1. now (147×)G2193 1. until (143×)G3825 1. (141×)G3752 1. (123×)H6153 1. evening, time of day (123×)H0227a 1. then (122×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἑπτάκις [ᾰ], adverb seven times, Refs 5th c.BC+:— poetry ἑπτάκι Refs 4th c.BC+: also in later Prose, Refs 3rd c.BC+ P.:—Laconian dialect ἑπτάκιν Refs 5th c.BC+