You
have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
Matthew 5:38-41
Matthew 5 [33.] “Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’ but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.
Matthew 5 [38.] “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.
Matthew 5 [43.] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Meaning:
Jesus now addresses one of the oldest principles of justice: an eye for an eye. He does not deny that justice matters, but he teaches his disciples a different response when they themselves are wronged. Instead of insisting on their rights and getting even, they are to absorb insult and loss with a generosity that reflects the heart of God.
- “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth”
This law appears three times in the law of Moses. In Exodus it reads, “life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Exodus 21:23-24). It was given to the judges of Israel, not to private individuals (Deuteronomy 19:15-21). Its purpose was to limit punishment: the penalty had to fit the crime and could not exceed it. It ended the cycle of revenge in which one injury led to a greater one.
By Jesus’ time, some used the principle to justify personal retaliation. Jesus shows that a rule meant for the courts must not become the guiding attitude of the heart.
- “Don’t resist him who is evil”
Jesus is not telling his followers to stop opposing evil in the world, nor forbidding the government from punishing crime. He is speaking about personal response to personal injury. The disciple is not to strike back. Paul echoes this: “Repay no one evil for evil” (Romans 12:17), and “Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
- “Whoever strikes you on your right cheek”
A right-handed person striking someone’s right cheek would use the back of the hand. In that culture this was a deliberate insult more than an attack. Jesus says not to answer insult with insult. Isaiah’s Servant said, “I gave my back to those who beat me, and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair” (Isaiah 50:6). Jesus himself fulfilled this: “Who, when he was cursed, didn’t curse back. When he suffered, didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23).
- “Let him have your cloak also”
The coat was the inner garment; the cloak was the outer one, which also served as a blanket at night. The law protected a poor man’s cloak: if taken as a pledge, it had to be returned before sunset, “for that is his only covering” (Exodus 22:26-27). Jesus tells his disciples to give up even what the law would let them keep, rather than fight for their rights in court.
- “Go with him two”
Roman soldiers had the right to compel civilians to carry their equipment for one mile. The Gospels show this practice when the soldiers “compelled one passing by, coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene” to carry Jesus’ cross (Mark 15:21). Such forced labor was deeply resented. Jesus tells his followers to do more than required, turning compulsion into an act of free service.
The Significance of Matthew 5:38-41
- Freedom from revenge
These verses free believers from the cycle of retaliation. Leaving judgment with God allows us to respond with grace. Luke records the same teaching alongside the command to “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27-29).
- Wisdom in application
Jesus’ words do not require victims of abuse to remain in danger, nor do they forbid seeking protection or justice through proper authorities. They speak to the spirit of the disciple: not vengeful, not grasping, but generous and willing to suffer loss for the sake of love and witness.
Cross-References:
Exodus 21:24: "eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot," The law of just limits.
Romans 12:21: "Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Paul’s application.
Isaiah 50:6: "I gave my back to those who beat me, and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair." The suffering Servant.
Conclusion: In Matthew 5:38-41 Jesus takes the law of “an eye for an eye,” given to limit punishment in Israel’s courts, and teaches his disciples not to use it for personal revenge. Instead they are to absorb insult, give generously and serve beyond what is demanded. Following the example of Jesus, who did not strike back, believers overcome evil with good.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible