The apple of one’s eye describes a thing or person which someone loves above all others, someone’s favorite person or thing, a person or thing that he is proud of. The phrase the apple of one’s eye dates back at least to the ninth century, first seen in King Aelfred of Wessex’ Gregory’s Pastoral Care. It was probably used in conversation long before that time. Originally, the apple of one’s eye referred to the pupil of the human eye. It was believed that the pupil was a round, solid object. In a time without proper eye care, sight was a precious commodity. It wasn’t long before the apple of one’s eye became a metaphor for something precious. This metaphor was used several times in the King James version of the Bible, as in Psalms: “Keep me as the apple of thine eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.” Shakespeare used the phrase in A Midsummer Night’s Dream: “…Hit with Cupid’s archery, Sink in apple of his eye.” The term was resurrected when Sir Walter Scott used it in his novel Old Mortality, published in 1816: “Poor Richard was to me as an eldest son, the apple of my eye.”
Three different times in Scripture, we find the phrase. David writes in Psalm 17:8 (NIV), "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings." In Proverbs 7:2 (NIV), a loving father says to his son, "Keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye." Zechariah 2:8 (NIV) says, "For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nationis who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eys."
So the "the apple of your eye" means something or someone very dear to you. It's a mistranslation, and means "little person" or "little doll" of the eye, and refers to the fact that when you get really, really close to another, you can see a tiny reflection of yourself in their pupil. In The Reasons of the Heart, John Dunne writes:
Nicholas of Cusa in his Vision of God, while speaking of our inner vision of God, speaks...of God's vision of us. He has it that our seeing God consists of our having a sense of God seeing us: to see God is to see one who sees; it is to have an experience of being seen. It is like looking at one of those protraits, he says, where theeyes are so contrived as to follow the beholder wherever he moves. No matter where the beholder stands, the eyes of the portrait seem to be looking at him. Or better, we could say, it is like feeling the gaze of another person, feeling the gaze without seeing the other's eyes. Or it can be like meeting the gaze of another. Or it can even be like looking into the eyes of another and seeing there the pupil, the pupilla, the "little doll," the tiny image of oeself reflected in the other's eyes."
Today, I'm thinking of all the "pupils" I've had in my life--my own children (biological and not), church family that I was blessed to serve as their pastor, clients that I now care for. When I look at each one, very closely, I can see a tiny image of myself reflected in their eyes. I'm reminded that, if I want to see this remarkable thing, I've got to get very close. You don't make an impression on someone from a distance--you've got to get close in order to change someone's life. But be careful, what you say and do--because those "little dolls" in your life will never forget the difference you made, for good or for evil.
The Bible says you are the apple of God's eye. The Divine Loving Parent has shown you how very precious you are, in God's sight. Do others know how precious they are, in your eyes? I hope that, with every interaction, you might not just see other people--but that you might see them, seeing you, seeing them. And that they might know, from your perspective, how lovely they are.
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