And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is contrasting his teaching with the legalistic "eye for an eye" mentality. He points out that the "coat" was the inner garment, while the "cloak" was the outer, more valuable one, often used for warmth at night. Giving up the cloak after the coat meant surrendering even more than the law might allow, demonstrating a radical commitment to non-retaliation beyond mere legal compliance.
And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is continuing His Sermon on the Mount, expounding on the Old Testament law with a radical reinterpretation that emphasizes inner righteousness over outward compliance. He's just spoken about turning the other cheek when struck, and now He's addressing legal disputes. This teaching builds on the previous point about enduring personal injury by extending the principle to situations where someone tries to take your possessions through legal means.
Jesus uses everyday items—a tunic and a cloak—to illustrate a radical principle. What did these garments represent, and why does giving up both speak volumes?
In Jesus' day, a 'tunic' (or coat) was the basic garment worn next to the skin, like an undershirt. It was essential for decency and warmth. The 'cloak' was the outer garment, larger and more valuable, often used for protection from the elements and even as bedding at night.
Why the distinction?
Jesus is directly confronting the common impulse for revenge. How does his teaching shatter the 'eye for an eye' mentality?
The culture Jesus spoke into, like many today, had a strong sense of justice based on reciprocity – 'an eye for an eye.' This was meant to limit retaliation, but often fueled a cycle of revenge.
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Jesus's Counter-Cultural Vision:
Understand the original words
krinō · Greek Verb (Passive in context)
To go to law, bring a legal action, or seek a judicial decision. It involves the process of reaching a verdict or settling a dispute through an authority figure.
chitōn · Greek Noun
An inner garment worn next to the skin, similar to a shirt or tunic. It was a basic component of daily attire in the ancient Near East.
himation · Greek Noun
The outer garment or robe, which served as protection from the elements and a blanket at night. Mosaic law protected the cloak as an essential possession that could not be kept as a pledge overnight.
This passage directly echoes Jesus' teaching by questioning why believers would even go to court against each other, suggesting it's better to suffer loss and be defrauded.
Romans 12:19This verse provides the 'why' behind Jesus' seemingly extreme command, urging believers not to seek revenge but to overcome evil with good, which is the spirit of yielding possessions.
Exodus 22:26-27This Old Testament law highlights the significance of the cloak as essential clothing, especially for warmth at night, making Jesus' instruction to give it up even more profound.
Luke 6:29This parallel passage from Luke offers a slightly different phrasing, emphasizing 'don't withhold your tunic either' when your cloak is taken, reinforcing the same principle of radical generosity.
vincentMatthew 5:40: "And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also."
Coat, cloke (χιτῶνα, ἱμάτιον)The former, the shirt-like under-garment or tunic; the latter, the mantle, or ampler over-garment, which served as a covering for the night, and therefore was forbidden by the Levitical law to be retained in pledge overnight (Exodus 22:26, Exodus 22:27). To yield up this without resistance therefore implies a higher degree of concession.
calvinMatthew 5:38-41: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:"
You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. 39. But I say to you, Do not resist evil: but whoever, shall inflict a blow on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also: 40. And to him who wishes to enter into a law-suit with thee, and to take away thy coat, allow him thy cloak also: 41. And whoever shall constrain thee to one mile, go with him two.
To him…
Jesus is contrasting his teaching with the legalistic "eye for an eye" mentality. He points out that the "coat" was the inner garment, while the "cloak" was the outer, more valuable one, often used for warmth at night. Giving up the cloak after the coat meant surrendering even more than the law might allow, demonstrating a radical commitment to non-retaliation beyond mere legal compliance.
Jesus is continuing His Sermon on the Mount, expounding on the Old Testament law with a radical reinterpretation that emphasizes inner righteousness over outward compliance. He's just spoken about turning the other cheek when struck, and now He's addressing legal disputes. This teaching builds on the previous point about enduring personal injury by extending the principle to situations where someone tries to take your possessions through legal means.
Jesus is continuing His Sermon on the Mount, expounding on the Old Testament law with a radical reinterpretation that emphasizes inner righteousness over outward compliance. He's just spoken about turning the other cheek when struck, and now He's addressing legal disputes. This teaching builds on the previous point about enduring personal injury by extending the principle to situations where someone tries to take your possessions through legal means.
"And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well." — Jesus is contrasting his teaching with the legalistic "eye for an eye" mentality. He points out that the "coat" was the inner garment, while the "cloak" was the outer, more valuable one, often used f…
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Last reviewed October 2026