Jesus isn't just saying "don't fight back"; he's urging a radical dismantling of self-preservation that leaves absolutely nothing for the aggressor to take. By offering your inner garment after your outer one is stolen, you're not just enduring loss, but actively stripping yourself bare, making further exploitation impossible and exposing the injustice of the act itself.
To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just chosen His twelve apostles, and is now addressing a vast crowd on a plain, likely at the beginning of His public ministry. He's laying out the radical ethics of God's kingdom, contrasting it with the prevailing "eye for an eye" justice. These verses, following the Beatitudes, present counter-intuitive commands for how disciples are to respond to mistreatment, moving beyond simple retaliation to selfless generosity.
Jesus’ words sound like a literal invitation to never defend yourself. But what is the deeper principle at play here, and how did Jesus himself live it out?
When Jesus says, 'To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either,' he's not giving a rulebook for physical self-defense. Instead, he's revealing a radical principle of non-resistance to evil.
A Deeper Aim
This isn't about passive submission or inviting further harm. It's about breaking the cycle of retaliation. By refusing to 'strike back' or 'take back,' you disarm the aggressor and deny them the satisfaction of provoking a similar reaction. This is a spiritual strategy, not a legal or physical one.
Not Literal for All
Think of it this way: Jesus himself, when struck, didn't offer his other cheek. He responded, 'If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the word, but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?' (John 18:23). The apostles also didn't always turn the other cheek. This shows us that the spirit of Jesus' teaching is paramount—a spirit of grace, humility, and a refusal to engage in harmful retaliation, even when wronged.
What does it mean to give more than what was taken? Jesus calls us to an astonishing level of generosity, even in loss.
Jesus moves from the 'cheek' to 'cloke' and 'tunic' – from personal insult to property theft. The command here is to withhold nothing further from someone who has already taken something from you.
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The Inner and Outer Garment
In Jesus' day, the 'cloak' (or 'coat' in some translations) was the outer garment, and the 'tunic' was the inner garment worn next to the skin. The outer garment was essential for warmth and decency, especially in public. To give up both meant leaving oneself exposed and vulnerable.
Surrendering All Right to Retaliate
This radical generosity isn't about literal economics; it's about demonstrating a complete surrender of your right to reclaim what was lost and, more importantly, your right to retaliate. It’s an act of profound grace that trusts God to vindicate and provide, rather than seeking justice through human means of force or argument. It’s giving the aggressor no ground to stand on, no further grievance to exploit.
Understand the original words
himation · Greek Noun
An outer garment or mantle, often of significant value and used as a covering or bed at night. Under biblical law, it was considered essential and was even protected from being kept as a pledge overnight.
chitōna · Greek Noun
An inner garment worn next to the skin, similar to a tunic or shirt. It was considered the most basic necessity of clothing.
This passage from Matthew directly parallels Jesus' teaching in Luke, presenting the same radical call to non-retaliation and sacrificial love in the face of aggression. It highlights that Jesus was teaching a consistent principle across different Gospels.
1 Peter 2:19Peter echoes Jesus' teaching, urging believers to endure suffering unjustly and to bear hardship with a steadfast spirit, not retaliating but trusting God. This shows how early Christians understood and applied this challenging command.
Romans 12:17Paul also calls believers to 'repay no one evil for evil,' encouraging them to live peaceably and to overcome evil with good. This reinforces the New Testament's consistent emphasis on a non-retaliatory approach to injustice.
1 Corinthians 6:7Paul directly addresses the idea of going to court and suffering wrong, suggesting it's better to be defrauded than to pursue legal retribution. This speaks to the deeper principle behind Jesus' command to not resist those who take what is yours.
barnesLuke 6:29: "And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also."
See Matthew 5:39-40 .
pulpitLuke 6:29: "And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also."
Verse 29. - And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other. This and the following direction is clothed in language of Eastern. picturesqueness, to drive home to the listening crowds the great and novel truths he was urging upon them. No reasonable, thoughtful man would feel himself bound to the letter of these commandments…
Jesus isn't just saying "don't fight back"; he's urging a radical dismantling of self-preservation that leaves absolutely nothing for the aggressor to take. By offering your inner garment after your outer one is stolen, you're not just enduring loss, but actively stripping yourself bare, making further exploitation impossible and exposing the injustice of the act itself.
Jesus has just chosen His twelve apostles, and is now addressing a vast crowd on a plain, likely at the beginning of His public ministry. He's laying out the radical ethics of God's kingdom, contrasting it with the prevailing "eye for an eye" justice. These verses, following the Beatitudes, present counter-intuitive commands for how disciples are to respond to mistreatment, moving beyond simple retaliation to selfless generosity.
Jesus has just chosen His twelve apostles, and is now addressing a vast crowd on a plain, likely at the beginning of His public ministry. He's laying out the radical ethics of God's kingdom, contrasting it with the prevailing "eye for an eye" justice. These verses, following the Beatitudes, present counter-intuitive commands for how disciples are to respond to mistreatment, moving beyond simple retaliation to selfless generosity.
"To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back." — Jesus isn't just saying "don't fight back"; he's urging a radical dismantling of self-preservation that leaves absolutely nothing for the aggressor to take. By offering your inner garment after your…
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Last reviewed October 2026
