Reference: Eye
American
The same Hebrew word means both eye and fountain. Besides its common use, to denote the organ of sight, it is often used figuratively in the Bible. Most of these passages, however, require no explanation. The custom of sealing up the eyes of criminals, still practiced in the East, is thought to be alluded to in Isa 6:10; 44:18. The expression, "As the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters," Ps 123:2, is elucidated by a knowledge of the fact that many eastern servants are taught to stand always upon the watch, and are in general directed by a nod, a wink, or some slight motion of the fingers imperceptible to strangers. Many Scripture phrases intimate the soul-like nature of the eye, quickly and truly expressing the thoughts of the heart: such as "the bountiful eye" and the "evil eye," Pr 22:9; 23:6; "haughty eyes" and "wanton eyes," Pr 6:17; Isa 3:16. "The lust of the eyes," 1Jo 2:16, expresses a craving for any of the gay vanities of this life. The threatening against "the eye that mocketh at his father," Pr 30:17, is explained by the habit of birds of prey, which attack the eyes of a living enemy, and quickly devour those of the dead. A "single" eye, Mt 6:22, is one which is clear, and sees every object as it is.
There are allusions in the Bible, and in many ancient and modern writers, to the practice of painting the eyelids, to make the eyes appear large, lustrous, and languishing. Jezebel, 2Ki 9:30, is said to have "painted her face," literally, "put her eyes in paint." This was sometimes done to excess, Jer 4:30; and was practiced by abandoned women, Pr 6:25. A small probe of wood, ivory, or silver, is wet with rose water, and dipped in an impalpable powder; this is then drawn between the lids of the eye nearly closed, and leaves a narrow black border which is thought a great ornament. The powder for this purpose, called kohol, is made by burning a kind of aromatic resin, and sometimes of lead ore and other substances, for the benefit of the eyes. In Persia this custom is as common among the men as among the women; so also in ancient Egypt, as the Theban monuments show. "The females of Arabia," Niebuhr says, "color their nails blood-red, and their hands and feet yellow, with the herb Al-henna. (See CAMPHIRE.) They also tinge the inside of their eyelids coal-black with kochel, a coloring material prepared from lead ore. They not only enlarge their eyebrows, but also paint other figures of black, as ornaments, upon the face and hands. Sometimes they even prick through the skin, in various figures, and then lay certain substances upon the wounds, which eat in so deeply, that the ornaments thus impressed are rendered permanent for life. All this the Arabian women esteem as beauty."
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When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, so she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from the window.
Like a servant's eyes on His master's hand, like a servant girl's eyes on her mistress's hand, so our eyes are on the Lord our God until He shows us favor.
arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
Don't lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyelashes.
A generous person will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
Don't eat a stingy person's bread, and don't desire his choice food,
As for the eye that ridicules a father and despises obedience to a mother, may ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures eat it.
The Lord also says: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, walking with heads held high and seductive eyes, going along with prancing steps, jingling their ankle bracelets,
Dull the minds of these people; deafen their ears and blind their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their minds, turn back, and be healed.
Such people do not comprehend and cannot understand, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see, and their minds so they cannot understand.
And you devastated one, what are you doing that you dress yourself in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with gold jewelry, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? You beautify yourself for nothing. Your lovers reject you; they want to take your life.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
For everything that belongs to the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one's lifestyle-is not from the Father, but is from the world.
Easton
(Heb 'ain, meaning "flowing"), applied (1) to a fountain, frequently; (2) to colour (Nu 11:7; R.V., "appearance," marg. "eye"); (3) the face (Ex 10:5,15; Nu 22:5,11), in Nu 14:14, "face to face" (R.V. marg., "eye to eye"). "Between the eyes", i.e., the forehead (Ex 13:9,16).
The expression (Pr 23:31), "when it giveth his colour in the cup," is literally, "when it giveth out [or showeth] its eye." The beads or bubbles of wine are thus spoken of. "To set the eyes" on any one is to view him with favour (Ge 44:21; Job 24:23; Jer 39:12). This word is used figuratively in the expressions an "evil eye" (Mt 20:15), a "bountiful eye" (Pr 22:9), "haughty eyes" (Pr 6:17 marg.), "wanton eyes" (Isa 3:16), "eyes full of adultery" (2Pe 2:14), "the lust of the eyes" (1Jo 2:16). Christians are warned against "eye-service" (Eph 6:6; Col 3:22). Men were sometimes punished by having their eyes put out (1Sa 11:2; Samson, Jg 16:21; Zedekiah, 2Ki 25:7).
The custom of painting the eyes is alluded to in 2Ki 9:30, R.V.; Jer 4:30; Eze 23:40, a custom which still prevails extensively among Eastern women.
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Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him to me so that I can see him.'
They will cover the surface of the land so that no one will be able to see the land. They will eat the remainder left to you that escaped the hail; they will eat every tree you have growing in the fields.
They covered the surface of the whole land so that the land was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green was left on the trees or the plants in the field throughout the land of Egypt.
Let it serve as a sign for you on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead, so that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for the Lord brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand.
So let it be a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead, for the Lord brought us out of Egypt by the strength of His hand."
The manna resembled coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of bdellium.
They will tell [it to] the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people, how You, Lord, are seen face to face, how Your cloud stands over them, and how You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.
he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. Balak said to him: "Look, a people has come out of Egypt; they cover the surface of the land and are living right across from me.
'Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.' "
The Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles, and he was forced to grind grain in the prison.
Nahash the Ammonite replied, "I'll make one with you on this condition: that I gouge out everyone's right eye and humiliate all Israel."
When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, so she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from the window.
They slaughtered Zedekiah's sons before his eyes. Finally, the king of Babylon blinded Zedekiah, bound him in bronze [chains], and took him to Babylon.
He gives them a sense of security, so they can rely [on it], but His eyes [watch] over their ways.
arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
A generous person will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
Don't gaze at wine when it is red, when it gleams in the cup and goes down smoothly.
The Lord also says: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, walking with heads held high and seductive eyes, going along with prancing steps, jingling their ankle bracelets,
And you devastated one, what are you doing that you dress yourself in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with gold jewelry, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? You beautify yourself for nothing. Your lovers reject you; they want to take your life.
"Take him, look after him, and don't let any harm come to him; do for him whatever he says."
"In addition, they sent for men who came from far away when a messenger was dispatched to them. And look how they came! You bathed, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry for them.
Don't I have the right to do what I want with my business? Are you jealous because I'm generous?'
Don't [work only] while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God's will from your heart.
Slaves, obey your human masters in everything; don't work only while being watched, in order to please men, but [work] wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.
having eyes full of adultery and always looking for sin, seducing unstable people, and with hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!
For everything that belongs to the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one's lifestyle-is not from the Father, but is from the world.
Hastings
The eye was supposed to be the organ or window by which light had access to the whole body (Mt 6:22). For beauty of eyes cf. 1Sa 16:12 Revised Version margin, Song 1:15; 5:12, and the name Dorcas in Ac 9:36; in Ge 29:17 the reference seems to be to Leah's weak eyes (so Driver, ad loc.). The wanton or alluring eyes of women are referred to in Pr 6:25; Isa 3:16. Their beauty was intensified by painting, antimony being used for darkening the eyelashes (2Ki 9:30; Jer 4:30; Eze 23:40 [all RV). Keren-happuch (Job 42:14) means 'horn of eyepaint.' Pr 23:29 speaks of the drunkard's redness of eye. In De 6:8; 14:1 'between the eyes' means 'on the forehead.' Shaving the eyebrows was part of the purification of the leper (Le 14:9).
'Eye' is used in many figurative phrases: as the avenue of temptation (Ge 3:6; Job 31:1); of spiritual knowledge and blindness, as indicating feelings
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Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate [it]; she also gave [some] to her husband, [who was] with her, and he ate [it].
And to Sarah he said, "Look, I am giving your brother 1,000 pieces of silver. It is a verification of your honor to all who are with you. You are fully vindicated."
Leah had delicate eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
He is to shave off all his hair [again] on the seventh day: his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and the rest of his hair. He is to wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; he is clean.
Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead.
"You are sons of the Lord your God; do not cut yourselves or make a bald spot on your head on behalf of the dead,
Be careful that there isn't this wicked thought in your heart, 'The seventh year, the year of canceling debts, is near,' and you are stingy toward your poor brother and give him [nothing]. He will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty.
So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance. Then the Lord said, "Anoint him, for he is the one."
So Saul watched David jealously from that day forward.
When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, so she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from the window.
Who is it you mocked and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised [your] voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!
I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I look at a young woman?
He named his first [daughter] Jemimah, his second Keziah, and his third Keren-happuch.
He waits in ambush near the villages; he kills the innocent in secret places; his eyes are on the lookout for the helpless.
Now the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him- those who depend on His faithful love
Don't lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyelashes.
A generous person will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has conflicts? Who has complaints? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has red eyes?
A greedy man is in a hurry for wealth; he doesn't know that poverty will come to him.
How beautiful you are, my darling. How very beautiful! Your eyes are doves.
The Lord also says: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, walking with heads held high and seductive eyes, going along with prancing steps, jingling their ankle bracelets,
And you devastated one, what are you doing that you dress yourself in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with gold jewelry, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? You beautify yourself for nothing. Your lovers reject you; they want to take your life.
"In addition, they sent for men who came from far away when a messenger was dispatched to them. And look how they came! You bathed, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry for them.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, lewdness, stinginess, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. She was always doing good works and acts of charity.
I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, and white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see.
Smith
Eye.
(The practice of painting the eyelids to make the eyes look large, lustrous and languishing is often alluded to in the Old Testament, and still extensively prevails among the women of the East, and especially among the Mohammedans. Jezebel, in
is said to have prepared for her meeting with Jehu by painting her face, or, as it reads in the margin, "put her eyes in paint." See also
A small probe of wood, ivory or silver is wet with rose-water and dipped in an impalpable black powder, and is then drawn between the lids of the eye nearly closed, and leaves a narrow black border, which is though a great ornament. --ED.)
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When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, so she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from the window.
"In addition, they sent for men who came from far away when a messenger was dispatched to them. And look how they came! You bathed, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry for them.
Watsons
EYE, the organ of sight. The Hebrews by a curious and bold metaphor call fountains eyes; and they also give the same name to colours: "And the eye," or colour, "of the manna was as the eye," or colour, "of bdellium," Nu 11:7. By an "evil eye" is meant, envy, jealousy, grudging, ill- judged parsimony; to turn the eyes on any one, is to regard him and his interests; to find grace in any one's eyes, Ru 2:10, is to win his friendship and good will. "The eyes of servants look unto the hands of their masters," Ps 123:2, to observe the least motion, and obey the least signal. "Their eyes were opened." Ge 3:7, they began to comprehend in a new manner. "The wise man's eyes are in his head," Ec 2:14, he does not act by chance. The eye of the soul, in a moral sense, is the intention, the desire. God threatens to set his eyes on the Israelites for evil, and not for good, Am 9:4. Nebuchadnezzar recommends to Nebuzaradan that he would "set his eyes" on Jeremiah, and permit him to go where he pleased, Jer 39:12; 40:4. Sometimes expressions of this kind are taken in a quite opposite sense: "Behold the eyes of the Lord are on the sinful kingdom; and I will destroy it," Am 9:8. To be eyes to the blind, or to serve them instead of eyes, is sufficiently intelligible, Job 29:15. The Persians called those officers of the crown who had the care of the king's interests and the management of his finances, the king's eyes. Eye service is peculiar to slaves, who are governed by fear only; and is to be carefully guarded against by Christians, who ought to serve from a principle of duty and affection, Eph 6:6; Col 3:22. The lust of the eyes, or the desire of the eyes, comprehends every thing that curiosity, vanity, &c, seek after; every thing that the eyes can present to men given up to their passions, 1Jo 2:16. "Cast ye away every man the abomination of his eyes," Eze 20:7-8; let not the idols of the Egyptians seduce you. The height or elevation of the eyes is taken for pride, Ecclus. 23:5. St. Paul says that the Galatians would willingly have "plucked out their eyes" for him, Ga 4:15; expressing the intensity of their zeal, affection, and devotion to him. The Hebrews call the apple of the eye the black daughter of the eye. To keep any thing as the apple of the eye, is to preserve it with particular care, De 32:10: "He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye," Zec 2:8; attempts, to injure, me in the tenderest part, which men instinctively defend. The eye and its actions are occasionally transferred to God: "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth," Zec 4:10; 2Ch 16:9; Ps 11:4. "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good," Pr 15:3. "The Lord looked down from heaven," &c. We read, Mt 6:22, "The light," or lamp, "of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single," simple, clear, ??????, "thy whole body shall be full of light; but if thine eye be evil," distempered, diseased, "thy whole body shall be darkened." The direct allusion may hold to a lantern, or lamp, ??????; if the glass of it be clear, the light will shine through it strongly; but if the glass be soiled, dirty, foul, but little light will pass through it: for if they had not glass lanterns, such as we use, they had others in the east made of thin linen, &c: these were very liable to receive spots, stains, and foulnesses, which impeded the passage of the rays of light from the luminary within. So, in the natural eye, if the cornea be single, and the humours clear, the light will act correctly; but if there be a film over the cornea, or a cataract, or a skin between any of the humours, the rays of light will never make any impression on the internal seat of sight, the retina. By analogy, therefore, if the mental eye, the judgment, be honest, virtuous, sincere, well-meaning, pious, it may be considered as enlightening and directing the whole of a person's actions; but if it be perverse, malign, biassed by undue prejudices, or drawn aside by improper views, it darkens the understanding, perverts the conduct, and suffers a man to be misled by his unwise and unruly passions.
2. The orientals, in some cases, deprive the criminal of the light of day, by sealing up his eyes. A son of the Great Mogul was actually suffering this punishment when Sir Thomas Roe visited the court of Delhi. The hapless youth was cast into prison, and deprived of the light by some adhesive plaster put upon his eyes, for the space of three years; after which the seal was taken away, that he might with freedom enjoy the light; but he was still detained in prison. Other princes have been treated in a different manner, to prevent them from conspiring against the reigning monarch, or meddling with affairs of state: they have been compelled to swallow opium and other stupifying drugs, to weaken or benumb their faculties, and render them unfit for business. Influenced by such absurd and cruel policy, Shah Abbas, the celebrated Persian monarch, who died in 1629, ordered a certain quantity of opium to be given every day to his grandson, who was to be his successor, to stupify him, and prevent him from disturbing his government. Such are probably the circumstances alluded to by the prophet: "They have not known nor understood; for he hath shut their eyes that they cannot see; and their hearts that they cannot understand," Isa 44:18. The verb ???, rendered in our version, to shut, signifies "to overlay," "to cover over the surface;" thus, the king of Israel prepared three thousand talents of gold, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the temple, 1Ch 29:4. But it generally signifies to overspread, or daub over, as with mortar or plaster, of which Parkhurst quotes a number of examples; a sense which entirely corresponds with the manner in which the eyes of a criminal are sealed up in some parts of the east. The practice of sealing up the eyes, and stupifying a criminal with drugs, seems to have been contemplated by the same prophet in another passage of his book: "Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert and be healed."
3. Deprivation of sight was a very common punishment in the east. It was at first the practice to sear the eyes with a hot iron; but a discovery that this was not effectual, led to the cruel method of taking them out altogether with a sharp-pointed instrument. The objects of this barbarity were usually persons who aspired to the throne, or who were considered likely to make such an attempt. It was also inflicted on chieftains, whom it was desirable to deprive of power without putting them to death. For this reason the hapless Zedekiah was punished with the loss of sight, because he had rebelled against the king of Babylon, and endeavoured to recover the independence of his throne: "Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death," Jer 52:11.
4. Females used to paint their eyes. The substance used for this purpose is called in Chaldee ???, cohol; by the LXX, ?????. Thus we read of Jezebel, 2Ki 9:30, that, understanding that Jehu was to enter Samaria, she decked herself for his reception, and (as in the original Hebrew) "put her eyes in paint." This was in conformity to a custom which prevailed in the earliest ages. As large black eyes were thought the finest, the women, to increase their lustre, and to make them appear larger, tinged the corner of their eyelids with the impalpable powder of antimony or of black lead. This was supposed also to give the eyes a brilliancy and humidity, which rendered them either sparkling or languishing, as suited the various passions. The method of performing this among the women in the eastern countries at the present day, as described by Russel, is by a cylindrical piece of silver or ivory, about two inches long, made very smooth, and about the size of a common probe; this is wet with water, and then dipped into a powder finely levigated, made from what appears to be a rich le
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Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
The manna resembled coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of bdellium.
He found him in a desolate land, in a barren, howling wilderness; He surrounded him, cared for him, and guarded him as the pupil of His eye.
She bowed with her face to the ground and said to him, "Why are you so kind to notice me, although I am a foreigner?"
When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, so she painted her eyes, adorned her head, and looked down from the window.
100 tons of gold (gold of Ophir) and 250 tons of refined silver for overlaying the walls of the buildings,
The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes watch; He examines everyone.
Like a servant's eyes on His master's hand, like a servant girl's eyes on her mistress's hand, so our eyes are on the Lord our God until He shows us favor.
Like a servant's eyes on His master's hand, like a servant girl's eyes on her mistress's hand, so our eyes are on the Lord our God until He shows us favor.
The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good.
The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both.
festive robes, capes, cloaks, purses,
Such people do not comprehend and cannot understand, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see, and their minds so they cannot understand.
And you devastated one, what are you doing that you dress yourself in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with gold jewelry, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? You beautify yourself for nothing. Your lovers reject you; they want to take your life.
"Take him, look after him, and don't let any harm come to him; do for him whatever he says."
Now pay attention [to what I say]. Today I am setting you free from the chains that were on your hands. If it pleases you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will take care of you. But if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, go no farther. Look-the whole land is in front of you. Wherever it seems good and right for you to go, go there."
Then he blinded Zedekiah and bound him with bronze chains. The king of Babylon brought Zedekiah to Babylon, where he kept him in custody until his dying day.
I also said to them: Each of you must throw away the detestable things that are before your eyes and not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. "But they rebelled against Me and were unwilling to listen to Me. None of them threw away the detestable things that were before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I considered pouring out My wrath on them, exhausting My anger against them within the land of Egypt.
"In addition, they sent for men who came from far away when a messenger was dispatched to them. And look how they came! You bathed, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry for them.
And if they are driven by their enemies into captivity, from there I will command the sword to kill them. I will fix My eyes on them for harm and not for good.
Look, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. However, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob- the Lord's declaration-
For the Lord of Hosts says this: "He has sent Me for [His] glory against the nations who are plundering you, for anyone who touches you touches the pupil of His eye.
For who scorns the day of small things? These seven eyes of the Lord, which scan throughout the whole earth, will rejoice when they see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand."
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
What happened to this blessedness of yours? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
Don't [work only] while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God's will from your heart.
Slaves, obey your human masters in everything; don't work only while being watched, in order to please men, but [work] wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.
For everything that belongs to the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one's lifestyle-is not from the Father, but is from the world.