Bible Strands
Mark 11:26
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
King James Version
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Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses his disciples while teaching in the temple courts after returning to Jerusalem, immediately preceding the approach of the chief priests, scribes, and elders.
The words — ἀφίετε (aphiete) literally means “do you allow” or release, joined by οὐδὲ (oude) to form the negative condition “nor.” These terms structure the verse’s warning that withheld human forgiveness triggers withheld divine forgiveness.
The thread — This exact conditional warning appears in Matthew 6:15. The parallel passage confirms the text’s direct linkage between interpersonal mercy and divine pardon.
Why it lands — The text demands that readers actively release grievances against others before expecting God to release their own offenses. It establishes forgiveness as a necessary condition for receiving mercy, not a secondary virtue.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.