But I say unto you, That you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.
All Commentaries on Matthew 5:39 Go To Matthew 5
Hilary of Poitiers
AD 368
The Lord wishes that the hope of our faith, extending into eternity, be tested by these things, so that the very toleration of a hidden injury should be a witness of our future judgment. The law used to hold unfaithful Israel within a boundary of fear and contained the desire for injury by the threat of injury returned. Faith, however, does not permit resentment for injuries, nor does it wish for revenge. … There is in the judgment of God a greater consolation for those who have suffered injury and a punishment more dreadful than injuries returned. Therefore the Gospels not only warn us away from iniquities but also drive out the latent desire for vengeance. For if we have received a blow, we ought to offer the other cheek. … The Lord who accompanies us on our journey offers his own cheek to slaps and his shoulders to whips, to the increase of his glory.
