Matthew 5:39 - 46
ESV - 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
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A tunic is a lighter garment worn next to the body (analogous to a long shirt), whereas a cloak is a heavy garment worn over normal outer garments for added warmth or protection (analogous to a coat).
Great question, Dennis Brew (What is the difference between a tunic and a cloak?) In Matthew 5:40 the tunic is the undergarment, the normal cloak that you wore on the inside like a shirt only it was a full-length thing 'cause they didn’t wear trousers or pants as men do today. Women and men wore just an undergarment, long. And maybe a poor man would only have three or four of those, some people only one of them. –John MacArthur Cloak, according to my much loved Ellicott’s Commentary, is 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.
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