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Matthew 5:40

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

World English Bible · Public Domain

Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

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

  • TYNDALE Tyndale New Testament (1534)

    And yf eny man will sue the at the lawe and take awaye thy coote let hym have thy cloocke also.

  • GNV Geneva Bible (1599)

    And if any man wil sue thee at the law, and take away thy coate, let him haue thy cloke also.

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Cross-references (2)

Passages linked to Matthew 5:40 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.

  • Luke 6:29 To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also.
  • 1 Corinthians 6:7 Therefore it is already altogether a defect in you, that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

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Explain this verse (11 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 40 And if any man will sue thee at…

40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

Ver. 40. And if any man sue thee at the law and lake away thy coat] Rather remit of thy right, and sit down by the loss, than suffer the trouble of a vexatious lawsuit: quiet is to be sought above profit: therefore Isaac removed his dwelling so often, when the spiteful Philistines strove with him about the wells he had digged. Not but that we may take the benefit of the law, and crave the help of the magistrate, for preventing or punishing of wrong done us; as Paul sent to the chief captain, and appealed to Caesar, Act 23:17; Act 25:10.

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" Lis legem genuit, legum lis filia; vivi

Nec sine lite solet, nec sine lege potest."

(Owen, Epigr.)

But this must be done neither with a vindictive nor a covetous mind, as the manner is. Therefore after, "Who made me a judge?" our Saviour presently addeth, "Take heed of covetousness." He that complaineth of another to the magistrate, must, 1. Love his enemies. 2. Prosecure with continual respect to God’s glory and the public good. 3. Use the benefit of the law with charity and mercy, without cruelty and extremity. 4. Use it as an utmost remedy, when it cannot otherwise be; lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, and thy labours be in the house of a lawyer, and thou mourn at last (with Solomon’s fool) when thine estate is consumed upon him: there being but few such as Servius Sulpitius, of whom Cicero reports, that he was not more a lawyer than a peace maker, referring all things to moderation and equity, and not stirring up suits, but composing them. Sordida poscimus; nummia quidam haud inepte quosdam iurisconsultos vocat; latrocinia intra moenia exercent. Columella. Legulatorum faeces praesertim decem drachmariae. Philip. ix.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And if any man will sue thee at the…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Where the damage is not great, choose rather to…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 40. And if any man will sue thee…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain And if any man will sue thee at the…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 40. Coat… cloak — How much may a man…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 40. coat] Lit. tunic, the under garment. It had…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (40) If any man will sue thee at the…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain The parallel passage, Luk_6:29, gives the taking of the…
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 40. If any man would sue. That is, is…
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 General Information:

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