Topical Bible: The Eye: Sometimes Tender

◄ The Eye: Sometimes Tender ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

The eye, a vital organ of perception, is frequently referenced in the Bible, symbolizing insight, understanding, and moral discernment. In Scripture, the eye is not only a physical organ but also a metaphor for spiritual and emotional states. The concept of the eye being "tender" can be understood in various contexts, reflecting vulnerability, compassion, and sensitivity.

Physical and Spiritual Perception

The eye is often associated with the ability to perceive both the physical and spiritual realms. In Matthew 6:22-23 , Jesus teaches, "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness." Here, the "good" or "healthy" eye symbolizes spiritual clarity and moral integrity, while the "bad" eye represents spiritual blindness and moral corruption.

Tenderness and Compassion

The tenderness of the eye can also denote compassion and empathy. In the account of Hagar and Ishmael, God responds to Hagar's distress with compassion, opening her eyes to see a well of water in the desert (Genesis 21:19). This act of divine intervention highlights God's tender care and provision for those in need.

Similarly, in the New Testament, Jesus is often moved with compassion, seeing the needs of the people. In Matthew 9:36 , "When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Jesus' tender gaze reflects His deep empathy and readiness to heal and guide.

Vulnerability and Sensitivity

The eye's tenderness can also imply vulnerability and sensitivity to sin and temptation. In Psalm 101:3 , the psalmist declares, "I will set no worthless thing before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me." This verse underscores the importance of guarding one's eyes against corrupting influences, recognizing their susceptibility to leading the heart astray.

Divine Watchfulness

God's eyes are described as tender in their watchfulness over His people. In 2 Chronicles 16:9 , it is written, "For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him." This passage illustrates God's attentive and caring oversight, His eyes tenderly observing and supporting the faithful.

Conclusion

The eye, as depicted in the Bible, serves as a profound symbol of both physical and spiritual perception. Its tenderness reflects a range of human experiences, from compassion and empathy to vulnerability and moral vigilance. Through the lens of Scripture, the eye invites believers to cultivate spiritual insight, guard against moral compromise, and trust in the tender watchfulness of God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 29:17
Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favored.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Motives to Holy Mourning
... You have sometimes seen sugar lying in a damp place dissolve to ... and that is a tear
dropping from the eye of faith ... Leah was tender-eyed; she had a watery eye and ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/8 motives to holy mourning.htm

"The Tender Mercy of Our God"
... Secondly, he shows his tender mercy in that HE VISITS ... I sometimes think the gospel
was made exactly to meet ... The morning light suits your eye as exactly as if ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/the tender mercy of our.htm

The Forgotten Preacher.
... And sometimes even this has been known to occur: they have associations of these
human tin-cups for self ... For John's eye is ablaze with a tender light, and ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on johns gospel/the forgotten preacher.htm

The Fourth Season,
... Wicked men are sometimes like mad horses, they would stamp ... is your Father, and is
much more tender of you ... toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye." Let me ...
//christianbookshelf.org/flavel/on keeping the heart/iv the fourth season.htm

Outside the Eden Gate.
... The heart controls both ear and eye, the two ... Sometimes having carefully cottoned
up the shutters that no ... reluctant hand, one who knows Paul's tender heart can ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks about jesus/outside the eden gate.htm

He Careth for You
... have repelled his Spirit over and over again, yet his eye beams with ... How tender his
love ... Sometimes in a dark and troublesome hour when his face seems hidden, we ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk fifty-two he careth for.htm

God Our Guide.
... He knows the best way and will direct in tender care my ... He guides me with his eye,
and leads me by his ... The waves may sometimes dash around our feet, but we are ...
/.../orr/food for the lambs or helps for young christians/god our guide.htm

The Best Light for Studying a Thorn.
... Sometimes asked by earnest hearts puzzled; sometimes with a look in the eye almost
exultant ... burning devotion, his unmovable purpose, his tender attachment to ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on prayer/the best light for studying.htm

Sharing Christ's Life
... Where Christ hath opened a blind eye, blindness comes not back ... Sometimes it is ours
to speak to you of death ... its dusky wing, and see only the tender, gentle dove ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 60 1914/sharing christs life.htm

The Writing on God's Hands
... But God's eye resolves what to us is a nebula ... if we do not live in its light"is
infinitely tender. ... You and I sometimes are brought into circumstances in which ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the writing on gods hands.htm