The First Sense and a Deeper Question
…it has been ordained that Cain should pay the penalty for his sins seven times over, the one who kills him, it says, will release him from what divine judgment decreed against him (Genesis 4:15). This is the sense that presents itself here on a first reading.
But since the mind of the more diligent naturally searches the depths, it looks for the justice of it: how are the punishments fulfilled in the “seven times”? Are the sins seven? Or is the sin one, and the punishments for that one sin seven?
Now Scripture always limits the number for the forgiveness of sins to seven. “How often,” he says, “will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?” (it is Peter speaking to the Lord) “Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18:21). Then comes the Lord’s answer: “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22). For the Lord did not move on to another number, but…
Greek
τέτακται ἑπτάκις ἀποπληρῶσαι τὴν δίκην τῶν ἡμαρτημένων τὸν Καΐν, παραλύσει , φησὶν, τούτῳ τῷ ὑπὸ τῆς θείας κρίσεως ἐπ' αὐτῷ δεδογμένον, ὁ ἀποκτείνας αὐτόν. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ νοῦς ὁ ἐντεῦθεν ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης ἀναγνώσεως ὑποπίπτων. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐρευνᾷν πέφυκε τὰ βάθη τῶν φιλοπονωτέρων ἡ διάνοια, ἐπιζητεῖ τὸ δίκαιον, πῶς ἐν τῷ ἑπτάκις πληροῦται καὶ τὰ ἐκδικούμενα; πότερον τὰ ἁμαρτηθέντα ἑπτά ἐστιν, ἓν μὲν τὸ ἁμάρτημα, ἑπτὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ ἑνὶ αἱ κολάσεις; Ἀεὶ μὲν οὖν ἡ Γραφὴ τὸν τῆς ἀφέσεως τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἀριθμὸν ἐν τοῖς ἑπτὰ περιορίζει. Ποσάκις, φησὶ, ἁμαρτήσει εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, καὶ ἀφήσω αὐτῷ (ὁ Πέτρος ἐστὶ λέγων τῷ Κυρίῳ); ἕως ἑπτάκις; Εἶτα ἀπόκρισις τοῦ Κυρίου· Οὐ λέγω σοι ἕως ἑπτάκις, ἀλλ' ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά· οὐ γὰρ ἐπ' ἄλλον ἀριθμὸν μετέβη ὁ Κύριος, ἀλλὰ τὸν