Matthew 5:41 (DBY)

Passage

And whoever will compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:39 But *I* say unto you, not to resist evil; but whoever shall strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other;

Matthew 5:40 and to him that would go to law with thee and take thy body coat, leave him thy cloak also.

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

Matthew 5:42 To him that asks of thee give, and from him that desires to borrow of thee turn not away.

Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it has been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 40's "and to him that would go to..." into verse 42's "To him that asks of thee give...", so "whoever" and "compel" 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 "whoever" and "compel" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.