Luke 7:48 kjv
And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
Luke 7:48 nkjv
Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
Luke 7:48 niv
Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
Luke 7:48 esv
And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
Luke 7:48 nlt
Then Jesus said to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven."
Luke 7 48 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 2:5 | When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." | Jesus' authority to forgive sins. |
| Mt 9:2 | And behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." | Parallel account of forgiveness. |
| Lk 5:21 | The scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" | Religious leaders challenging Jesus' authority. |
| Mk 2:10 | "But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home." | Jesus affirming His divine authority. |
| Acts 10:43 | "To Him all the prophets witness that through His name whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins." | Forgiveness through belief in Jesus. |
| Col 1:13-14 | He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. | Forgiveness as redemption through Christ's blood. |
| Eph 1:7 | In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. | Forgiveness as an act of God's grace. |
| Rom 4:7-8 | "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin." | Old Testament prophecy on God's forgiveness applied to faith. |
| Pss 103:3 | He forgives all your iniquities, He heals all your diseases. | God's character as forgiver in OT. |
| Is 43:25 | "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins." | God's absolute forgiveness. |
| Jer 31:34 | "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," says the LORD. "For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." | New Covenant promise of complete forgiveness. |
| Heb 8:12 | "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." | New Covenant fulfillment, echoing Jer 31. |
| 1 Jn 1:9 | If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. | Conditions for receiving forgiveness (confession). |
| Jas 5:15 | And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. | Forgiveness linked to faith and prayer. |
| Lk 7:50 | Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." | Link between faith, salvation, and peace. |
| 1 Pet 2:24 | who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. | Christ's suffering atoning for sins. |
| Lev 4:20 | So the priest shall make atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. | Old Testament pattern of atonement and forgiveness. |
| Rom 5:8 | But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. | God's love preceding our actions, leading to forgiveness. |
| Lk 1:77 | To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins. | Purpose of Jesus' coming: remission of sins. |
| Acts 3:19 | Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. | Call to repentance for forgiveness. |
| Pss 32:1-2 | Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity... | The joy and blessing of forgiveness. |
Luke 7 verses
Luke 7 48 Meaning
Luke 7:48 records Jesus' direct declaration to a sinful woman, "Your sins are forgiven." This statement signifies the immediate and complete remission of her transgressions. It asserts Jesus' divine authority to grant forgiveness, a power traditionally attributed solely to God, and confirms the spiritual deliverance of the woman, indicating that her past failings no longer stand as a barrier between her and God. This pronouncement also underscores the connection between her profound love, demonstrated actions, and a prior reception of forgiveness.
Luke 7 48 Context
Luke 7:48 is part of a longer narrative (Luke 7:36-50) detailing an encounter at the home of Simon, a Pharisee. Jesus has been invited to dine with Simon, but during the meal, a "sinful woman" (likely a known prostitute) enters, weeps over Jesus' feet, washes them with her tears, wipes them with her hair, kisses them, and anoints them with expensive ointment. Simon observes this with silent disapproval, reasoning that if Jesus were a true prophet, He would know the woman's sinful character and would not allow her to touch Him. Jesus, knowing Simon's thoughts, tells the parable of two debtors forgiven by a creditor—one who owed little, one who owed much. Jesus then points out that the one who was forgiven more loves more. Applying the parable, Jesus contrasts the woman's abundant love, evident in her actions, with Simon's lack of hospitality. Verse 48 is Jesus' direct declaration of forgiveness to the woman, a profound statement that validates her humble acts of devotion and affirms her transformed status, also challenging the judgmental attitudes of Simon and the prevailing religious conventions regarding sinners.
Luke 7 48 Word analysis
- And He said (Καὶ εἶπεν - Kai eipen): "And" connects this declaration directly to the preceding exchange, particularly the parable and the contrast between the woman and Simon. "He said" points to Jesus as the authoritative speaker, shifting focus from Simon's unspoken judgment to Jesus' explicit pronouncement.
- to her (αὐτῇ - autē): The dative case "to her" specifies the direct and personal recipient of the divine forgiveness. It highlights Jesus' direct engagement with the individual, recognizing her status and worth beyond her reputation.
- Your sins (αἱ ἁμαρτίαι σου - hai hamartiai sou):
- Your (σου - sou): Possessive pronoun, making the forgiveness profoundly personal.
- sins (ἁμαρτίαι - hamartiai): The plural form emphasizes the totality of her transgressions—every "missing the mark" from God's holy standard. In Greek, "hamartia" broadly means a failure to meet a standard, a moral falling short, or a specific act of rebellion against God. The term encapsulates both specific actions and the overall condition of sinfulness.
- are forgiven (ἀφέωνται - apheōntai): This word is the perfect passive indicative of ἀφίημι (aphiēmi).
- ἀφίημι (aphiēmi): This verb means "to send away," "to release," "to let go," "to dismiss," "to remit," or "to allow to depart." In a religious context, it specifically means "to pardon" or "to forgive sins."
- Perfect tense: Indicates a completed action with an enduring result or present state. Her sins have been forgiven, and they remain forgiven. It is not a future possibility but an established reality.
- Passive voice: Signifies that the action of forgiving is performed by an external agent. In this divine context, the ultimate forgiver is God, working through Jesus' pronouncement. Jesus, in uttering this, implicitly claims God's prerogative to forgive.
- The emphasis is on a complete and decisive release from the burden and guilt of sin.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "And He said to her": This phrasing immediately follows the application of the parable, signifying that Jesus' words are the divine response and affirmation of the woman's demonstrated faith and love. It's a direct, personal address, demonstrating care and intimate knowledge of her situation, contrasting with the Pharisee's silent condemnation.
- "Your sins are forgiven": This whole phrase constitutes the core message. It is a declarative statement, not a prayer or a conditional offer. The declaration of "your sins are forgiven" before stating "your faith has saved you" (Lk 7:50) indicates that her acts of love stemmed from a prior internal repentance and faith which received the promise of forgiveness, and this public declaration solidifies it. The scandal this declaration caused among the onlookers (Lk 7:49) highlights the understanding that only God could truly grant such a remission of sin, further asserting Jesus' implicit claim to divinity. The phrase signifies total freedom from the weight and consequences of her past, opening the path to new life.
Commentary
Luke 7:48 marks a pivotal moment in the narrative, highlighting Jesus' radical approach to sin and forgiveness, contrasting sharply with the rigid legalism of the Pharisees. By declaring, "Your sins are forgiven," Jesus directly exercises divine authority, a power Jewish religious leaders understood as belonging exclusively to God. This was perceived as blasphemy, yet it reveals Jesus as the agent of God's sovereign grace. The statement underscores that genuine forgiveness comes directly from God through Jesus, not through human merit or strict adherence to ritual laws, but as a response to contrite faith expressed through love. It confirms the woman's changed heart and status before God, emphasizing that her love was not to earn forgiveness, but flowed from an overwhelming appreciation for receiving it. It signifies profound spiritual liberation, setting her free from the burden of her past and enabling her to "go in peace."Bonus section
This declaration of forgiveness serves as a powerful illustration of the New Covenant promise. Unlike the Old Covenant where atonement required specific sacrifices and adherence to the Law, Jesus here offers direct, personal forgiveness by divine fiat. This challenged the core of traditional Judaism, where access to God's forgiveness was mediated through the temple system and Levitical priesthood. The woman's encounter anticipates the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross, through which the complete forgiveness of sins became available to all who believe. Her loving acts were external manifestations of an internal spiritual reality of repentance and faith that had already led to her forgiveness by God, validated publicly by Jesus.