Luke 6:28 (DBY)

Passage

bless those that curse you; pray for those who use you despitefully.

Nearby Context

Luke 6:26 Woe, when all men speak well of you, for after this manner did their fathers to the false prophets.

Luke 6:27 But to you that hear I say, Love your enemies; do good to those that hate you;

Luke 6:28 bless those that curse you; pray for those who use you despitefully.

Luke 6:29 To him that smites thee on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him that would take away thy garment, forbid not thy body-coat also.

Luke 6:30 To every one that asks of thee, give; and from him that takes away what is thine, ask it not back.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "bless", "curse", "pray", and "despitefully". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "bless" and "curse", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 27's "But to you that hear I say..." into verse 29's "To him that smites thee on the...", so "bless" and "curse" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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