Texts in Conversation
Proverbs 29 and Tobit each speak of the light of the eyes, reflecting the belief that the eye creates its own light. Proverbs says God gives that light to rich and poor alike, while Tobit calls a departing child the light of a parent’s eyes.
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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.
Tobit 10:5
Deuterocanon
4 His wife Anna said, "My child has perished and is no longer among the living." And she began to weep and mourn for her son, saying, 5 "Woe to me, my child, the light of my eyes, that I let you make the journey." 6 But Tobit kept saying to her, "Be quiet and stop worrying, my dear; he is all right. Probably something unexpected has happened there. The man who went with him is trustworthy and is one of our own kin. Do not grieve for him, my dear; he will soon be here."
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Notes and References
... Expressions in the Old Testament imply that the Jews thought of the eye as having its own light. 'The light of my eyes – it also has gone from me' (Psalm 38[27]:10), 'The light of the eyes rejoices the heart' (Proverbs 15:30), 'The Lord gives light to the eyes' (Proverbs 29:13). In Tobit 10:5 we read: 'my child, that I let you go, you who are the light of my eyes'. Though these expressions could be interpreted metaphorically, the point of reference relies on common knowledge of the functioning of the eye. In eight places we read that eyes became darkened (Genesis 27:1; 48:10; Deuteronomy 34:7; 1 Samuel 3:2; Job 17:7; Psalm 69:23; Lamentations 5:17; Zechariah 11:17). The most natural explanation for this metaphor is to recognise the correlation between the eye and the sun. As the heavenly source of light darkens, so too can the bodily source of light dim ...
Viljoen, Francois P.
The eye as the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22-23)
(p. 3) 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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