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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Jehu approached Jezreel. When Jezebel heard the news, she put on some eye liner, fixed up her hair, and leaned out the window.
Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, so my eyes will look to the Lord, our God, until he shows us favor.
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Do not lust in your heart for her beauty, and do not let her captivate you with her alluring eyes;
A generous person will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.
Do not eat the food of a stingy person, do not crave his delicacies;
The eye that mocks at a father and despises obeying a mother -- the ravens of the valley will peck it out and the young vultures will eat it.
The Lord says, "The women of Zion are proud. They walk with their heads high and flirt with their eyes. They skip along and the jewelry on their ankles jingles.
Make the hearts of these people calloused; make their ears deaf and their eyes blind! Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed."
They do not comprehend or understand, for their eyes are blind and cannot see; their minds do not discern.
And you, Zion, city doomed to destruction, you accomplish nothing by wearing a beautiful dress, decking yourself out in jewels of gold, and putting on eye shadow! You are making yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers spurn you. They want to kill you.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) 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 told your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him.'
They will cover the surface of the earth, so that you will be unable to see the ground. They will eat the remainder of what escaped -- what is left over for you -- from the hail, and they will eat every tree that grows for you from the field.
They covered the surface of all the ground, so that the ground became dark with them, and they ate all the vegetation of the ground and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green remained on the trees or on anything that grew in the fields throughout the whole land of Egypt.
It will be a sign for you on your hand and a memorial on your forehead, so that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth, for with a mighty hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt.
It will be for a sign on your hand and for frontlets on your forehead, for with a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt."
(Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium.
then they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, Lord, are among this people, that you, Lord, are seen face to face, that your cloud stands over them, and that you go before them by day in a pillar of cloud and in a pillar of fire by night.
And he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates River in the land of Amaw, to summon him, saying, "Look, a nation has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are settling next to me.
"Look, a nation has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Come now and put a curse on them for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them and drive them out."
The Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him in bronze chains. He became a grinder in the prison.
But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "The only way I will make a treaty with you is if you let me gouge out the right eye of every one of you and in so doing humiliate all Israel!"
Jehu approached Jezreel. When Jezebel heard the news, she put on some eye liner, fixed up her hair, and leaned out the window.
Zedekiah's sons were executed while Zedekiah was forced to watch. The king of Babylon then had Zedekiah's eyes put out, bound him in bronze chains, and carried him off to Babylon.
God may let them rest in a feeling of security, but he is constantly watching all their ways.
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
A generous person will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.
Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
The Lord says, "The women of Zion are proud. They walk with their heads high and flirt with their eyes. They skip along and the jewelry on their ankles jingles.
And you, Zion, city doomed to destruction, you accomplish nothing by wearing a beautiful dress, decking yourself out in jewels of gold, and putting on eye shadow! You are making yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers spurn you. They want to kill you.
"Find Jeremiah and look out for him. Do not do anything to harm him, but do with him whatever he tells you."
"They even sent for men from far away; when the messenger arrived, those men set out. For them you bathed, painted your eyes, and decorated yourself with jewelry.
Am I not permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
not like those who do their work only when someone is watching -- as people-pleasers -- but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in every respect, not only when they are watching -- like those who are strictly people-pleasers -- but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord.
Their eyes, full of adultery, never stop sinning; they entice unstable people. They have trained their hearts for greed, these cursed children!
because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) 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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When the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
To Sarah he said, "Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your 'brother.' This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you."
Leah's eyes were tender, but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.)
When the seventh day comes he must shave all his hair -- his head, his beard, his eyebrows, all his hair -- and he must wash his clothes, bathe his body in water, and so be clean.
You should tie them as a reminder on your forearm and fasten them as symbols on your forehead.
You are children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave your forehead bald for the sake of the dead.
Be careful lest you entertain the wicked thought that the seventh year, the year of cancellation of debts, has almost arrived, and your attitude be wrong toward your impoverished fellow Israelite and you do not lend him anything; he will cry out to the Lord against you and you will be regarded as having sinned.
So Jesse had him brought in. Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, "Go and anoint him. This is the one!"
So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward.
Jehu approached Jezreel. When Jezebel heard the news, she put on some eye liner, fixed up her hair, and leaned out the window.
Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at? At whom have you shouted, and looked so arrogantly? At the Holy One of Israel!
"I made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I entertain thoughts against a virgin?
The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-Happuch.
He waits in ambush near the villages; in hidden places he kills the innocent. His eyes look for some unfortunate victim.
Look, the Lord takes notice of his loyal followers, those who wait for him to demonstrate his faithfulness
Do not lust in your heart for her beauty, and do not let her captivate you with her alluring eyes;
A generous person will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has dullness of the eyes?
The stingy person hastens after riches and does not know that poverty will overtake him.
The Lover to His Beloved: Oh, how beautiful you are, my beloved! Oh, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves!
The Lord says, "The women of Zion are proud. They walk with their heads high and flirt with their eyes. They skip along and the jewelry on their ankles jingles.
And you, Zion, city doomed to destruction, you accomplish nothing by wearing a beautiful dress, decking yourself out in jewels of gold, and putting on eye shadow! You are making yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers spurn you. They want to kill you.
"They even sent for men from far away; when the messenger arrived, those men set out. For them you bathed, painted your eyes, and decorated yourself with jewelry.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
adultery, greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly.
Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which in translation means Dorcas). She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity.
take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed, and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can 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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Jehu approached Jezreel. When Jezebel heard the news, she put on some eye liner, fixed up her hair, and leaned out the window.
"They even sent for men from far away; when the messenger arrived, those men set out. For them you bathed, painted your eyes, and decorated yourself with jewelry.
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 opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
(Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium.
The Lord found him in a desolate land, in an empty wasteland where animals howl. He continually guarded him and taught him; he continually protected him like the pupil of his eye.
Ruth knelt before him with her forehead to the ground and said to him, "Why are you so kind and so attentive to me, even though I am a foreigner?"
Jehu approached Jezreel. When Jezebel heard the news, she put on some eye liner, fixed up her hair, and leaned out the window.
This includes 3,000 talents of gold from Ophir and 7,000 talents 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; his eyes examine all people.
Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, so my eyes will look to the Lord, our God, until he shows us favor.
Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, so my eyes will look to the Lord, our God, until he shows us favor.
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on those who are evil and those who are good.
The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to them both.
festive dresses, robes, shawls, purses,
They do not comprehend or understand, for their eyes are blind and cannot see; their minds do not discern.
And you, Zion, city doomed to destruction, you accomplish nothing by wearing a beautiful dress, decking yourself out in jewels of gold, and putting on eye shadow! You are making yourself beautiful for nothing. Your lovers spurn you. They want to kill you.
"Find Jeremiah and look out for him. Do not do anything to harm him, but do with him whatever he tells you."
But now, Jeremiah, today I will set you free from the chains on your wrists. If you would like to come to Babylon with me, come along and I will take care of you. But if you prefer not to come to Babylon with me, you are not required to do so. You are free to go anywhere in the land you want to go. Go wherever you choose."
He had Zedekiah's eyes put out and had him bound in chains. Then the king of Babylon had him led off to Babylon and he was imprisoned there until the day he died.
I said to them, "Each of you must get rid of the detestable idols you keep before you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God." But they rebelled against me, and refused to listen to me; no one got rid of their detestable idols, nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
"They even sent for men from far away; when the messenger arrived, those men set out. For them you bathed, painted your eyes, and decorated yourself with jewelry.
Even when their enemies drive them into captivity, from there I will command the sword to kill them. I will not let them out of my sight; they will experience disaster, not prosperity."
Look, the sovereign Lord is watching the sinful nation, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. But I will not completely destroy the family of Jacob," says the Lord.
For the Lord who rules over all says to me that for his own glory he has sent me to the nations that plundered you -- for anyone who touches you touches the pupil of his eye.
For who dares make light of small beginnings? These seven eyes will joyfully look on the tin tablet in Zerubbabel's hand. (These are the eyes of the Lord, which constantly range across the whole earth.)
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
Where then is your sense of happiness now? For I testify about you that if it were possible, you would have pulled out your eyes and given them to me!
not like those who do their work only when someone is watching -- as people-pleasers -- but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in every respect, not only when they are watching -- like those who are strictly people-pleasers -- but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord.
because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world.