Matthew 5:39

5:39 But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. 1  But whoever strikes you on the 2  right cheek, turn the other to him as well.

Matthew 20:30

20:30 Two 3  blind men were sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, 4  “Have mercy 5  on us, Lord, Son of David!” 6 

1 tn The articular πονηρός (ponhro", “the evildoer”) cannot be translated simply as “evil” for then the command would be “do not resist evil.” Every instance of this construction in Matthew is most likely personified, referring either to an evildoer (13:49) or, more often, “the evil one” (as in 5:37; 6:13; 13:19, 38).

2 tc ‡ Many mss (B D K L Δ Θ Ë13 565 579 700 1424 pm) have σου (sou) here (“your right cheek”), but many others lack the pronoun (א W Ë1 33 892 1241 pm). The pronoun was probably added by way of clarification. NA27 has σου in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.

3 tn Grk “And behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

4 tn Grk “shouted, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

5 sn Have mercy on us is a request for healing. It is not owed to the men. They simply ask for God’s kind grace.

6 sn There was a tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great powers of healing (Josephus, Ant. 8.2.5 [8.42-49]).