Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 18:22

"Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven." — Matthew 18:22 (ASV)

Seventy times seven — The use of symbolic numbers that indicate completeness was obviously designed to lead the questioner's mind completely away from any specific numerical standard. As there was no such limit to the forgiveness of God, so there should be none to that of man. The very question about the latter showed the inquirer had not rightly apprehended the nature and extent of the former.