SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:22
La lámpara del cuerpo es el ojo; así que, si tu ojo fuere sincero, todo tu cuerpo será luminoso;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 6:22
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] aplouv, 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, ver. 23, ponhrov 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.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 22. The light of the body is the eye , etc.] Or, the “candle of the body is the eye”; for the eye is that in the body, as a candle is in the house; by the light of it, the several members of the body perform their office; and what is said of the eye of the body, is transferred to the eye of the mind: if therefore thine eye be single : that is, if thy mind be liberal, generous, and bountiful: for Christ is still upon the same subject of liberality, and against covetousness; and here speaks entirely in the language of the Jews, who could easily understand him; in whose writings we read of three sorts of eyes; a good eye, a middling one, and an evil one; so in the offerings of the first fruits f432 , “ hpy ˆy[ , “a good eye” gave the fortieth, the house Shammai say, the thirtieth part; a middling one, the fiftieth; and an evil one, the sixtieth part.”
Upon which the commentators say f433 , a “good eye” means one that is liberal, and an “evil eye” the contrary: hence you often read of “trading, dedicating”, and “giving with a good” or “an evil eye”; that is, either generously, liberally, or in a niggardly and grudging manner; which may help us to the sense of our Lord in these words; whose meaning is, that if a man is not covetous, but his mind is disposed to generosity and liberality; if this be the case, as if he should say, thy whole body shall be full of light : all thy actions will be influenced by this noble principle; thy whole life will be illuminated, guided and governed by it; thy mind will be cheerful and pleasant, and thy estate and condition will be prosperous and successful.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-24 - Worldly-mindedness is a common and fatal symptom of hypocrisy, for by no sin can Satan have a surer and faster hold of the soul, under the cloak of a profession of religion. Something the soul will have, whic it looks upon as the best thing; in which it has pleasure an confidence above other things. Christ counsels to make our best thing the joys and glories of the other world, those things not seen whic are eternal, and to place our happiness in them. There are treasures in heaven. It is our wisdom to give all diligence to make our title to eternal life sure through Jesus Christ, and to look on all things her below, as not worthy to be compared with it, and to be content with nothing short of it. It is happiness above and beyond the changes an chances of time, an inheritance incorruptible. The worldly man is wron in his first principle; therefore all his reasonings and action therefrom must be wrong. It is equally to be applied to false religion that which is deemed light is thick darkness. This is an awful, but common case; we should therefore carefully examine our leadin principles by the word of God, with earnest prayer for the teaching of his Spirit. A man may do some service to two masters, but he can devot himself to the service of no more than one. God requires the whol heart, and will not share it with the world. When two masters oppos each other, no man can serve both. He who holds to the world and love it, must despise God; he who loves God, must give up the friendship of the world.
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3588 T-NSM λυχνος 3088 N-NSM του 3588 T-GSN σωματος 4983 N-GSN εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM οφθαλμος 3788 N-NSM εαν 1437 COND ουν 3767 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM οφθαλμος 3788 N-NSM σου 4675 P-2GS απλους 573 A-NSM η 5600 5753 V-PXS-3S ολον 3650 A-NSN το 3588 T-NSN σωμα 4983 N-NSN σου 4675 P-2GS φωτεινον 5460 A-NSN εσται 2071 5704 V-FXI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
22. Single (aplouv). 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 (fwteinon). Bengel says, "As if it were all eye."
Robertson's NT Word Studies
6:22 {Single} (haplous). Used of a marriage contract when the husband is to repay the dowry "pure and simple" (tˆn phernˆn haplˆn), if she is set free; but in case he does not do so promptly, he is to add interest also (Moulton and Milligan's _Vocabulary_, etc.). There are various other instances of such usage. Here and in #Lu 11:34 the eye is called "single" in a moral sense. The word means "without folds" like a piece of cloth unfolded, _simplex_ in Latin. Bruce considers this parable of the eye difficult. "The figure and the ethical meaning seem to be mixed up, moral attributes ascribed to the physical eye which with them 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." The "evil" eye (poneros) may be diseased and is used of stinginess in the LXX and so haplous may refer to liberality as Hatch argues (_Essays in Biblical Greek_, p. 80). The passage may be elliptical with something to be supplied. If our eyes are healthy we see clearly and with a single focus (without astigmatism). If the eyes are diseased (bad, evil), they may even be cross-eyed or cock-eyed. We see double and confuse our vision. We keep one eye on the hoarded treasures of earth and roll the other proudly up to heaven. Seeing double is double-mindedness as is shown in verse #24.
