Texts in Conversation
Proverbs 29:13 says God gives light to the eyes, using language echoed in Matthew 6:22 where Jesus calls the eye the lamp of the body. Both reflect the ancient idea that the eye shines out of the eyes to enable vision.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Proverbs 29:13
Hebrew Bible
11 A fool lets fly with all his temper, but a wise person keeps it back. 12 If a ruler listens to lies, all his ministers will be wicked. 13 The poor person and the oppressor have this in common: The Lord gives light to the eyes of them both. 14 If a king judges the poor in truth, his throne will be established forever. 15 A rod and reproof impart wisdom,but a child who is unrestrained brings shame to his mother.
Matthew 6:22
New Testament
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
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Notes and References
... The logion of Matthew 6:22–23 does not make sense when interpreted within the modern understanding of vision. Interpreted according to the modern intromission theory of vision, it would imply that we see as a window through which light enters into the body. Such an interpretation is anachronistic. The saying makes sense if interpreted in terms of the ancient extramission theory of vision. The proverbial notion that the eye is the lamp of the body suggests that the eyes emit rays when looking. According to the custom to find a direct correlation between body and character in ancient understanding the state of an eye signifies the internal character of a being. Therefore the description of the physical eye should be interpreted in ethical terms. The eye is the channel from which innermost moral attitudes of the heart flows. In the eyes the character and moral quality of a person are reflected ...
Viljoen, Francois P.
The eye as the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22-23)
(p. 5) HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 2009
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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