Matthew 5:42 (DBY)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Matthew 5:44 But *I* say unto you, Love your enemies, [bless those who curse you,] do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who [insult you and] persecute you,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "asks", "thee", "give", "desires", "borrow", "turn", and "away". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "asks" and "thee", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 41's "And whoever will compel thee to go..." into verse 43's "Ye have heard that it has been...", so "asks" and "thee" 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 "asks" and "thee" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.