Matthew 5:40 (ASV)

Passage

And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

Matthew 5:39 but I say unto you, resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Matthew 5:40 And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

Matthew 5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.

Matthew 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thee", "take", "away", "coat", and "cloak". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thee" and "take", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "but I say unto you resist not..." into verse 41's "And whosoever shall compel thee to go...", so "thee" and "take" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "thee" and "take" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.