Matthew 5:39

Matthew 5:39 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
• New International Version (NIV)But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Context of Matthew 5:39

37Instead, when you make a promise, you should say only “Yes, I will do it.” Or you should say only “No, I will not do it.” If you say anything more than this, what you say is bad. It comes from Satan.’ 38Jesus then said, ‘You also know that God's Law says: “If somebody destroys your eye, then you should destroy that person's eye. If somebody destroys your tooth, then you should destroy that person's tooth.” But what I tell you is this. If somebody does something bad to you, do not do anything against him. Somebody may slap you on one side of your face. Then you should also let him slap the other side of your face. 40Maybe somebody wants to take you to the judge. He says that you should give him your shirt. Give the man your shirt, and give him your coat too. 41Or a soldier may tell you, “Carry my luggage for one kilometre.” You should do that. Even agree to carry it for two kilometres.

Matthew 5:39 word by word

ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ἀντιστῆναι τῷ πονηρῷ. ἀλλ᾽ ὅστις σε ῥαπίζει εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα σου, στρέψον αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• That ye resistἀνθίστημιanthistēmi · to opposeG436
• notμήmē · notG3361
• evilπονηρόςponēros · evil/badG4190
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• whosoeverὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• shall smiteῥαπίζωrhapizō · to slapG4474
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• rightδεξιόςdexios · rightG1188
• cheekσιαγώνsiagōn · cheekG4600
• turnστρέφωstrephō · to turnG4762
• to himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• the otherἄλλοςallos · anotherG243
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532

Cross-references for Matthew 5:39

• Leviticus 19:18You must not try to punish a person who has done something wrong against you. You must not continue to hate a person like that. Instead, you must love other people as much you love yourself. I am the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 24:10You can see that the Lord has kept you safe today when I had a chance to hurt you in the cave. Some of my men wanted me to kill you, but I did not agree. I said, “I will not hurt my master, because the Lord has chosen him to be king.”
• 1 Samuel 25:31When that happens, you will not feel sorry for something bad that you might have done today. You could have killed people today for no good reason. You could have tried to punish these people yourself. So please remember me when the Lord has helped you to rule as king.’
• 1 Samuel 26:8Abishai said to David, ‘Tonight God has given your enemy into your power. I will push Saul's spear through his body and fix him to the ground. I will only have to do it once to kill him. I will not need to do it again.’
• Job 31:29I do not laugh at my enemies when they suffer. If my enemy has troubles, it does not make me happy.
• Proverbs 20:22Do not say, ‘I will pay you back for the evil thing you did to me.’ Trust the Lord to make it right for you.
• Proverbs 24:29Do not say, ‘I will do to him the same thing that he did to me. I will punish him because of what he did.’
• Luke 6:29Someone may slap you on one side of your face. Then you should let him slap the other side of your face too. Someone may take away your coat. If he does, do not stop him from taking your shirt too.
• Romans 12:17If someone has done bad things against you, do not do bad things back to them. Try to live in a good way so that people will respect you. They will see that you do good things.
• 1 Corinthians 6:7When you accuse each other like that, it shows that you have already failed. It would be better to accept it when other people hurt you. Even if people rob you, it would be better to accept it.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:15If someone does something bad against you, do not do anything bad against them in return. Never do that. Instead, always try to do good things that will help one other and help everyone else.
• Hebrews 12:4You have been fighting against sin in your lives. But you have not yet had to fight like that until someone killed you.
• James 5:6You say that a righteous person is guilty. You have even killed him and he could not stop you.
• 1 Peter 3:9If people do bad things to you, do not do anything bad to them in return. If people insult you, do not insult them in return. Instead, pray that God will bless those people. That is what God wants you to do. Then you will receive the gift of God's blessing.
• 1 Kings 22:24Then Kenaanah's son Zedekiah went to Micaiah. He hit Micaiah on his face. He asked Micaiah, ‘Do you say that the Lord's spirit has gone away from me and has spoken to you instead? How did he do that?’
• Job 16:10People insult me and they laugh at me. They hit me on my face. They all join together to attack me.

Commentaries on Matthew 5:39

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39Resist not evil - Or, the evil person. So, I am fully persuaded, ought to be translated. Our Lord's meaning is, "Do not repel one outrage by another." He that does so makes himself precisely what the other is, a wicked person. Turn to him the other also - That is, rather than avenge thyself, be ready to suffer patiently a repetition of the same injury. But these exhortations belong to those principally who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. Let such…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 38-41Verses 38-41 An eye for an eye … - This command is found in Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. In these places it was given as a rule to regulate the decisions of judges. They were to take eye for eye, and tooth for tooth, and to inflict burning for burning. As a judicial rule it is not unjust. Christ finds no fault with the rule as applied to magistrates, and does not take upon himself to repeal it. But instead of confining it to…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 38-42Verses 38-42 The plain instruction is, Suffer any injury that can be borne, for the sake of peace, committing your concerns to the Lord's keeping. And the sum of all is, that Christians must avoid disputing and striving. If any say, Flesh and blood cannot pass by such an affront, let them remember, that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and those who act upon right principles will have most peace and comfort.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 38-42The Old Testament allowed fair retribution (payback) (Exodus 21:24–25; Deuteronomy 19:16–21) to keep punishments from being too severe. Yet, Jesus does not allow personal revenge for his disciples. Instead, Jesus teaches finding victory through suffering and the cross (1 Peter 2:23). Some consider this teaching as a guide for all aspects of life, including politics. Others consider it to apply to personal willingness to give up rights and forgive as God…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3939. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right check, turn to him the other also--Our Lord's own meek, yet dignified bearing, when smitten rudely on the cheek (Joh 18:22, 23), and not literally presenting the other, is the best comment on these words. It is the preparedness, after one indignity, not to invite but to submit meekly to another, without retaliation, which this strong language is meant to convey.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 5:39

• Assault and Battery
• Commandments
• Forgiveness
• Instruction
• Judaism
• Law
• Malice
• Meekness
• Religion
• Retaliation
• Strife

In the dictionaries

• Agree
• Cheek
• Communication
• Despitefully
• Enemy
• Fornication
• Forswear
• Gift
• Hunger
• Inherit

Commentaries on Matthew 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings