Matthew 5:40
New International Version
And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.

New Living Translation
If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.

English Standard Version
And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

Berean Standard Bible
if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well;

Berean Literal Bible
And to the one willing to sue you and to take your tunic, yield to him the cloak as well.

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

New King James Version
If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.

New American Standard Bible
And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak also.

NASB 1995
“If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.

NASB 1977
“And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.

Legacy Standard Bible
And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your garment also.

Amplified Bible
If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also [for the Lord repays the offender].

Christian Standard Bible
As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well.

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

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And whoever wants to sue you and take your coat, leave for him also your cloak.

Contemporary English Version
If someone sues you for your shirt, give up your coat as well.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And if a man will contend with thee in judgment, and take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also unto him.

English Revised Version
And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If someone wants to sue you in order to take your shirt, let him have your coat too.

Good News Translation
And if someone takes you to court to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well.

International Standard Version
If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat as well.

Literal Standard Version
and whoever is willing to take you to law, and to take your coat—also permit to him the cloak.

Majority Standard Bible
if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well;

New American Bible
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well.

NET Bible
And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, give him your coat also.

New Revised Standard Version
and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well;

New Heart English Bible
And if anyone sues you to take away your shirt, let him have your coat also.

Webster's Bible Translation
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

Weymouth New Testament
If any one wishes to go to law with you and to deprive you of your under garment, let him take your outer one also.

World English Bible
If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.

Young's Literal Translation
and whoever is willing to take thee to law, and thy coat to take -- suffer to him also the cloak.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Love Your Enemies
39But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; 40 if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; 41and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.…

Cross References
Matthew 5:39
But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also;

Matthew 5:41
and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

Luke 6:29
If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well.

1 Corinthians 7:36
However, if someone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his betrothed, and if she is beyond her youth and they ought to marry, let him do as he wishes; he is not sinning; they should get married.


Treasury of Scripture

And if any man will sue you at the law, and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.

Luke 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.

1 Corinthians 6:7
Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

Jump to Previous
Body Cloak Cloke Coat Deprive Garment Goes Law Outer Robe Shirt Someone Sue Sues Suffer Tunic Wants Willing Wishes
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Body Cloak Cloke Coat Deprive Garment Goes Law Outer Robe Shirt Someone Sue Sues Suffer Tunic Wants Willing Wishes
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.














(40) If any man will sue thee at the law.--The Greek is somewhat stronger: If a man will go--i.e., is bent on going--to law with thee. The verse presents another aspect of the same temper of forbearance. Not in regard to acts of violence only, but also in dealing with the petty litigation that disturbs so many men's peace, it is better to yield than to insist on rights. St. Paul gives the same counsel to the believers at Corinth: "Why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?" (1Corinthians 6:7). Here also, of course, the precept, absolutely binding, as far as self-interest is concerned, may be traversed by higher considerations.

Coat.--The close-fitting tunic worn next the body.

Cloke.--The outer flowing mantle, the more costly garment of the two. (Comp. John 19:23, and the combination of the two words, in Acts 9:39, "coats and garments.") The meaning of the illustration is obvious. It is wise rather to surrender more than is demanded, than to disturb the calm of our own spirit by wrangling and debate.

Verse 40. - The parallel passage, Luke 6:29b, gives the taking of the garments in the converse order. And if any man will sue thee; Revised Version, and if any man would go to law with thee. Notice that "will," "would" (τῷ θέλοντι), implies that the trial has not yet even begun. Do this even before it. And take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. Coat (χιτών), equivalent to tunic, "shirt-like under-garment" (Meyer). Cloke (ἱμάτιον), equivalent to over-cloak, "mantle-like over-garment, toga, which also served for a covering by night, and might not therefore be retained as a pledge over night (Exodus 22:26)' (Meyer). This is put second, as being the more valuable. In Luke, where there is no mention of the law-court, the thought seems to be merely of the violent removal of the garments, taking them as they came. Let him have (ἄφες αὐτῷ). More positive than Luke's "withhold not" (μὴ κωλύσῃς).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
if someone
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

wants
θέλοντί (thelonti)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

to sue
κριθῆναι (krithēnai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive
Strong's 2919: Properly, to distinguish, i.e. Decide; by implication, to try, condemn, punish.

you
σοι (soi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

take
λαβεῖν (labein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 2983: (a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of.

your
σου (sou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

tunic,
χιτῶνά (chitōna)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5509: A tunic, garment, undergarment. Of foreign origin; a tunic or shirt.

let him have
ἄφες (aphes)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 863: From apo and hiemi; to send forth, in various applications.

[your]
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

cloak
ἱμάτιον (himation)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2440: A long flowing outer garment, tunic. Neuter of a presumed derivative of ennumi; a dress.

as well;
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 5:40 If anyone sues you to take away (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 5:39
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