Matthew 6:14-15
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The Greek word used here for "trespasses" carries the weighty sense of a deliberate stumble or fall into sin, not just a minor misstep. This implies that God’s forgiveness is so immense that it covers even these conscious, willful violations, and we are called to reflect that same profound grace.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just taught His disciples the Lord's Prayer, including the line "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." He now elaborates on that phrase, explaining that our willingness to forgive others is directly linked to whether God will forgive our own sins. This isn't about earning forgiveness, but about reflecting the very heart of God in our own lives.
Jesus doesn't just suggest forgiveness; He links our own experience of God's mercy directly to how we treat others. This isn't a minor point, but a foundational principle for life with God.
In Matthew 6:14, Jesus directly connects the forgiveness we receive from God to the forgiveness we extend to others. This isn't a transactional exchange where 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours,' but rather a profound reflection of God's character in us.
The Divine Order
God's forgiveness toward us is not earned by our perfect behavior, but is a gift received through faith. However, the experience and continuation of that forgiveness in our lives is deeply tied to our willingness to release others from their debts to us. The commentary notes highlight that this forgiveness isn't about earning salvation, but about aligning our hearts with God's heart. Refusing to forgive is presented as fundamentally incompatible with the spirit of a repentant believer.
Jesus uses a specific word for 'trespasses.' What does it reveal about the depth and breadth of the offenses we need to forgive?
The Greek word used here, 'paraptōmata' (παραπτώματα), is richer than just financial debt. Commentators explain it carries a sense of 'falling beside' or 'missing the mark,' often implying a more reckless or wilful deviation from right. It speaks to actions that have consequences for the sinner, not just an objective violation of law.
A Deeper Violation
Ask a follow-up
This means 'trespasses' can encompass a wide range of wrongdoings – not just things like owing money, but betrayals, harsh words, broken trust, and any action that goes against God's will and harms others. Jesus is calling us to a forgiveness that understands the gravity of sin but chooses to release the offender, mirroring God's grace which covers all our failings.
Understand the original words
paraptōma · Greek Noun
Literally a 'stepping aside' or a falling away. It denotes a violation of divine law or a lapse into sin, signifying a breach of the relationship between God and man.
patēr · Greek Noun
Refers to God as the Creator and Sustainer who maintains a personal, paternal relationship with the believer. It denotes authority, intimacy, and the promise of His providential care.
This passage directly echoes Jesus' teaching on forgiveness, emphasizing that standing in prayer requires a forgiving heart towards others.
Colossians 3:13Paul reinforces this concept, urging believers to 'bear with each other and forgive one another,' just as Christ forgave them, highlighting the reciprocal nature of divine and human forgiveness.
Luke 6:37Here, Jesus states, 'Forgive, and you will be forgiven,' directly linking our willingness to forgive to the forgiveness we receive from God, mirroring the sentiment in Matthew.
This parable illustrates the immense debt we owe to God, which He graciously forgives, and then contrasts it with the small debts we refuse to forgive in others, showing the severity of unforgiveness.
barnesMatthew 6:14: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:"
For if ye forgive men their trespasses - If ye forgive others when they offend or injure you. Your heavenly Father will also forgive you - This is constantly required in the Bible. See the notes at Matthew 6:12. Our Saviour says we should forgive even if the offence be committed seventy times seven times, Matthew 18:22. By this is meant, that when a man asks forgiveness, we are cordially and fore…
vincentMatthew 6:14: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:"
Trespasses (παραπτώματα)The Lord here uses another word for sins, and still another (ἁμαρτιας) appears in Luke's version of the prayer, though he also says, "every one that is indebted to us." There is no difficulty in supposing that Christ, contemplating sins in general, should represent them by different terms expressive of different aspects of wrong-doing (see on Matthew 1:21). This word is…
The Greek word used here for "trespasses" carries the weighty sense of a deliberate stumble or fall into sin, not just a minor misstep. This implies that God’s forgiveness is so immense that it covers even these conscious, willful violations, and we are called to reflect that same profound grace.
Jesus has just taught His disciples the Lord's Prayer, including the line "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." He now elaborates on that phrase, explaining that our willingness to forgive others is directly linked to whether God will forgive our own sins. This isn't about earning forgiveness, but about reflecting the very heart of God in our own lives.
Jesus has just taught His disciples the Lord's Prayer, including the line "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." He now elaborates on that phrase, explaining that our willingness to forgive others is directly linked to whether God will forgive our own sins. This isn't about earning forgiveness, but about reflecting the very heart of God in our own lives.
"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." — The Greek word used here for "trespasses" carries the weighty sense of a deliberate stumble or fall into sin, not just a minor misstep. This implies that God’s forgiveness is so immense that it cover…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
