Matthew 5:39 (LSB)

Passage

But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of the evil one.

Matthew 5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’

Matthew 5:39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Matthew 5:40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your garment also.

Matthew 5:41 And whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "resist", "evil", "person", "whoever", "slaps", "right", "cheek", and "turn". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "resist" and "evil", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 38's "You have heard that it was said..." into verse 40's "And if anyone wants to sue you...", so "resist" and "evil" 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 "resist" and "evil" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.