Matthew 5:39 (GNV)

Passage

But I say vnto you, Resist not euill: but whosoeuer shall smite thee on thy right cheeke, turne to him the other also.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:37 But let your communication be Yea, yea: Nay, nay. For whatsoeuer is more then these, commeth of euill.

Matthew 5:38 Ye haue heard that it hath bene sayd, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

Matthew 5:39 But I say vnto you, Resist not euill: but whosoeuer shall smite thee on thy right cheeke, turne to him the other also.

Matthew 5:40 And if any man wil sue thee at the law, and take away thy coate, let him haue thy cloke also.

Matthew 5:41 And whosoeuer will compell thee to goe a mile, goe with him twaine.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "vnto", "resist", "euill", "whosoeuer", "shall", "smite", "thee", and "right". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "vnto" and "resist", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 38's "Ye haue heard that it hath bene..." into verse 40's "And if any man wil sue thee...", so "vnto" and "resist" 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 "vnto" and "resist" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.