Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 5:41

"And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two." — Matthew 5:41 (ASV)

Whoever compels you — The Greek word implies the special compulsion of forced service as a courier or messenger under government authority. This practice was imported from the Persian postal system, which was organized on the plan of using men forced into service to carry government dispatches from stage to stage . This illustration suggests the adoption of the same system by the Roman government under the empire. Roman soldiers and their horses were billeted on Jewish householders, and others were pressed into service for varying lengths of time.

A mile — The influence of Rome is shown by the use of the Latin word (slightly altered) for the mille passuum, the thousand paces that made up a Roman mile—about 142 yards short of an English statute mile. It is interesting to note a similar illustration of the disposition that yields to this kind of compulsion, rather than struggling or resisting, in the teaching of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus: “Should there be a forced service, and a soldier should seize you, let him have his way; do not resist or complain” (Discourses 4.1.79).