Matthew 5:38 (WEB)

Passage

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black.

Matthew 5:37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than 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.’Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21

Matthew 5:39 But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Matthew 5:40 If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "heard", "said", "tooth", "exodus", "leviticus", and "deuteronomy". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "heard" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "But let your Yes be Yes and..." into verse 39's "But I tell you don t resist...", so "heard" and "said" 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 "heard" and "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.