Matthew 6 · Verse 14

Matthew 6:14

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Matthew 6:14, King James Version

Matthew 6:14 in other translations

BSBFor if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
WEB“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
ASVFor if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
YLT‘For, if ye may forgive men their trespasses He also will forgive you--your Father who is in the heavens;
DARBYFor if ye forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father also will forgive you yours,
BBEFor if you let men have forgiveness for their sins, you will have forgiveness from your Father in heaven.
WebsterFor, if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

What does Matthew 6:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
14. For if ye forgive men, &c.--See on Mt 6:12.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 14. If ye forgive If ye pardon.

Trespasses. Offences, faults. If ye forgive others when they offend or injure you. This is constantly required in the Bible. Our Saviour says we should forgive even if the offence be committed seventy times seven times, Mt 18:22. By this is meant, that when a man asks forgiveness, we are cordially and for ever to pardon the offence; we are to declare our willingness to forgive him. If he does not ask forgiveness, yet we are still to treat him kindly; not to harbour malice; not to speak ill of him; to be ready to do him good; and be always prepared to declare him forgiven when he asks it.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 14 If ye forgive men - He who shows mercy to men receives mercy from God. For a king to forgive his subjects a hundred millions of treasons against his person and authority, on this one condition, that they wilt henceforth live peaceably with him and with each other, is what we shall never see; and yet this is but the shadow of that which Christ promises on his Father's part to all true penitents. A man can have little regard for his salvation, who refuses to have it on such advantageous terms. See Quesnel.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 6:9-15

Christ saw it needful to show his disciples what must commonly be the matter and method of their prayer. Not that we are tied up to the use of this only, or of this always; yet, without doubt, it is very good to use it. It has much in a little; and it is used acceptably no further than it is used with understanding, and without being needlessly repeated. The petitions are six; the first three relate more expressly…

Read the full comment on Matthew 6:9-15 →

Matthew 6:14 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἐὰνeanIfG1437
γὰρgarforG1063
ἀφῆτεaphēteyou shall forgiveG863
τοῖςtois<the>G3588
ἀνθρώποιςanthrōpoismenG444
τὰtatheG3588
παραπτώματαparaptōmatatrespassesG3900
αὐτῶν,autōnof them,G846
ἀφήσειaphēseiwill forgiveG863
καὶkaialsoG2532
ὑμῖνhuminyouG4771
ὁhotheG3588
πατὴρpatērFatherG3962
ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771
ὁho<the>G3588
οὐράνιος.ouraniosHeavenly.G3770

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 6:14

  • Ephesians 4:32

    And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

  • Mark 11:25

    And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

  • Colossians 3:13

    Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

  • Matthew 7:2

    For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

  • James 2:13

    For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

  • Matthew 18:21-35

    Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. …

  • Matthew 6:12

    And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

  • Proverbs 21:13

    Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

  • 1 John 3:10

    In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
12; 7:2; 18:21-35; Pr 21:13; Mr 11:25,26; Eph 4:32; Col 3:13
Jas 2:13; 1Jo 3:10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 6:13

    And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

  • Matthew 6:14

    For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

  • Matthew 6:15

    But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Read all of Matthew 6

Matthew 6:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque si perdonareis á los hombres sus ofensas, os perdonará también á vosotros vuestro Padre celestial.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car si vous pardonnez aux hommes leurs fautes, votre Père céleste vous pardonnera aussi à vous;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn wenn ihr den Menschen ihre Vergehungen vergebet, so wird euer himmlischer Vater auch euch vergeben;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si enim dimiseritis hominibus peccata eorum: dimittet et vobis Pater vester cælestis delicta vestra.