The Meaning of Matthew 5:40 Explained

Matthew 5:40

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

YLT: and whoever is willing to take thee to law, and thy coat to take -- suffer to him also the cloak.

Darby: and to him that would go to law with thee and take thy body coat, leave him thy cloak also.

ASV: And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Matthew 5:40 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 5:38-48 - Brotherly Relationship
In mentioning the second mile, our Lord refers to a well-known Eastern custom of forwarding messages by relays of forced labor. We leave our homes on a given morning, anticipating no evil. Suddenly and unexpectedly there are sounds of horses' hoofs and a great demand is thrust upon us. We are sent off in a direction we never contemplated and are compelled to go one mile. It is the second that tests character; and your actions with respect to it will determine whether you have entered into the spirit of Christ and are willing to serve others for love's sake and at cost of peril and inconvenience to yourself.
Love to one's neighbor appears in many passages in the Old Testament. See Exodus 23:4-5. But we have to love enemies and resemble God's sun and rain, Matthew 5:45. You say that it is impossible! Remember those sweet old words: "I taught Ephraim to go," Hosea 11:1-4. Ask your Heavenly Father to teach you to love. Remember Galatians 5:22. Dare to believe that He will perfect what concerneth you. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 5

1  Jesus' sermon on the mount:
3  The Beattitudes;
13  the salt of the earth;
14  the light of the world
17  He came to fulfill the law
21  What it is to kill;
27  to commit adultery;
33  to swear
38  He exhorts to forgive wrong,
43  to love our enemies;
48  and to labor after perfection

Greek Commentary for Matthew 5:40

Thy coat … thy cloke also [τον χιτωνα σου και το ιματιον]
The “coat” is really a sort of shirt or undergarment and would be demanded at law. A robber would seize first the outer garment or cloke (one coat). If one loses the undergarment at law, the outer one goes also (the more valuable one). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 5:40

Matthew 21:5 Garments [ἱμάτια]
Outer garments. See on Matthew 5:40. [source]
Luke 6:29 Cloke - coat []
See on Matthew 5:40. [source]
Luke 3:11 Coats [χιτῶνας]
See on Matthew 5:40. [source]
John 19:23 Coat [χιτῶνα]
Or tunic. See on Matthew 5:40. [source]
John 19:2 Robe [ἱμάτιον]
Better, as Rev., garment, since robe gives the impression of a trailing garment. See on Matthew 5:40. Matthew has χλαμύδα , a short military cloak (Matthew 27:28). Luke describes the garment as λαμπρὰν , gorgeous, bright or brilliant (Luke 23:11). [source]
John 13:4 Garments [ἱμάτια]
See on Matthew 5:40. Upper garments. [source]
John 19:23 Four parts [τεσσερα μερη]
There were four soldiers, the usual quaternion The clothes The coat was without seam For χιτων — chitōn (the inner garment) see Matthew 5:40. Αραπος — Araphos is compound of α — a privative and ραπτω — raptō to sew together, and so seamless (unsewed together), only here in N.T. It occurs elsewhere in Josephus, Ant. III. 6, 4. Woven Verbal (old word) from υπαινω — huphainō (some MSS. in Luke 12:27), only here in N.T. [source]
Acts 9:39 Coats and garments []
See on Matthew 5:40. [source]
Acts 12:8 Garment [ἱμάτιον]
The outer garment, or mantle. See on Matthew 5:40. [source]
1 Corinthians 6:6 Goeth to law [κρίνεται]
As in 1 Corinthians 6:1, and Matthew 5:40. Instead of accepting arbitration. [source]
1 Corinthians 6:1 Having a matter against his neighbour [πραγμα εχων προς τον ετερον]
Forensic sense of πραγμα — pragma (from πρασσω — prassō to do, to exact, to extort as in Luke 3:13), a case, a suit (Demosthenes 1020, 26), with the other or the neighbour as in 1 Corinthians 10:24; 1 Corinthians 14:17; Galatians 6:4; Romans 2:1. Go to law (κρινεσται — krinesthai). Present middle or passive (ch. Romans 3:4) in the same forensic sense as κριτηναι — krithēnai in Matthew 5:40. Κριτης — Kritēs judge, is from this verb. Before the unrighteous This use of επι — epi with the genitive for “in the presence of” is idiomatic as in 2 Corinthians 7:14, επι Τιτου — epi Titou in the case of Titus. The Jews held that to bring a lawsuit before a court of idolaters was blasphemy against the law. But the Greeks were fond of disputatious lawsuits with each other. Probably the Greek Christians brought cases before pagan judges. [source]
1 Corinthians 6:1 Go to law [κρινεσται]
Present middle or passive (ch. Romans 3:4) in the same forensic sense as κριτηναι — krithēnai in Matthew 5:40. Κριτης — Kritēs judge, is from this verb. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 5:40 mean?

and to the one willing you to sue the tunic of you to take yield to him also the cloak
καὶ τῷ θέλοντί σοι κριθῆναι τὸν χιτῶνά σου λαβεῖν ἄφες αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον

τῷ  to  the  one 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
θέλοντί  willing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: θέλω  
Sense: to will, have in mind, intend.
κριθῆναι  to  sue 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Passive
Root: κρίνω  
Sense: to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose.
χιτῶνά  tunic 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: χιτών  
Sense: a tunic, an undergarment, usually worn next to the skin, a garment, a vestment.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
λαβεῖν  to  take 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: λαμβάνω  
Sense: to take.
ἄφες  yield 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἀφίημι 
Sense: to send away.
αὐτῷ  to  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
ἱμάτιον  cloak 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ἱμάτιον  
Sense: a garment (of any sort).

What are the major concepts related to Matthew 5:40?

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