Matthew 5:42 (LSB)

Passage

Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

Nearby Context

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.

Matthew 5:42 Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 41's "And whoever forces you to go one..." into verse 43's "You have heard that it was said...", so "give" and "asks" 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 "give" and "asks" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.