Matthew 5:40 (WEB)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Matthew 5:41 Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

Matthew 5:42 Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "anyone", "sues", "take", "away", "coat", and "cloak". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "anyone" and "sues", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "But I tell you don t resist..." into verse 41's "Whoever compels you to go one mile...", so "anyone" and "sues" 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 "anyone" and "sues" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.