Peter had come to Christ with the question, "How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" The rabbis limited the exercise of forgiveness to three offenses. Peter, carrying out, as he supposed, the teaching of Christ, thought to extend it to seven, the number signifying perfection. But Christ taught that we are never to become weary of forgiving. Not "Until seven times," He said, "but, Until seventy times seven."

Peter var kommet til Kristus med spørgsmålet: "Hvor ofte skal jeg tilgive min broder når han forsynder sig imod mig? Er syv gange nok?" Rabbinerne satte grænsen for tilgivelse til tre forsyndelser. Peter som mente, at han fulgte Jesu undervisning, havde til hensigt at udvide det til syv gange, fuldkommenhedens tal. Men Kristus lærte os, at vi aldrig skal blive trætte af at tilgive. Han sagde: "Ikke syv gange, men halvfjerdsindstyve gange syv gange."