Matthew 5:39
Bible Verses. Also called Matt. 5:39, Matthew 5:39, Turn the other cheek, Resist not evil, Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Scripture quotation from the King James Version (KJV). Read this chapter
Matthew 5:39 is the verse in which Jesus teaches his hearers not to resist an evil person and, if someone strikes them on the right cheek, to turn the other also. It stands at the center of interpretive debates that extend beyond the prohibition of personal retaliation to questions of war, violence, and military service.
About this articleAI draft from a Korean source. No sources listed. Not yet reviewed by a person.
- Origin
Drafted by AI from the Korean church.wiki article, then translated and adapted for English readers on 5 November 2026.
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Context
This verse belongs to the fifth of the six antitheses in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus first cites the law "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth" (Exodus 21:24). This law was originally a judicial principle intended to prevent retaliation exceeding the harm suffered. Jesus goes further: whoever is struck on the right cheek should turn the other also; whoever would take away one's coat should be given the cloak as well; and whoever compels one to go a mile should be accompanied two (5:39–41).
Interpretations
- As a prohibition of personal retaliation: This reading understands the verse as forbidding revenge for personal insults and losses. Many commentators note that striking another person's right cheek with one's right hand requires a backhanded blow, so the verse refers to an insult rather than a physical injury.
- As active nonviolence: The American theologian Walter Wink and others have interpreted turning the other cheek not as submission but as nonviolent resistance that demands that the aggressor treat the victim as an equal human being. This interpretation has been influential but has also been criticized as overreaching.
Debates and Issues
- Pacifism: The historic peace churches, including the Anabaptists, the Mennonites, and the Quakers, have taken this verse literally and have refused the use of force and military service.
- Just war theory: Since Augustine, the Catholic Church and many Protestants have held that this verse forbids personal retaliation but does not forbid the state from using force to protect one's neighbor. They cite Romans 13:4 in support.
- Two kingdoms doctrine: Martin Luther distinguished between the Christian as an individual, who must endure evil, and the Christian as a public official, who may wield the sword on behalf of his neighbor.
In South Korea, the refusal of military service by Jehovah's Witnesses was long subject to criminal punishment, and an alternative service system was introduced following a 2018 decision of the Constitutional Court. During this process, Korean churches were divided over how to view conscientious objection in relation to this verse.
Related Passages
See also 6
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