“Protect me as the pupil of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings” Psalm 17:8 (CSB).
“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings” Psalm 17:8 (NIV).
Is it apple or pupil?
Did you know the saying “apple of my eye” is from the Bible?
Of course, we do not have an apple in our eye. However, this phrase is an example of an idiom, because the meaning cannot be inferred from the definitions of its individual words. For example, we might say it’s raining cats and dogs when it’s just raining very hard.
Compare the two translations of our key verse, Psalm 17:8. The root Hebrew word translated apple and pupil originally meant “little man of the eye.” Have you ever looked someone in the eye and seen your own reflection in their pupil? Right in the center of the eye is the “little man.”
In the King James version, the word was translated “apple,” probably from the Anglo-Saxon “arppel,” which meant both apple and pupil. Most Bible versions use apple, but some, like the Christian Standard version, use pupil.
What does the apple of my eye mean?
When you refer to someone as the apple of your eye, it shows that you cherish them above all else. So, you might say your son or daughter is the apple of your eye.
The pupil is a very sensitive spot and vulnerable to injury. God created a marvelous system to protect our eyes, the blink reflex.
What happens if something approaches your eyes? You blink. The blink reflex is one of the fastest reflexes in the human body, at 0.1 seconds. The involuntary blinking of the eyelids caused by stimulation of the cornea, the outermost layer of the eye, protects the eye from foreign objects, bright light, or even loud noise.
Apple of my eye in the Bible
We find the phrase “apple (or pupil) of my eye” in several books of the Bible.
In Psalms, David prayed for God’s protection from his enemies as He would the pupil of His own eye.
In Proverbs, Solomon pleaded for his son to hear and follow his instruction as the most valuable and guarded possession, like the pupil of the eye.
Scripture states, “Keep my commands and live, and guard my instructions as you would the pupil of your eye” Proverbs 7:2 (CSB).
In Deuteronomy, Moses relates how God protected the Israelites in Egypt the same way a person guards the pupil of their eyes.
The Bible says, “He found him in a desolate land, in a barren, howling wilderness; he surrounded him, cared for him, and protected him as the pupil of his eye” Deuteronomy 32:10 (CSB).
God’s care for His people has not diminished with time. He loves us, and He protects us as our eyelids protect our pupils.
Final words
Our eyes are an amazing gift from God. In a display of His love and protection, He designed the blink reflex as an incredible mechanism to safeguard our eyes.
However, if God protects us like the apple of his eye, why do we suffer? While He doesn’t promise an absence of suffering, He promises to be with us and provide the strength to endure and overcome it.
Trust God will use our pain for His purpose.
Let us thank God today for His steadfast love and incredible craftsmanship when creating our eyes, allowing us to witness the beauty of the world.
