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Matthew 5:40 χιτών, ἱμάτιον
Posted: April 17th, 2012, 6:58 pm
by Jonathan Robie
Matthew 5 wrote:39 ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ἀντιστῆναι τῷ πονηρῷ· ἀλλ’ ὅστις σε ῥαπίζει εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, στρέψον αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην· 40 καὶ τῷ θέλοντί σοι κριθῆναι καὶ τὸν χιτῶνά σου λαβεῖν, ἄφες αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον· 41 καὶ ὅστις σε ἀγγαρεύσει μίλιον ἕν, ὕπαγε μετ’ αὐτοῦ δύο.
Wait. I don't get it.
For some reason, I've been reading this backwards for years without realizing it. I assumed that if someone sued you, they would sue you for your ἱμάτιον. It's the more expensive garment, you can give it up and still be covered, and it's been a lot less intimately involved with your body (which makes it more desirable for the person who is suing you). And I thought this said that if they do that, give them your χιτών as well - taking it to a hyperbolic extreme.
But ... it's obviously written the other way around. And it doesn't make sense to me as written. Can someone help?
Re: Matthew 5:40 χιτών, ἱμάτιον
Posted: April 18th, 2012, 2:35 am
by Eeli Kaikkonen
Is it possible that Exod. 22:26 is behind it, so that Jews couldn't take one's ἱμάτιον because of their (interpretation of the) law?
Re: Matthew 5:40 χιτών, ἱμάτιον
Posted: April 18th, 2012, 2:17 pm
by Jonathan Robie
Eeli Kaikkonen wrote:Is it possible that Exod. 22:26 is behind it, so that Jews couldn't take one's ἱμάτιον because of their (interpretation of the) law?
Could be. If so, it's rather legalistic to sue for the χιτών.
I found one commentary that suggested that a minor suit might go for the cheaper χιτών, and a more major suit would go for the expensive ἱμάτιον.
Interesting that the order is reversed in Luke 6:29:
τῷ τύπτοντί σε ἐπὶ τὴν σιαγόνα πάρεχε καὶ τὴν ἄλλην, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἴροντός σου τὸ ἱμάτιον καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα μὴ κωλύσῃς.
But that does not involve a lawsuit.
Re: Matthew 5:40 χιτών, ἱμάτιον
Posted: April 18th, 2012, 4:57 pm
by Shirley Rollinson
Jonathan Robie wrote:Matthew 5 wrote:39 ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ἀντιστῆναι τῷ πονηρῷ· ἀλλ’ ὅστις σε ῥαπίζει εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, στρέψον αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην· 40 καὶ τῷ θέλοντί σοι κριθῆναι καὶ τὸν χιτῶνά σου λαβεῖν, ἄφες αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον· 41 καὶ ὅστις σε ἀγγαρεύσει μίλιον ἕν, ὕπαγε μετ’ αὐτοῦ δύο.
Wait. I don't get it.
For some reason, I've been reading this backwards for years without realizing it. I assumed that if someone sued you, they would sue you for your ἱμάτιον. It's the more expensive garment, you can give it up and still be covered, and it's been a lot less intimately involved with your body (which makes it more desirable for the person who is suing you). And I thought this said that if they do that, give them your χιτών as well - taking it to a hyperbolic extreme.
But ... it's obviously written the other way around. And it doesn't make sense to me as written. Can someone help?
Or the sense might be that, if someone wants to get the cheaper article from you - give them the more valuable one also

Re: Matthew 5:40 χιτών, ἱμάτιον
Posted: April 19th, 2012, 12:07 am
by David Lim
Jonathan Robie wrote:Eeli Kaikkonen wrote:Is it possible that Exod. 22:26 is behind it, so that Jews couldn't take one's ἱμάτιον because of their (interpretation of the) law?
Could be. If so, it's rather legalistic to sue for the χιτών.
I found one commentary that suggested that a minor suit might go for the cheaper χιτών, and a more major suit would go for the expensive ἱμάτιον.
Interesting that the order is reversed in Luke 6:29:
τῷ τύπτοντί σε ἐπὶ τὴν σιαγόνα πάρεχε καὶ τὴν ἄλλην, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἴροντός σου τὸ ἱμάτιον καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα μὴ κωλύσῃς.
But that does not involve a lawsuit.
I doubt the involvement of a lawsuit is an important consideration. I am inclined to think the version in Luke is the correct one, as it is more vague and merely implies that if you are not in the wrong yet someone wants take things from you, let him take even more than he originally intended. Matthew's account gives specific examples of the situations in which the principle may apply, in this case a lawsuit.
Re: Matthew 5:40 χιτών, ἱμάτιον
Posted: April 19th, 2012, 12:53 am
by David Lim
By the way, what exactly is a χιτων and an ιματιον? In the LXX a χιτων seems to refer to a shirt-like vesture, and an ιματιον seems to refer to a generic garment. (Lev 16:4)
Re: Matthew 5:40 χιτών, ἱμάτιον
Posted: April 19th, 2012, 9:39 am
by Jonathan Robie
David Lim wrote:By the way, what exactly is a χιτων and an ιματιον? In the LXX a χιτων seems to refer to a shirt-like vesture, and an ιματιον seems to refer to a generic garment. (Lev 16:4)