Matthew 6:22

Mat_6:22

The light of the body is the eye.

Singleness of eye

The man whose only object is to make good his eternity moves forward in an element of clearness, without the doubts which harass other men.

I. That which we most desire we most wish to know about. Let a man be actuated by strong desire for salvation and he will never cease to inquire till he has found it. In proportion to the laboriousness of the search is the largeness of the discovery; the whole body is full of light.

II. He that hath singled out eternity as the object of his pursuith proves that he has a just estimate of its importance as compared with time. To our optics magnitude is reversed; but let it be seen in its just proportions and all the prospects of futurity are altered. This will bring justice and order into the whole perspective of being. What a view do we get of time if we measure it on the scale of eternity. This sweeps away a multitude of errors, and the whole body becomes full of light. One principle will often throw light over the whole field of contemplation. We must not try to unite the interests of both worlds; this has more than a distracting, it would have a darkening, effect. Another mode in which singleness of eye entails light is by the reflex influence of obedience on faith. The more we prepare for heaven and the further we get on the way to it, the light grows brighter and brighter. Every accession of grace brings new light. The path of the just is as the shining light. (Dr. Chalmers.)

Religion the ruling, though not the only, object of life.

The eye is single, not because it sees one thing, but because it looks in one direction. It is a simplicity, not of the intellectual, but of the moral regards. It marks one ruling passion to which all others are pressed into subservience. A navigator may set his mind on the discovery of some distant region, and may repel all the temptations he meets with in his way; not allowing the luxury of one place, or the gain of another, to detain him. Here is singleness of eye; but yet he attends to the waters below, and to the firmament above, and to the compass by which he steers his course. Here the object is one, but its pursuit is illuminated by the light of many sciences. (Dr. Chalmers)

The single eye

I. What is meant by the single eye?

1. It; implies the contemplation of one object. One thing have I desired of the Lord. One thing is needful.

2. Clearness of perception is implied.

3. Undeviating attention to the object of our view.

II. What is to be understood by the fulness of light which is said to attend its vision? Light is an emblem of knowledge, happiness, usefulness.

1. Then Divine knowledge springs from the contemplation of God.

2. Light is an emblem of happiness.

3. Light is an emblem of usefulness. (J. Curwen.)

The single eye

1. Naturally: It is by means of the eye the body is directed in its avoidance of evil.

2. Metaphorically: Light is the emblem of happiness and joy.

3. Morally: Light applied often to the conscience. (J. E. Good.)

The darkness of unbelief

I. The body has eyes to see with.

II. We have light to see by, as well as eyes to see with; the light is as necessary as the organ of sight. Vision is the result of a two-fold agency-Mans and Gods.

III. The eyes are subject to disease. Sometimes the eyes are intolerant of the light; sometimes they distort it so as to narrow or lengthen objects, and thus misrepresent them.

These three things are true of the mind

1. The mind has eyes-organs to see truth, to know realities in the world of thought; these eyes are understanding and reason. Furthermore, our natural eyes perceive the colour of objects as well as the objects themselves, so the mind has perception of the quality of action as just and beautiful, or the opposite.

2. But as the eyes are dependent upon light, so are our minds dependent upon the light God sheds upon us. Reason, conscience, need light. It is folly for a man to say he has no need of light, that his eyes are enough for him!

3. The minds organ of vision is subject to disease.

How great the darkness

1. As to the kind of it. To be in a room hung with pictures and not to be able to see them is grief; to be in a world filled with expressions of the Creators power and love, and not see them is unutterable loss.

2. It is great in respect of guilt.

3. It is hopeless. (W. I. Budington, D. D.)

I. There is in every man a conscience or practical judgment, A spiritual eye or light within him. Conscience is Gods deputy.

1. Acts by His commission.

2. Dictates in His name.

3. Censures by His authority.

4. Refers us to His sentence.

5. Assigns us over to answer for all our actions at the bar of the Supreme Judge of heaven and earth.

II. Conscience is a light to direct and guide us. It manifests and demonstrates itself in all the circumstances of human life by universal regard to present, past, and future action.

1. When temptation assaults and inclines to evil action, conscience is ready to interpose, admonish, and dissuade us from it.

2. When temptation prevails upon us, conscience resists, regrets, checks, and upbraids the undertaking, after the commission.

3. It objects, convicts, reproves, accuses, condemns, and afflicts us for it.

4. When occasion of doing good is offered, conscience incites, persuades, and encourages us to do it.

5. After it is done, it defends, approves, and applauds the action.

III. Conscience may abuse its office, mistake its measures. This eye may be evil, this light may be darkness.

1. Conscience may be perverted by false principles, prejudice, dangerous errors, and evil practices.

2. May err in its notions of truth.

IV. Four principles generally influence human life.

1. Chance;

2. Sense;

3. Custom;

4. Temporal interest.

V. The greatest misery and misfortune that can befall, us, is to have our consciences depraved and corrupted. If the light within us be darkness, how great, how mischievous, is that darkness? (Samuel Fuller, D. D.)

Singleness of eye, its meaning and consequences

I. What is here meant by singleness of eye? It is being wholly decided for Christ alone.

II. The consequences of having the eye single.

1. There will be light in regard to God and His dealings.

2. There is light in regard to our own position and character.

3. There will be light in regard to revelation.

4. There will be light in regard to our own experience. (W. Park.)

The mental eye fixed on one object

We are told that rope dancers, in order to steady themselves during their perilous feats, are in the habit of fixing their gaze steadily on some distant object, and that, if once they permit themselves to look upon the rope, or upon the sea of upturned faces beneath them, then they become dizzy and fail. If you ever tried to cross a stream on a log, you will remember that, by looking steadily at some object on the opposite bank, you were quite safe; but, no sooner did you begin to look at the log, or upon the foaming, dashing waters beneath, than you lost your balance and came to grief. And, in order that our conduct may be right, that in this world, so full of snares, and temptations, and pitfalls, we may walk aright, it is absolutely necessary that we fix our affections upon one object, and that object is Christ. (W. Park.)

Singleness of eye conducive to assurance of salvation

Why is it, my friends, that you have any doubt in telling which way the wind is blowing? or in what direction a river is running? Is it not because the wind is scarcely blowing at all, or always changing? and because the river is scarcely running, or running in opposite currents? Let the wind blow steadily in one direction, and you do not require to look at the vane in order to tell what is its point; and when the stream, swollen and turbid with mountain torrents, rushes down to the sea, bearing everything before it, you do not require to stand on its banks and think whether it is going this way or that. So let a man have thoughts, and feelings, and desires decidedly heavenward, let him be wholly decided for Christ, and he can have no doubt as to his own state; but, if he is today with Christ, and to-morrow on the side of the world, I should not at all be surprised if that man had many doubts and misgivings as to his acceptance with God. (W. Park.)

A single eye and simple faith

I. The eye of our faith. Faith the eye of the believers soul. This eye must look to Jesus alone, not to Christ and our own merits. If thou ernst be saved by these things the glory is divided. No!

II. The eye of our obedience. There are professors whose eye of obedience is not single, they are for the world as for Christ. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Look and live in the same spiritual direction

An old Puritan said, A hypocrite is like the hawk; the hawk flies upward, but he always keeps his eye down on the prey; let him get up as high as he will, he is always looking on the ground. Whereas, the Christian is like the lark, he turns his eye up to heaven, and as he mounts and sings he looks upward and he mounts upward. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Pure motives the light of the soul

The human eye is the most striking feature in the human constitution; is closest to the soul; gleams with ethereal fire. As the eye must not see double, but must be single in order that the body may be full of light, so there must be no double mind if the Christian would not walk in darkness. Pure motives are the light of the soul.

I. It is the light of the soul because it relieves the mind of doubts concerning the path of duty. If the soul be full of pure affection for God it will guide in the path of duty.

II. Because it relieves the mind of doubts concerning religious doctrine. Does its adoption glorify God? (W. G. T. Shedd, D. D.)

The causes and danger of self-deceit

I. Explain the meaning of the text. There is a disparity between external light and the judgment of the mind; the former does not depend on choice. Obstruction in the eyesight may be a mans infelicity, it is not his fault. The evil eye is the disease of the mind, malignant and dangerous. We are to lay up treasure in heaven; we are in danger of such darkness or ignorance as shall make us insensible of our highest interest. We are liable to this self-deceit.

1. It is evident from the plain intimations of Scripture (Pro_16:2; Isa_5:20).

2. Instances within the compass of our own acquaintance.

II. The most general cause of self-deceit in the affairs of religion is some prevailing, corrupt passion. This leads to unfairness in these inquiries concerning duty.

III. The means whereby this fatal disease of the mind is confirmed.

1. False imaginaties.

2. Superstition.

3. Self-flattery.

4. Feeble, ineffectual purposes of future amendment.

IV. The extent of this self-deceit. Learn:

1. To be watchful.

2. What is right will generally appear to our first thoughts.

3. Implore the aid of Divine grace. (J. Abernethy, M. A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 6:22. The light — Or lamp rather, as ο λυχνος should be translated, of the body, is the eye — That is, it is by the eye that a person has light to direct him in his bodily motions, and in the use of his bodily members. If therefore thine eye be single — Απλους, simple, not mixed with noxious humours, but clear and sound; so both Chrysostom and Theophylact understand the expression, considering it as synonymous with υγιης, whole; thy whole body shall be full of light — Every member of thy body shall be enlightened by the light of thine eye, and directed to perform its proper office. But if thine eye be evil — Gr. πονηρος, rendered νοσωδης, morbid, by Theophylact, and distempered, by Dr. Campbell, who observes, “that there is no reference to the primitive meaning of απλους, single, is evident from its being contrasted to πονηρος, evil, bad, or disordered, and not to διπλους, double. Our Lord’s argument,” adds he, “stands thus: The eye is the lamp of the body: from it all the other members derive their light. Now if that which is the light of the body be darkened, how miserable will be the state of the body! how great will be the darkness of those members which have no light of their own, but depend entirely on the eye!” Thus “if the conscience, that mental light which God has given to man for regulating his moral conduct, be itself vitiated, what will be the state of his appetites and passions, which are naturally blind and precipitate?” To the same purpose speaks Macknight, only using the term reason, instead of conscience. “As the body must be well enlightened if its eye is sound and good, or greatly darkened if it is spoiled with noxious humours; so the mind must be full of life, if reason, its eye, is in a proper state; or full of darkness, if it is perverted by covetousness, and other worldly passions; but with this difference, that the darkness of the mind is infinitely worse than the darkness of the body, and attended with worse consequences, inasmuch as the actions of the mind are of far greater importance to happiness than those of the body.” Baxter and Dr. Doddridge understand the words in nearly the same sense, interpreting the word eye of the practical judgment. “If thy judgment be sound,” says the former, “and thou knowest the difference between laying up treasure in heaven and on earth, it will rightly guide all the actions of thy heart and life: but if thy judgment be blinded in this great affair, it will misguide thy love, thy choice, and all the tenor of thy life: if thy judgment then be blind, which must guide thee, what a miserable erroneous wretch wilt thou be! and how dismal will that error prove!” Or, as the doctor expresses it, “If the maxims you lay down to yourselves are wrong, how very erroneous must your conduct be!”

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6:22 Your eye is like a lamp: It gives light to the body and so enlightens the entire person. • Healthy means morally healthy, with simple, wholehearted devotion to God (6:24). Here it connotes generosity.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mat 6:22. Ὁ ὀφθαλμός, the eye) This is the subject of the proposition.[275]—ἐὰν οὖν, if therefore) The particle οὖν (therefore) agrees exactly with the scope of the passage, and has been easily left out by some who have understood it, though they omitted it.[276] We will not linger on such matters.—ἀπλοῦς, single, simple) The word simplicity never occurs in the sacred writings in a bad sense. ἀπλοῦς signifies here simple and good, singly intent on heaven, on God. Here is an antithesis between ἀπλοῦς, single, in this verse, and δυσὶ, two, in Mat 6:24. That which is propounded figuratively in Mat 6:22-23, is declared in plain words in the following verses.—φωτεινὸν, full of light) As if it were all eye.

[275] Not as in E. V. “THE LIGHT of the body is the eye.” but “THE EYE is the light of the body.”—ED.

[276] i.e. Those who omitted the word actually when copying in the text must have supplied it mentally when reading it.—(I. B.)

Οὖν is the reading of B; b has enim; ac Hil. 520 omit it.—ED.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat_6:22-23. Connection: In order to fulfil the duty mentioned in Mat_6:19-20, and warranted by what is said in Mat_6:21, you must not allow the light within you, i.e. the reason (ὁ νοῦς, Chrysostom), which apprehends divine truth, to become obscured, i.e. it must be preserved in that state of normal action in which error and moral evil find no place. The obscuring of this faculty of thought and volition, by which the divine is perceived and morally assimilated, imparts a wrong tendency and complexion to the entire life of the individual man. Comp. Luther: This is a warning not to allow ourselves to be taken in by fair colours and outward appearance, with which avarice may trick itself out and conceal the knave. The supposition that Mat_6:22 f. originally stood immediately behind Mat_5:16 (Ewald, Jahrb. I. p. 129) is therefore without sufficient logical warrant, and Luk_11:33-36 may be a later digest of similar import. Observe, moreover, that nothing is said here about the capability of the natural reason, purely as such, to apprehend the divine by its own unaided efforts; for Jesus has in view those who are believers, whose νοῦς is already under the influence of the divine truth which He has revealed to them (Eph_1:18; Rom_12:2). However, the subjective meaning of ὀφθαλμός and φῶς must be preserved intact, nor is φῶς to be understood, with Hofmann, Schriftbew. II. 2, p. 320, as referring to the holy nature of God, which seeks to illuminate the hearts of men.

ὁ λύχνος τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ ὀφθαλ. μός] for without the eye the body is in darkness; the blind man is without light, which comes through the medium of the eye as though it were a lamp. The subject is not ὁ ὀφθαλμός (Luther, Bengel), but ὁ λύχνος τοῦ σώμ., to which corresponds τὸ φῶς τὸ ἐν σοί, the subject in the application of the illustration.

ἁπλοῦς and πονηρός are mostly understood in the sense of: healthy (which many have defined more precisely as the opposite of double-sight), and damaged. But usage is in favour only of πονηρός being employed in this sense (see Kypke; comp. Plat. Hipp. min. p. 374 D: πονηρία ὀφθαλμῶν, also the German expression böse Augen), but not ἁπλοῦς, which means only integer in the moral sense of the word. Comp. Test. XII. patr. p. 624: ἁπλότης ὀφθαλμῶν, as meaning the opposite of the dishonest, hypocritical cast of the eye. Consequently the above meaning is contrary to usage, and both words must be understood in their moral signification, so that Jesus has selected the predicates in His illustration in view of the state of things to which the illustration refers, and in which the darkness of the νοῦς is the result of the evil will resisting divine truth (Rom_1:21). Therefore: if thine eye is honest, i.e. if it honestly does its duty,and: if it is good for nothing, i.e. if it maliciously refuses to perform its functions.

φωτεινόν] is enlightened, so that it is clear round about him; through the light which is perceived by the eye, no one of his members is in darkness.

εἰ οὖν, κ.τ.λ.] Inference a minori ad majus.

τὸ φῶς τὸ ἐν σοί] i.e. the νοῦς especially as practical reason (Vernunft). The figurative designation (Philo, de cond. mund. I. p. 12 : ὅπερ νοῦς ἐν ψυχῇ, τοῦτο ὀφθαλμὸς ἐν σώματι, comp. Plat. Rep. vii. p. 533 D: τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ὄμμα, Soph. p. 254 A. Creuzer, ad Plot. de pulcr. p. 361) is suggested by, and is correlative to, ὁ λύχνος, etc., Mat_6:22. Comp. Euth. Zigabenus: ὁ νοῦς ὁ δωρηθεὶς εἰς τὸ φωτίζειν καὶ ὁδηγεῖν τὴν ψυχήν.

σκότος] corresponds to πονηρός above, though denoting at the same time the effect of the evil condition.

τὸ σκότος πόσον] s.c. ἐστί: how great then (since the worthlessness of the outward eye involves one in darkness) is the darkness, τὸ σκότος, in which thou liest! But τὸ σκότος, from being put first, is very emphatic. Luther (following the ordinary reading of the Vulg.: ipsae tenebrae) and Calvin interpret incorrectly: how great will then be the darkness itself. Thine, in that case, is the condition in which there is no susceptibility for that divine truth which would enlighten and sanctify thee; and this darkness, how great is it!

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 6:22-24 . Parable of the eye . A difficult passage; connection obscure, and the evangelic report apparently imperfect. The parallel passage in Luke (Luk 11:33-36 ) gives little help. The figure and its ethical meaning seem to be mixed up, moral attributes ascribed to the physical eye, which with these still gives light to the body . This confusion may be due to the fact that the eye, besides being the organ of vision, is the seat of expression, revealing inward dispositions. Physically the qualities on which vision depends are health and disease. The healthy eye gives light for all bodily functions, walking, working, etc.; the diseased eye more or less fails in this service. If the moral is to be found only in last clause of Mat 6:23 , all going before being parable, then ἁπλοῦς must mean sound and πονηρὸς diseased, meanings which, if not inadmissible, one yet does not expect to find expressed by these words. They seem to be chosen because of their applicability to the moral sphere, in which they might suitably to the connection mean “liberal” and “niggardly”. ἁπλότης occurs in this sense in Rom 12:8 , and Hatch (Essays in [41] . G., p. 80) has shown that πονηρός occurs several times in Sept [42] (Sirach) in the sense of niggardly, grudging. He accordingly renders: “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be liberal thy whole body shall be full of light; but if thine eye be grudging, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.” Of course this leaves the difficulty of the mixing of natural and moral untouched. The passage is elliptical, and might be paraphrased thus: The eye is the lamp of the body: when it is healthy we see to do our daily work, when diseased we are in darkness. So with the eye of the soul, the heart, seat of desire: when it is free from covetousness, not anxious to hoard, all goes well with our spiritual functions we choose and act wisely. When sordid passions possess it there is darkness within deeper than that which afflicts the blind man. We mistake the relative value of things, choose the worse, neglect the better, or flatter ourselves that we can have both.

[41] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[42] Septuagint.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Men do maliciously and wickedly put out even the little light of nature that is in them.

The judgment of the mind: that as the body is with the eyes, so our whole life may be ruled with right reason, that is to say, with the Spirit of God wherewith we are lightened.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

The light--the lamp.

of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single--simple, clear. As applied to the outward eye, this means general soundness; particularly, not looking two ways. Here, as also in classical Greek, it is used figuratively to denote the simplicity of the mind's eye, singleness of purpose, looking right at its object, as opposed to having two ends in view. (See Pro 4:25-27).

thy whole body shall be full of light--illuminated. As with the bodily vision, the man who looks with a good, sound eye, walks in light, seeing every object clear; so a simple and persistent purpose to serve and please God in everything will make the whole character consistent and bright.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 22. The light of the body is the eye] That is, the eye is to the body what the sun is to the universe in the day time, or a lamp or candle to a house at night.

If-thine eye be single] απλους, simple, uncompounded; i.e. so perfect in its structure as to see objects distinctly and clearly, and not confusedly, or in different places to what they are, as is often the case in certain disorders of the eye; one object appearing two or more-or else in a different situation, and of a different colour to what it really is. This state of the eye is termed, Mt 6:23, πονηρος evil, i.e. diseased or defective. An evil eye was a phrase in use, among the ancient Jews, to denote an envious, covetous man or disposition; a man who repined at his neighbour's prosperity, loved his own money, and would do nothing in the way of charity for God's sake. Our blessed Lord, however, extends and sublimes this meaning, and uses the sound eye as a metaphor to point out that simplicity of intention, and purity of affection with which men should pursue the supreme good. We cannot draw more than one straight line between two indivisible points. We aim at happiness: it is found only in one thing, the indivisible and eternal GOD. It the line of simple intention be drawn straight to him, and the soul walk by it, with purity of affection, the whole man shall be light in the Lord; the rays of that excellent glory shall irradiate the mind, and through the whole spirit shall the Divine nature be transfused. But if a person who enjoyed this heavenly treasure permit his simplicity of intention to deviate from heavenly to earthly good; and his purity of affection to be contaminated by worldly ambition, secular profits, and animal gratifications; then, the light which was in him becomes darkness, i.e. his spiritual discernment departs, and his union with God is destroyed: all is only a palpable obscure; and, like a man who has totally lost his sight, he walks without direction, certainty, or comfort. This state is most forcibly intimated in our Lord's exclamation, How great a darkness! Who can adequately describe the misery and wretchedness of that soul which has lost its union with the fountain of all good, and, in losing this, has lost the possibility of happiness till the simple eye be once more given, and the straight line once more drawn.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(22) The light of the body.-Literally, the lamp of the body. So in Pro_20:27, “The spirit of man is the candle (or ‘lamp’) of the Lord”—that which, under the name of “conscience,” the “moral sense,” the “inner man” discerns spiritual realities, distinguishes right from wrong, gives the light by which we see our way. If this is “single,” if it discerns clearly, all is well. The “whole body,” the life of the man in all its complex variety, will be illumined by that light. The connection with what precedes lies on the surface. Singleness of intention will preserve us from the snare of having a double treasure, and therefore a divided heart.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22. The light] Rather, lamp, or candle as it is translated ch. Mat_5:15. The eye is not itself the light, but contains the light; it is the “lamp” or candle of the body, the light-conveying principle. If the eye or lamp is single, it admits the influx of the pure light only; if an eye be evil, i. e. affected with disease, the body can receive no light at all. The whole passage is on the subject of the singleness of service to God. There can be but one treasure, one source of light, one master. The eye is the spiritual faculty, through which the light of God’s truth is recognised and admitted into the soul.

The connection in which the words occur in Luk_11:34 is instructive. The inference there is that the spiritual perception of the Pharisees is dimmed, so that they cannot recognise Christ.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But if thine eye be evil,.... If thou art of a sordid disposition, of an avaricious temper, if the sin of covetousness prevails over thee,

thy whole body will be full of darkness: thy judgment will be so influenced by that sordid principle, that thou wilt not be able to discern what is agreeable to the law of God, or human reason; what is fitting to be done for thyself, for God, or for thy fellow creatures; all the powers and faculties of thy soul will be enslaved by it, and all be intent upon, and employed in the gratification of it: thy mind will be always sad and sorrowful, harassed and distressed; and thy estate, and condition, will be most miserable and uncomfortable:

if therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! as it is in the body, so it is with the mind; as when the eye, the light of the body, is put out by any means, all the members of the body are in entire darkness; so when the light of reason in the mind is so far extinguished by any prevailing iniquity, particularly the sin of covetousness, so that it is wholly influenced and governed by it, what irregular actions is it led into! What deeds of darkness does it perform! and what will be the consequence of it, but utter and eternal darkness, if grace prevent not!

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

Ver. 22. The light of the body is the eye, &c.] Here our blessed Saviour illustrateth what he had said before, of laying up, not on earth, but in heaven, by a fit similitude. Like as the eye is the light of the whole body, so is the mind of the whole man. "If therefore thine eye be single," that is, if thy mind be sincere, if thou have that one eye of the spouse in the Canticles, Son 4:9, that one heart promised in the new covenant, Eze 11:19, set upon God alone, and not divided, and, as it were, cloven asunder (which is to have a heart and a heart), but minding the one thing necessary, as the main, and be not double-minded, or corrupted from the simplicity of Christ, 2Co 11:3, -then shall thy whole body, that is, thy whole both constitution and conversation, be lightsome, diaphanous, transparent, as a lantern that hath a candle in it, or as a crystal glass with a light in the midst, which appeareth through every part thereof. There will be a uniformity, equability, ubiquity, and constancy of holiness running through thy whole course, as the warp doth through the woof; when a double-minded man (that hath not cleansed his heart, nor washed his hands of worldly lusts) is unstable and uneven in all his ways (διφυχος), Jas 4:8; Jas 1:8; "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy mind," Luk 10:27; "And with my mind I serve the law of God," saith Paul, which he acknowledged to be spiritual, though he were carnal in part, sold under sin. The old man is still corrupt according to the deceitful lusts (which sometimes so bemist and beguile the judgment, that a man shall think there is some sense in sinning, and that he hath reason to be mad), but be ye renewed in the spirit of your minds, in the bosom and bottom of the soul, in the most inward and subtile parts of the soul, and, as it were, the quintessence of it, Eph 4:22-23. Reserve these upper rooms for Christ, and be not ye conformed to the world (who mind earthly things, and have damnation for their end, Php 3:19), but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds, Rom 12:2, that ye may see and prove by good experience (not by a notional knowledge only) what that good, and holy, and acceptable will of God is. Concerning the east gate of that temple in Ezekiel, thus saith the Lord, "This gate shall be shut, and shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel hath entered by it," Eze 44:2; there by signifying, saith a divine, that although the heart, of a Christian, which is the temple of the Holy Ghost, may let many things enter into it at other gates, yet must it keep the east gate, the most illuminate and highest power and part of it, continually shut against all men; yea, against all the world; and opened only to one thing, I mean to God, who hath already entered into it, and enlightened it with his Spirit. That as at the windows of Noah’s ark there entered in no mist nor water, nothing else but one thing only, which is light; so at the east gate, no mist of human errors, no water of worldly cares, may enter in, but only the light of heaven, and a sanctified desire to be fast knit and perfectly united by faith and love to God.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The light of the body ... - The sentiment stated in the preceding verses - the duty of fixing the affections on heavenly things - Jesus proceeds to illustrate by a reference to the “eye.” When the eye is directed steadily toward an object, and is in health, or is single, everything is clear and plain. If it vibrates, flies to different objects, is fixed on no one singly, or is diseased, nothing is seen clearly. Everything is dim and confused. The man, therefore, is unsteady. The eye regulates the motion of the body. To have an object distinctly in view is necessary in order to correct and regulate action. Rope-dancers, that they may steady themselves, fix the eye on some object on the wall, and look steadily at that. If they should look down on the rope or the people, they might become dizzy and fall. A man crossing a stream on a log, if he will look across at some object steadily, will be in little danger. If he looks down on the dashing and rolling waters, he will become dizzy, and fall. So Jesus says, in order that the conduct may be right, it is important to fix the affections on heaven. Having the affections there - having the eye of faith single, steady, unwavering - all the conduct will be correspondent.

Single - Steady, directed to one object. Not confused, as persons’ eyes are when they see double.

Thy body shall be full of light - Your conduct will be regular and steady. All that is needful to direct the body is that the eye be fixed right. No other light is required. So all that is needful to direct the soul and the conduct is, that the eye of faith be fixed on heaven; that the affections be there.

If, therefore, the light that is in thee ... - The word “light,” here, signifies “the mind,” or principles of the soul. If this is dark, how great is that darkness! The meaning of this passage may be thus expressed: The light of the body, the guide and director, is the eye. All know how calamitous it is when that light is irregular or extinguished, as when the eye is diseased or lost. So the light that is in us is the soul. If that soul is debased by attending exclusively to earthly objects - if it is diseased, and not fixed on heaven how much darker and more dreadful will it be than any darkness of the eye! Avarice darkens the mind, obscures the view, and brings in a dreadful and gloomy night over all the faculties.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Every action is lighted or directed by the intention. If the intention be upright, the whole body of the action is good, provided it proceed not from a false conscience. If the intention be bad, how bad must be the action! Christ does not here speak of an exterior, but an interior eye. He, therefore, who directs all his thoughts to God, may justly be said to have his eye lightsome, and consequently his heart undefiled with worldly affections; but he who has all his thoughts corrupted with carnal desires is, beyond a doubt, enveloped in darkness. (St. John Chrysostom)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

You had need look to your hearts, your understanding, judgment, and affections; for look what proportion there is betwixt your bodily eye and the rest of the bodily members, with regard to their guidance and conduct, the same proportion there is betwixt your heart and whole conversation, with reference to the guidance of it with relation to God. The eye is the window by which the soul looks out to guide the body; if that be not impaired by the defluxion of humours, &c., but be single, it directs all the motions of the body right; but if that be defective, or any way impaired, the whole body is at a loss how to move safely, and with advantage to it. So if your hearts be set right, if you have a right and sound judgment, a true and sanctified affection, they will influence and guide all your actions, your whole conversation will be regular and holy: but if that inward eye be evil, through covetousness, too much adherence to the earth, or through envy, (both which are called evil eyes in Scripture), or through the prevalence of any other lusts or passions, your darkness will be exceeding great, you will not be able to set one step right; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, and according to the dictates and affections of the heart the hand and the whole man acts.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

22. Light of the body is the eye — The body is as a large room, naturally dark, of which the inhabitant is the soul. But it has a light or lamp, the eye; for the eye gathers light from the external world of knowledge, and pours it, like a lamp, into the spacious residence of the soul. Eye be single — Or pure from any foreign substance, duplicating and impeding its clear blaze. Body… light — If the lamp give a pure light, the room is completely filled with illumination. When the moral perception is uninterfered with by any alloy of base self-interest, the soul possesses the pure light of truth.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 22, 23. The light of the body is the eye, etc. Parallel passage: Luk_11:34-36, where it immediately follows the illustration of putting a lamp under the bushel. (Mat_5:15) The excessive difficulty of Luke"s ver. 36 points to Luke having preserved on the whole the more original form of the saying; but it seems quite impossible to say which is its more original position. It suits the context quite as well in Matthew as in Luke, while the mere verbal similarity of lucnov may have caused it to be placed in Luke after his ver. 33 (cf. ver. 24, infra, note). The light of the body; the lamp (Revised Version); o lucnov . (Mat_5:15, note) The thought of the power which treasure has of attracting the heart forms the transition to the need of a pure and steady "eye" heavenwards. The bodily eye is taken as the symbol of the outlooking power of the soul, not the soul the inner man itself, but its outlooking power. As the body is illuminated by the eye, i.e. as by the eye the bodily constitution learns its environment, and naturally, almost automatically, tends to accommodate itself to it, so is it with the gaze of the soul. If this be upon the things of this world, the soul perceives, and tends to accommodate itself to the things of this world; if upon things in heaven, it perceives, and tends to accommodate itself to, the things in heaven. The Authorized Version "light" is, therefore, imperfect, for the gaze of the soul is not "light" (fwv), but a "lamp" (lucnov). As the bodily eye is not itself light, but only an instrument for receiving and imparting light, so in the mere gaze of the soul there is no inherent light, but it is the means of receiving and imparting light to the soul. If therefore thine eye be single. The word "single" (aplouv) presents some difficulty.

(1) If it meant "undivided," it would doubtless continue the illustration of the lamp, with an undivided as contrasted with a divided wick, but it has no such meaning.

(2) It states the opposite, not to divisions, but to folds (vide Trench, "Syn.," it is "single" as opposed to "plicate," and therefore can hardly contain any direct reference to the lamp. Its meaning rather appears to be purely metaphorical, and the word seems to be applied "directly to the functions of the eye in relation to the body. If the eye be "single" and (to use another but related metaphor) straightforward in its working, then the body receives through it the light that it ought to receive. So is it with the gaze of the soul in its effect on the inner man.

(3) Perhaps, however, aplounh is here used in the sense of non-compound (cf. Plato, "Rep.," 547. E); in this case free from any foreign substance to bar the light from passing through it. (cf. Mat_7:3, and Basil, "De Spiritu Sancto," 9. sqq.) Thy whole body shall be full of light (fwtino). Well-lighted in itself, and bright in appearance to others. (cf. s, nefelh fwtinh , Mat_17:5) The word chosen seems to indicate, not merely that the body is, through the eye, lighted, but also that it itself becomes in measure, like the eye, full of light for others. All one"s powers become illumined with the Divine light, and the illumination shines through. But if thine eye be evil, etc. Evil (ponhrov); ver. 13, note. Vitiated, worthless. As an eye that does not fulfil its natural function, so is that gaze of the soul which is directed only earthward. To limit tiffs, with Lightfoot ("Hor. Hebr."), to covetousness (cf. also Hatch, "Essays," p. 81), is far too partial an interpretation. Such an earthward and selfish gaze of the soul may often issue in selfishness as regards money, (cf. Mat_20:15) but the full meaning of the phrase includes very much more. Thy whole body shall be full of darkness. What the heart craves to see it sees; but in this case, not light makes its entrance, but darkness, which, as in the case of the light, permeates the frame. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness; rather, is darkness; the change here to the indicative (ei ... estin) indicating that the last preceding clause is assumed as fact. The light that is in thee. Our Lord does not say, "the light that comes through the eye," for he means more than this, viz. that the very information, so to speak, brought first by the outlook of the soul, comes into us and remains in us. He assumes that this, which ought to be light, is darkness. How great is that darkness! i.e. the darkness (Revised Version)just spoken of, which comes through the eye. So, probably, Luk_11:35. If the gaze which should bring light brings only darkness, how terrible in its nature and effects must that darkness be! It is, however, possible to understand our Lord to refer in this verse to the natural darkness of the soul before it looks out of itself. In this case the thought is you need a fixed gaze heavenwards; if your gaze is not heavenwards, it brings darkness instead of light; how black, then, must be the natural darkness! (cf. especially Trench, "Sermon on the Mount"). It will be noticed that in these verses darkness, though scientifically only negative the absence of light is here represented as positive, because it is the symbol of sin and evil.

Vers. 22, 23. Simplicity of conscience.

The illustration seems to be this We see only through our eyes. All the light that the body enjoys comes through that pair of delicate organs. Thus, as the means of bringing light to us, our eyes are our lamps. Now, if the two eyes are confused so that they see double, they distort our vision. They must form a single image between them for us to be able to see clearly. If worse should happen, and our eyes should be blinded, all the blaze of noon can bring no light to us. This is the physical analogue; let us now look at its spiritual counterpart.

I CONSCIENCE IS THE EYE OF THE SOUL. It is to our spiritual nature what the organ of vision is to the bodily structure. It is the avenue through which light enters. A man without a conscience could know no spiritual truth. He might understand a multitude of facts about religion. The history of Israel and the biography of Jesus Christ might be very familiar to him. Doctrines of theology might be studied by him as systems of philosophy or theories of science are studied. But the knowledge thus acquired would not be spiritual. God would be hidden; the way of life would remain undiscovered. Righteousness and sin, faith and redemption, would be but names for abstract ideas; and the conception of these ideas would not help practically. But God speaks in the conscience. There his Spirit touches our spirit. There he impresses us with the force of moral distinctions, and draws us on to the better life.

II CONSCIENCE NEEDS TO BE SIMPLE IN ORDER THAT IT MAY BE CLEAR. It is possible for the inward vision to see double. This will not happen so much when we seem to have a conflict of duties as when we confuse the very idea of duty with lower considerations. If we act conscientiously even when perplexed by a diversity of claims, we cannot make a very great mistake. But the terrible confusion arises when Conscience is not permitted to speak by herself; when she is interrupted by a babel of clamorous voices speaking out of self-interest, insisting on worldly maxims, and assuming wisdom and pleading policy. These interruptions are fatal to a sound decision. Conscience must be cleared of all accessories. We must look straight to one point. The one question for conscience is What is right? It is absolutely necessary to keep this question simple by separating it from every other consideration.

III THE PERVERSION OF CONSCIENCE IS THE GREATEST SPIRITUAL DARKNESS. He is in the dark who turns from the light; but far greater is the darkness of a blind man who cannot see in the light; and darkest of all is the mistake of one so deluded and demented as to take night for day, darkness for light, so that he follows darkness as a guide. It is bad to disregard conscience. Still, conscience remains, a warning beacon that cannot be utterly quenched, and we are aware that we are going without its guidance. Far worse is it to pervert the conscience. Better face a dark coast than the false lights of wreckers; better have no compass than one that will not point to the north; better be without a pilot than be steered by a pirate. The scribes and Pharisees darkened conscience with casuistry; Jesuits have been accused of doing the same; but our own hearts are our greatest deceivers. "Keep conscience as the noontide clear. W.F.A.

Vers. 22, 23. The lamp of the body.

Make a few introductory remarks on the brevity, the force of suggestion, and the depth of significance of these words of Jesus Christ. Explain that "the light of the body" should be rendered "the lamp of the body;" and that the word is distinct from the last word of the verse, rightly rendered "light." From the inattention that arises from so great familiarity with one of the grandest wonders of our life, both bodily and intelligent, strive to win this gracious illustration of Christ, and seek to secure solemn heedfulness to it. Consider

I A MARVELLOUS WORK OF GOD THE BODY FULL OF LIGHT HOW HE DOES IT. The living lamp, the eye, lets light into "the whole body," and even pours light into it. The mysterious susceptibility and energy of the brain receive and distribute it, and that brain acts accordingly. It is so that the body, or rather the man, is said to have sight. Sight avails for two things:

1. To admit a wide variety of impression and knowledge.

2. To initiate, and direct, and conduct, a wide variety of intelligent action. The body, which otherwise would be only an opaque mass of living, throbbing energy, but groping because of darkness, losing the right way, missing aim and vainly beating the air, wasting terribly the vital force it had, becomes by that lamp" all suddenly, as it were, endowed with capability. It is a capability of the higher sort based on immense contributions of knowledge, and not on mere addition of physical strength. It is perhaps impossible to make any well-founded comparisons among the works of God, and it approaches irreverence to attempt it; but among them all, when we think fixedly of it, where can we find one more to amaze us, and more to be admired for the way it is obtained and the results it obtains, than "the body full of light"?

II A MARVELLOUS WOE OF MAN THE BODY ALL DARK AND HOW HE COMES WITH IT SO. The body is "all dark" when the lamp that God made for it or meant for it is not there or is not alight. And this may be so, whereas it never was there, the man being born blind; or whereas it was once there and alight, yet some "accident" has put it out and destroyed it; or whereas it was once there and alight, yet disease, and perhaps disease that was more or less the direct consequence of sin and vice, had put it out and destroyed it. In each and all of these cases what suggestion of serious thought and solemn wonder or searching inquiry there is!

III A MARVELLOUSLY AGGRAVATED FORM OF THIS HUMAN WOE WHAT AND WHENCE IT IS. This is when the lamp is there, and when it is lighted, but its light is contradictory, confusing, bewildering, and worse than any ordinary darkness. It is a distemper of the eye, that falsifies all incoming impressions, misleads and misdirects all outgoing action. The result may be termed "darkness," but only because it is not light, and of this darkness it must be added, how great" it is! Or, as there is present the lamp, and as there is in action the eye, the result may for one briefest moment be termed "light," but only the very next moment to incur the comment and. criticism of the unerring Discerner and Judge of all things: "If therefore the very light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

IV A MARVELLOUS PORTRAIT AND TYPE OF THE MIND TAKEN FROM THE BODY. Reason, instinct, conscience, the instruction of revelation, the highest possible instruction, that of the Spirit, each and all are the lamp and light of the mind. But what are they when they are not each severally "single;" when they are made "evil;" when error adulterates truth; when impurity, and self-seeking, and self-confidence, and undocility, and resistance of holy motions, and the doing of despite to the Spirit; when one or more or all of these baulk or block the straight, steady advance and operating of the good and true and holy? If error prostitutes truth, and an evil spirit usurps the seat of the good Spirit, then the state of that man, in whom scenes of mischief and disaster such as these have their way, is worse than if he had not reason or conscience, and had been left unvisited of Divine instruction and Divine importunity. B.

Vers. 22, 23. Purpose.

The eye is the symbol for the purpose, motive, or intention of the heart. It is also put for the understanding. The head is powerfully influenced by the heart. Consider

I THE EYE IN RELATION TO THE LIGHT.

1. The eye is not self-luminous.

(1) It is the "lamp" rather than the "light" of the body. God is the Light. True motives are from God.

(2) The "single eye" is the motive to serve God alone. So in ver. 24 it is thus stated: "We cannot serve God and mammon.

(3) We have nothing that we do not receive.

2. It is the capacity for receiving light.

(1) The light of the world would avail little without the lamp of the body. The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord. (Pro_20:27)

(2) The image of God in man capacitates him for union and fellowship with God.

(3) The capacity for receiving light partakes of the nature of light. Hence the eye is said to enlighten the body.

3. The capacity for God may be destroyed.

(1) The eye the motive may become constitutionally evil. "If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness." The eye may lose its lustre by disuse. It may lose it by abuse,

(2) The evil eye is the perverted heart, the covetous heart, the envious heart, the avaricious heart. (cf. Pro_23:6, 7 Mat_20:15 Mar_7:22) The evil eye of the Pharisee sought the applause of men rather than the glory of God.

(3) The double eye is the hypocritical heart. The eye is double when we profess to honour God and contrive to honour ourselves. When we seek our own things under colour of seeking the things of Christ.

II THE EYE IN RELATION TO THE BODY.

1. Motive gives quality to conduct.

(1) As the eye stands for the motive, so does the body stand for the whole deportment, conversation, or conduct of the man.

(2) The eye brightens while looking at God, the essential Light; and it enlightens the whole body.

(3) The dark eye involves the body in darkness. Evil motives corrupt the conversation. (cf. Psa_82:5)

2. The matter is therefore momentous.

(1) Truth is satisfying. The whole body shall be full of light, as if all eye. Truth brings grace; it brings comfort.

(2) Truth is generous. So will the motive be that is true. (cf. Pro_22:9 Jam_1:5)

(3) How great is that light! It enlightens the whole body. It is infinitely greater than the body.

(4) Conversely, how great is that darkness! Error here; despair hereafter for ever. J.A.M.

The inspiration of a noble aim.

"The light of the body is the eye." Different versions give "lantern," or "candle," or "lamp." Then the idea is, that the aim and purpose a man has in life will be like a light shining on all his life and work and relations. If the aim be a high and noble one, it will brighten and ennoble all his doings. If it be a low and ignoble one, it will discolour and degrade all his doings. Or, to take another view: a man"s aim in life will be like the eye, through which he comes into relation with everything. If it be clean and healthy, everything is seen as it is. If it be impure and diseased, it is as if a man saw everything through coloured glasses. Then the anxiety of a Christian disciple should concern fixing the right aim, settling the one supreme purpose of life. Christ says our aim should be "righteousness." We do but put the same thing in another form when we say it should be Christ-likeness. "Singleness of intention will preserve us from the snare of having a double treasure, and therefore a divided heart." The question to press on attention is What are you living for?

I NOTHING. There are thousands of persons who are just living on, they know not and care not how or why. Enough for them is the butterfly-life of self-indulgence. Neither whence they came, nor what they are here for, nor whither they are going, troubles them in the least. And theirs is but as the life of the "dumb, driven cattle," who have no "uplooking eyes.

II SOMETHING LOW AND POOR. Such things as wealth for wealth"s sake, position for position"s sake, power for power"s sake. A soul has but a low aim who only asks, "What shall we eat? what shall we drink?" and lets the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" decide what his aim shall be.

III SOMETHING NOBLE FROM HUMAN STANDPOINTS. The world has its heroes in all its spheres. We may fix on one, find his aim, and make it ours, and let it inspire us to noble things.

IV SOMETHING DIVINE. Here show that God has been pleased to come into our human spheres, in the Person of Jesus Christ, that he might make himself our inspiring and sanctifying aim. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The eye is the lamp of the body - And what the eye is to the body, the intention is to the soul. We may observe with what exact propriety our Lord places purity of intention between worldly desires and worldly cares, either of which directly tend to destroy. If thine eye be single - Singly fixed on God and heaven, thy whole soul will be full of holiness and happiness. If thine eye be evil - Not single, aiming at any thing else.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The parable of the eye:

v. 22. The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

v. 23. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

The absurdity and dangerousness of covetousness is here illustrated, probably with reference to the Pharisees, whose attention and affections were divided between temporal and spiritual things, and who therefore became spiritually blind. The eye is the organ of vision and incidentally the seat of expression. To perform its function properly, it should be the light of the body, give light for the body’s movement and labor. The candid, open, healthy eye will give this service properly; the bad, diseased eye will cause the whole body to be in darkness, though the person stand in the midst of light. In other words: The light of the body is the eye, because the eye lets light into the body and makes it available to the body. When the eye of the soul is in proper condition, free from the desire to hoard, then true Christian knowledge can control and direct the person unto every good work. But when sordid passions take hold of the soul, Christian knowledge suffers, heart and mind are blinded, judgment is perverted, and nothing but evil results. There is spiritual darkness without a single ray of light, just as the extinguishing of a lamp in a dark room intensifies the darkness greatly.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In the foregoing verses, our Saviour acquainted us what in our affections and judgments we should esteem as our chief treasure: now this judgment concerning our chief treasure, is by our Saviour here compared to the eye; as the eye is the candle of the body, that enlightens and directs it, so our understanding and judgment of the excellency of heaven, and the things above, will draw our affections towards them, and quicken our endeavours after them.

Note thence, that such as our judgment is concerning happiness, such will our desires and endeavours be for the attainment of that happiness. Our affections are guided by our apprehensions; where the esteem is high, endeavours will be strong.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22, 23. The light of the body is the eye. This is not an abrupt transition, but bears on the same subject. If one's eye is diseased, all he sees is wrong. So the mind, or conscience, is the light of the soul. If these be darkened, all is darkness; if these see aright, all is light.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

General Information:

Jesus is talking to a group of people about what they as individuals should or should not do. The instances of "you" and "your" are all singular, but in some languages they may need to be plural. (See: Forms of You)

The eye is the lamp of the body ... how great is that darkness

This compares healthy eyes that allow a person to see to diseased eyes that cause a person to be blind. This is a metaphor referring to spiritual health. Often Jewish people used the phrase "bad eye" to refer to greed. The meaning is that if a person is completely devoted to God and sees or considers things the way God does, then he is doing what is right. If a person is greedy for more, then he is doing what is evil. (See: Metaphor)

The eye is the lamp of the body

This metaphor means the eyes allow a person to see just as a lamp helps a person see in the dark. AT: "Like a lamp, the eye allows you to see things clearly" (See: Metaphor)

eye

You may have to translate this as plural, "eyes."

if your eye is bad

This does not refer to magic. Jewish people often used this as a metaphor for someone who is greedy. (See: Metaphor)

if the light that is in you is actually darkness, how great is that darkness!

"if that which is supposed to cause light in your body causes darkness, then your body is in complete darkness"

for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other

Both of these phrases mean basically the same thing. They emphasize that a person cannot love and be devoted both to God and money at the same time. (See: Parallelism)

You cannot serve God and wealth

"You cannot love God and money at the same time"

translationWords

lamp

light

darkness

servant

lord

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

22. ὁ λύχνος. ‘The lamp.’ See ch. Mat 5:15, where the A.V. gives to λύχνος the meaning of ‘candle’; the translation here ‘light’ is still less correct. The eye is not its self the light, but contains the light; it is the ‘lamp’ of the body, the light-conveying principle. If the eye or lamp is single, it admits the influx of the pure light only; if an eye be evil, i.e. affected with disease, the body can receive no light at all. The whole passage is on the subject of the singleness of service to God. There can be but one treasure, one source of light, one master. The eye is the spiritual faculty, through which the light of God’s truth is recognised and admitted into the soul.

In the current phraseology ‘a good eye’ meant a bountiful heart, ‘an evil eye’ a covetous heart (Lightfoot, Hor. Hebr. ad loc.). This gives to our Lord’s words the thought, ‘covetousness darkens the soul more than anything else, it is a medium through which the light cannot pass’; cp. 1Ti 6:10, where the same truth is taught in a different figure, ῥίζα γὰρ πάντων τῶν κἀκῶν ἐστὶν ἡ φιλαργυρία.

The connection in which the words occur in Luk 11:34 is instructive. The inference there is that the spiritual perception of the Pharisees is dimmed, so that they cannot recognise Christ.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22. To obtain this heavenly treasure you must keep your inner eye healthy by almsgiving.

(L) The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore thy eye be sound (=liberal), thy whole body will be light.] Luk 11:34 has: “The lamp of the body is thine eye. Whenever thy eye is sound, then thy whole body is light.”

The idea here is the naïve one that the eye is the organ through which light has access to the whole body, and that there is a spiritual eye through which spiritual light enters and illuminates the whole personality. This spiritual eye must be kept sound, or else light cannot enter, and the inner man dwells in darkness. But how can it be kept sound? The contrast ἁπλοῦς—πονηρός suggests the answer, by liberality and almsgiving. Treasure is not to be hoarded, but to be given away. In Jewish idiom, “a good eye” is a metaphor for liberality, “an evil eye” for niggardliness. Cf. Deu 15:9 “Beware that … thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou give him nought,” 28:54-56; Pro 23:6 “Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye,” because he is niggardly, and grudges what you eat, 28:22 “He that hath an evil eye hasteth after riches” by hoarding up wealth, 22:9 “He that hath a good eye (טוב עין) … giveth of his bread to the poor”; To 4:7 “Give alms of thy substance … and let not thine eye be evil”; Ecclus 14:10 “An evil eye is grudging of bread, and he is miserly at his table”; Aboth 5:15 “He who is willing to give, but not that others should give, his eye is evil towards the things of others,” i.e. he wishes to have a monopoly of liberality for himself; Shemoth R. 31 (Wünsche, 235).

We should therefore expect here, as a contrast to πονηρός, ἀγαθός rather than ἁπλοῦς. But (1) the phrase “a sound eye” may have had in the original saying a wider meaning than that of liberality, which is here imparted to it by the context. There is no such limitation in the passage as it stands in Lk. (2) ἁπλοῦς may have been chosen because it interprets ἀγαθός as = liberal; cf. Pro 11:25 ψυχὴ εὐλογουμένη πᾶσα ἁπλῆ, where ἀπλῆ after the preceding verse seems to mean liberal; Jas 1:5, where ἁπλῶς seems to mean “liberally,” and the use of ἁπλότης=liberality in 2Co 8:2, 2Co 9:11, Rom 12:8.

Cf. Test. Issach 3:4 “I slandered none, and I walked in singleness of eye.”

(L)

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Single [απλους] . The picture underlying this adjective is that of a piece of cloth or other material, neatly folded once, and without a variety of complicated folds. Hence the idea of simplicity or singleness (compare simplicity from the Latin simplex; semel, once; plicare, to fold). So, in a moral sense, artless, plain, pure. Here sound, as opposed to evil or diseased. Possibly with reference to the double - mindedness and indecision condemned in ver. 24.

Full of light [φωτεινον] . Bengel says, "As if it were all eye."

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.