John Calvin Commentary Matthew 5:39

"but I say unto you, resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." — Matthew 5:39 (ASV)

Do not resist evil. There are two ways of resisting: one by warding off injuries through inoffensive conduct, and the other by retaliation.⁴¹² Although Christ does not permit his people to repel violence with violence, he does not forbid them from endeavoring to avoid an unjust attack. The best interpreter of this passage is Paul, who instructs us rather to overcome evil by good (Romans 12:21) than to contend with evildoers.⁴¹³

We must attend to the contrast between the vice and its correction. The present subject is retaliation.⁴¹⁴ To restrain his disciples from that kind of indulgence, he forbids them to render evil for evil.

He afterwards extends the law of patience so far that we are not only to bear patiently the injuries we have received but also to prepare for bearing fresh injuries. The essence of the whole admonition is that believers should learn to forget the wrongs done to them. They should not, when injured, break out into hatred or ill-will, or wish to inflict injury in return. Instead, the more the obstinacy and rage of wicked men is excited and inflamed, the more fully believers should be disposed to exercise patience.

Whoever shall inflict a blow. Julian,⁴¹⁵ and others like him, have foolishly slandered this doctrine of Christ, as if it entirely overturned the laws of a country and its civil courts. Augustine, in his fifth epistle, employs much skill and judgment in showing that the design of Christ was merely to train the minds of believers to moderation and justice, so that they might not, on receiving one or two offenses, fail or lose courage. Augustine’s observation, “that this does not lay down a rule for outward actions,” is true, if it is properly understood. I admit that Christ restrains our hands, as well as our minds, from revenge; but when anyone is able to protect himself and his property from injury without exercising revenge, the words of Christ do not prevent him from turning aside gently and inoffensively to avoid the threatened attack.

Unquestionably, Christ did not intend to exhort his people to incite the malice of those whose propensity to injure others is already strong. For if they were to turn to them the other cheek, what would it be but offering such encouragement? It is not the task of a good and judicious commentator to quibble over syllables, but rather to attend to the speaker's intention. Indeed, nothing is more unbecoming the disciples of Christ than to spend time cavilling about words when it is easy to see what the Master means.

But in the present instance, what Christ intends is perfectly obvious. He tells us that the end of one contest will be the beginning of another, and that, throughout their entire lives, believers must expect to sustain many injuries in uninterrupted succession. When wrong has been done to them in a single instance, he wishes them to be trained by this example to meek submission, so that by suffering they may learn to be patient.

⁴¹² “L'une par laquelle nous empeschons qu'on ne nous outrage, sans mal-faire a personne de nostre coste: l'autre, par laquelle nous rendons mal pour mal.” — “The one, by which we prevent attacks from being made on us, without doing ill to any person on our part: the other, by which we render evil for evil.”.” — “The one, by which we prevent attacks from being made on us, without doing ill to any person on our part: the other, by which we render evil for evil.”

⁴¹³ “Plustost que de rendre la pareille a celuy qui nous a mal-fait.” — “Rather than return the like to him who has done us wrong.”.” — “Rather than return the like to him who has done us wrong.”

⁴¹⁴ “Il est ici parle de la facon de faire de ceux lesquels rendent la pareille a ceux qui les ont offensez.” — “The subject here spoken of is the manner of acting of those who render the like to those who have offended them.”.” — “The subject here spoken of is the manner of acting of those who render the like to those who have offended them.”

⁴¹⁵ Julian, the Roman Emperor, generally known by the name of the Roman Emperor, generally known by the name of Julian the Apostate. The inveterate hatred of this man to the very name of our blessed Savior has gained him a painfully conspicuous place in ecclesias-tical history. — The inveterate hatred of this man to the very name of our blessed Savior has gained him a painfully conspicuous place in ecclesias-tical history. — Ed.