Augustine of Hippo, on Matt 18:21

“Then came Peter unto him and said: Lord, how often shall my brother offend against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?”

“(ubi sup.) Yet not without reason did the Lord say, Seventy times seven; for the Law is set forth in ten precepts; and the Law is signified by the number ten, sin by eleven, because it is passing the denary line. Seven is used to be put for a whole, because time goes round in seven days. Take eleven seven times, and you have seventy. He would therefore have all trespasses forgiven, for this is what He signifies by the number seventy-seven.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.