Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Book ·313 of 348
"Turn the other cheek."
They never said that.
What people say
"Turn the other cheek."
What was actually said
"Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Jesus of Nazareth (Sermon on the Mount) — Matthew 5:39 (KJV, 1611)
Why it stuck
The modern tag removes the conditional — "whosoever shall smite thee." In context this is a specific response to a specific affront, not a universal rule of passivity.
Some scholars read "strike on the right cheek" as a back-handed insult from a right-handed aggressor — turning the other invites an equal blow.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.