Turn the other cheek

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Meaning

Refuse to retaliate after insult or injury, choosing restraint instead of revenge or escalation. It advocates non-retaliation, not passive acceptance of harm or the surrender of legal protection. Regional use: Late Middle English biblical translation; now widespread.

Origin

The source is Matthew 5:39. The Wycliffe Bible tells a person struck on the right cheek to hold forth the other cheek also; later translations use turn. The ethical image is thus present in late Middle English, although the precise modern verb was standardized later. Interpretations of the passage differ, but ordinary idiomatic use means answering hostility without revenge. It should not be used to pressure someone to remain in an abusive or dangerous situation.

Research Sources

  1. Bible Gateway: Matthew 5:39 in English translations Bible Gateway
  2. Cambridge Dictionary: turn the other cheek Cambridge University Press
  3. BibleProject: What Jesus meant by turn the other cheek BibleProject

Variants

  • Offer the other cheek

Usage Examples

  • Rather than answer the insult, Mara turned the other cheek.
  • The captain urged restraint, but the team was in no mood to turn the other cheek.
  • Turning the other cheek did not mean abandoning the formal complaint.

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