Proverbs 7:2

Pro 7:2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.

Ver. 2. Keep my commandments, and live.] "Live," i.e., live happily. I am the Lord that teacheth thee to profit, therefore keep my commandments; {Isa 48:17} as if God should say, It is for thy profit that I command thee, and not for mine own. "In doing thereof there is great reward," saith David, {Psa 19:11} and present reward, saith Solomon here, Do it and live. In the court of earthly princes there is αναβολη και μεταβολη delays and changes. Men are off and on in their promises; they are also slow and slack in their performances. But it is otherwise here: the very "entrance of thy word giveth light," {Psa 119:130} and the very onset of obedience giveth life. It is but "Hear, and your soul shall live," {Isa 55:3} "Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me." {Rev 22:12}

And my law as the apple of thine eye.] With all chariness and circumspection. The least mote offends the eye, and the least deviation violates the law. Sin is homogeneous, all of a kind, though not all of the same degree; as the least pebble is a stone, as well as the largest rock, and as the drop of a bucket is water, as well as the main ocean. Hence the least sins are in Scripture reproached by the names of the greatest. Malice is called man slaughter, lust adultery, &c.; concupiscence is condemned by the law, even the first motions of sin, though they never come to consent. {Rom 7:7} Inward bleeding may kill a man. De minutis non curat lex, saith the civilian; but the law of God is spiritual, though we be carnal. And as the sunshine shows us atoms and motes, that till then we discerned not, so doth the law discover and censure smallest failings. It must therefore be kept curiously, even "as the apple of the eye," as that little man {a} in the eye, that cannot be touched but he will be distempered. Careful we must be even in the minutula legis, the punctilios of duty. Men will not lightly lose the least ends of gold. {b}

{a} אישׁון ab אישׁ

{b} Neque enim auri tantum massas tollunt, sed et bracteolas.

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.

Pro 7:2-4. Keep my commandments, and live — That is, thou shalt live. It is a promise in the form of a command, as Pro 3:25. And my law as the apple of thine eye — With all possible care and diligence, as men guard that most noble and necessary, and therefore highly-esteemed and beloved part of the body from all danger, yea, even from the least mote. Bind them upon thy fingers — As a ring which is put upon them, and is continually in a man’s eye. Constantly remember and meditate upon them. Write them, &c. — Fix them in thy mind and affection: see on Pro 3:3. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister — The name of sister is a name of friendship, often used between the husband and wife, and denotes the chaste love which he should have to wisdom. Call understanding thy kinswoman — The LXX. render it, την δε φρονησιν γνωριμον περιποιησαι σεαυτω, Acquire to thyself prudence for an acquaintance; while other foolish young men seek wanton mistresses, whom they frequently call sisters, or kinswomen, let wisdom be thy mistress; acquaint and delight thyself with her. Say to her, Thou art my sister, my spouse, my beloved: let her have the command of thy heart, and the conduct of thy life.

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

7:2 as you guard your own eyes: That is, with great care.

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

By this diversity of words, he meaneth that nothing ought to be so dear unto us as the word of God, nor that we look on anything more nor mind anything so much.

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

apple . . . eye--pupil of eye, a custody (Pro 4:23) of special value.

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 2. As the apple of thine eye.] As the pupil of the eye, which is of such essential necessity to sight, and so easily injured.

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

2. the apple] i.e. the pupil: “an emblem of that which is tenderest and dearest, and therefore guarded with the most jealous care,” Psa_17:8, note in this Series. Comp. Deu_32:10; Zec_2:8.

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.

Keep my commandments and live,.... Not the commandments of the law only, but the commandments of Christ; and even the doctrines of Christ are so called, as faith in him, and love to the saints, Jo1 3:23; which is the way to live comfortably, peaceably, pleasantly, and honourably;

and my law as the apple of thine eye; the doctrine of Christ, the law of the Lord, that goes out of Zion; which should be as dear to men as the apple of their eye, and as carefully preserved, that the least injury is not done to it; it should be kept inviolate.

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

And live, i.e. thou shalt live. A promise in the form of a command, as Pro 3:25.

As the apple of thine eye; with all possible care and diligence, as men guard that part from all dangers, yea, even from the least mote. The eye is a most noble and necessary, and therefore highly esteemed and beloved, part of the body, and the apple thereof is the most honourable, and beautiful, and useful part of that part, and it is a most tender part, easily hurt, or destroyed, and therefore needs to be diligently watched.

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

2. Apple of thine eye — אישׁון עיניךְ, (ishon enecha,) the little man of the eye, referring to the reflected image in the eye. The Greeks called it κορη, or κορασιον, the damsel, or little damsel: the Latins pupa, or pupilla, of the same meaning; from whence came our word pupil (of the eye.) The sense is, Guard or keep my instructions, as you do the sight of your eyes. Comp. Pro_4:4; Deu_32:10; Psa_17:8; Lam_2:18; Zec_2:12.

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

Keep my commandments, and live. (see on Pro_4:4) As the apple of thine eye; literally, the little man (ishon, diminutive of ish) of the eye; so called from the miniature reflection of objects seen in the pupil, specially of the person who looks into another"s eye. It is a proverbial expression for anything particularly precious and liable to be injured unless guarded with scrupulous care. (comp. Psa_17:8,zec Psa_2:8) Similarly the Greeks called this organ korh , "damsel" or "puppet," and the Latin, pupilla.

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

Live - Thou shalt live. Eye - With all possible care and diligence.

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

like the apple of your eyes The pupil of the eye, which is like darkness, like the darkness of night.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.