Biblical Ophthalmology or Eye-care

koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)

Kyungpook National University

Sangju Campus

South Korea

conjoint lecturer of Avondale College

10 July 2010

Modern society has eye-care clinics. Ancients also understood the importance of taking care of the eyes. The Bible treats the human as a holistic being, soul, body and mind. All three are in total interaction and any effect on the one will affect the other. The theology of eye-care is important since it may eradicate old habits, customs, desires, and addictions that people are struggling with. It is called the covenant with the eyes.

We will list here the Biblical texts dealing with the topic under three headings:

a. Eye-care in the Bible

b. Eye covenant

c. Weak eyes in the Bible

A number of texts are dealing with eyes and their condition in the Bible.

Eye-care

Stress causes bloodshot eyes

This is a very important section in which the Bible points out that someone who is in stress and sorrow will have bloodshot eyes (Proverbs 23:29)

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

Studiousness brings sleeplessness

When one is eager to study, the person has sleepless nights and days (Ecclesiastes 8:16)

When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man's labor on earth his eyes not seeing sleep day or night.

Sunlight is good for the eye

The role of sunlight as health to the eye is seen in (Ecclesiastes 11:7)

Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

Sadness caused the eyes to grew weak (Isaiah 38:14)

I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove. My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens. I am troubled; O Lord, come to my aid!"

No eye make-up

Makeup was used in Jeremiah's day by ladies to seek for lovers but Jeremiah is discouraging them from doing so (Jeremiah 4:30)

What are you doing, O devastated one? Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels of gold? Why shade your eyes with paint? You adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life.

Hunger can have an effect on proper vision

(Jeremiah 14:6)

Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights and pant like jackals; their eyesight fails for lack of pasture.

Sadness makes the eyes grow dim

(Lamentations 5:17)

Because of this our hearts are faint, because of these things our eyes grow dim.

Prostitutes used eye make-up

(Ezekiel 23:40)

They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes and put on your jewelry.

Jesus spat on the eyes for medical reasons

(Mark 8:23)

He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?

Clay and saliva of Jesus are mixed for medical reasons

(John 9:6)

Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes.

Mud and saliva and then washed had a medical effect

(John 9:11)

He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.

Saul had scales over his eyes that blinded him

(Acts 9:18)

Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,

Ointment on the ailing eyes help it to see better

(Revelation 3:18)

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Eye covenant

Moses says that one must make a covenant with one's eyes  not to look lustfully at a girl.

(Job 31:1)

I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.

If you strive for perfection in your life, start here. Refuse to put your eyes or focus on someone or something that is degrading, or have the potential to be so. Images are very powerful and by beholding one becomes changed. It does not help to look long at Jesus hanging on the cross so that the vision is always imprinted on the brain. Words and the words of the Word of God is designed to build our brains to compose and form images that will fit our particular situation the best. An image is from one angle for one audience type and from one type of artist from one focus meaning to attract one kind of person. The Word of God is alive and flexible and fluctuating and has more properties to add value to one's life. Sin starts by seeing, then imagining and then tempting and then answering to the tempting and so by acting the sin is completed. That is why a covenant with the eye pertaining to one's weakness is necessary.

The weakness of Moses was that he could not look away when he sees a beautiful girl. In fact, he could not look at a girl without feeling lustfully about her. So he decided that he will make a covenant with his eyes not to look at a girl lustfully. That is what Job said in his case, but the epic was written by Moses, so Moses thought the same.

People see what they chose to see

(Isaiah 32:3)

Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.

See no evil, do no evil

(Isaiah 33:15)

He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil.

We laugh at the three or four monkeys with their hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil, do no evil but it is a biblical principle.

No one is as blind as those who do not want to see

(Isaiah 44:18)

They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand.

Rebellious people cannot see and is spiritually blind

(Ezekiel 12:2)

Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.

Eyes that lust after idols, desecrating the Sabbath is disobeying the law

(Ezekiel 20:24)

because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their fathers' idols.

When we focus with our eyes we look

(Ezekiel 40:4)

The man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the house of Israel everything you see.

When one makes a covenant with the eyes, it cannot tolerate wrong

(Habakkuk 1:13)

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

Humans can close their eyes not to see

(Matthew 13:15)

For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.

Humans who choose to see, can understand as well

(Matthew 13:16)

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

Weak Eyes and the Bible

Old age caused Isaac's eyes to be so weak that he could not properly see

Genesis 27:1

When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could  no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, "My son." "Here I am," he  answered.

Leah, the wife of Jacob had weak eyes

Genesis 29:17

Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.

Old age caused Jacob's eyes to be failing and he could hardly see

Genesis 48:10

Now Israel's eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

Focussed expectancy can wear out the eyes

Deuteronomy 28:32

Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand.

If one focusses too much on a computer, one's eyes can wear out. Playing computer games can wear out the eyes. The eyes is made to roll around and take the environment in. Otherwise the eyes wear out.

Anxiety and longing can wear out the eyes

Deuteronomy 28:65

Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot.  There the Lord will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart.

God places wonders before peoples eyes but leave it to them to wish to understand and then make them understand

Deuteronomy 29:4

But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.

The people of Israel saw since 1450 until 1410 BCE great signs and wonders of the Lord but they lacked understanding and although the Holy Spirit gives understanding, the wish or desire or request for understanding has to come from man first. Then the Lord gives understanding. The Spirit assists in this great task. The Spirit of hermeneutics kicks into action the moment man sighs and wishes for better understanding. So, Israel was the problem here in that they did not desire to understand and thus God did not give them understanding for the things they saw or heard.

Moses eyes were not weak when he died in 1410 BCE

Deuteronomy 34:7

Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.

Old Age caused Eli's eyes to become weak (1102 BCE)

1 Samuel 3:2

One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in  his usual place.

Old Age set eyes so that it cannot properly see

1 Samuel 4:15

who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes were set so that he could not see.

Honey to a hunger person brightens the eye-sight

1 Samuel 14:29

Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey.

Prostitutes painted their eyes

2 Kings 9:30

Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she painted her eyes, arranged her hair and looked out of a window.

Humans cannot see the moon or stars clearly with naked eyes

Job 25:5

If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes.

Sorrow makes the eyes grow weak

Psalm 6:7

My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.

Psalm 31:9

Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief.

Eye is a lamp of the body. Good eyes means good body

Matthew 6:22

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.