What does it mean to "turn the other cheek"?
Jesus’ command to "turn the other cheek" calls his followers to refuse personal revenge — not to be passive doormats, but to break the cycle of violence by surprising it with grace.
Jesus said, "Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:39). The right-cheek slap was a back-handed insult; offering the left cheek refuses to retaliate yet refuses to be diminished.
This is not a call to silence in the face of evil or to allow ongoing abuse. Jesus himself rebuked a soldier who struck him. It is about personal vengeance, not justice or protecting others.
The bigger principle: "Overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). The disciple gives the world something it does not expect — an answer of grace that ends the cycle of harm.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.