Matthew 5:39 - Exposition

But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee, etc. The first clause comes here only; the second is found also in Luke 6:29 (for the principle, of. 1 Corinthians 6:7 ). We may notice that, while our Lord most perfectly observed the spirit of this command, he did not slavishly follow the letter of it (cf. John 18:22 , John 18:23 ). Nor did St. Paul (cf. Acts 16:35 ; Acts 22:25 ; Acts 23:1-35 . 3; Acts 25:9 , Acts 25:10 ). We must remember that, while he clothes his teaching with the form of concrete examples, these are only parabolic representations of principles eternal in themselves, but in practice to be modified according to each separate occasion. "This offering of the other cheek may be done outwardly; but only inwardly can it be always right" (Trench, 'Sermon on the Mount'). We must further remember the distinction brought out here by Luther between what the Christian has to do as a Christian, and what he has to do as, perhaps an official, member of the state. The Lord leaves to the state its own jurisdiction ( Matthew 22:21 : vide Meyer). That ye resist not ; Revised Version, resist not , thus avoiding all possibility of the English reader taking the words as a statement of fact. Evil . So the Revised Version margin; but Revised Version, him that is evil (cf. Luke 6:37 ; Matthew 6:13 , note). The masculine here, in the sense of the wicked man who does the wrong, is clearly preferable; Wickliffe, "a yuel man." (For a very careful defence of Chrysostom's opinion that even here τῷ πονηρῷ refers to the devil and not to man. see Chase, 'The Lord's Prayer in the Early Church'). Shall smite ; Revised Version, smiteth , The right reading gives the more vivid present. ῥαπίζω comes in the New Testament here and Matthew 26:67 only. It is properly used of a stroke with a rod. (For "smiting on the cheeks," of. the curious rendering of Hosea 11:4 in the LXX ; of. also Isaiah 50:6 .) Thee on thy right . Matthew only. Although it is more natural that the left cheek would be hit first (Meyer), the right is named, since it is in common parle, nee held to be the worthier (cf. verse 29). Cheek . σιαγών , though properly jaw , is here equivalent to" cheek," as certainly in Song of Solomon 1:10 ; Song of Solomon 5:13 . Turn . The action seen; Luke's "offer" regards the mental condition necessary for the action.