Bible Strands
Matthew 5:41
and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses his followers during the Sermon on the Mount, instructing them on how to respond when confronted with legal claims or physical demands.
The words — ἀγγαρεύσει (angareusei) translates literally as "will compel to go," denoting a legal demand for forced service, while μίλιον (milion) specifies a Roman mile.
The thread — The practice of forced marching appears in the Gospels when soldiers seize Simon of Cyrene and place the cross upon him (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26).
Why it lands — The text commands going two miles when forced to go one, explicitly stating the action before implying voluntary compliance. It asks the reader to exceed the minimum legal obligation rather than resist the demand.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Cross-references
- Luke 23:26 As the soldiers led Him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene on his way in from the country, and they put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.
- Matthew 27:32 Along the way they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.
- Mark 15:21 Now Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.