AYIN (Eye)

The word Ayin means “eye,” ‘to see,” and by extension, to understand and obey (see Jer 5:21, Isa. 6:10, Matt. 13:15, etc). Ayin further represent the primeval light, that is, the spiritual light of God mentioned in Gen. 1:3 (in distinction to celestial lights mentioned in Gen. 1: 14-18). The "EYES" (ayin) in Hebrew thought are rich in symbolic meaning. Very often what is meant by the "eyes" is something very spiritual. In fact, the very FIRST use of the word AYIN is in this spiritual sense. It occurs in the verse where Adam and Eve have eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and their "EYES(ayin) were opened". Certainly more than physical sight is meant here.

EYE - The light of the body.

Matthew 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

Luke 11:34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.


GOD
· Made.
Proverbs 20:12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.

· Formed.
Psalms 94:9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?

· Opens.
2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Psalms 146:8 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:

· Enlightens.
Ezra 9:8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

Psalms 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

· Frequently fair.
1 Samuel 16:12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.


· Sometimes tender.
Genesis 29:17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.


· Sometimes blemished.
Leviticus 21:20 Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;

PARTS OF, MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE;
· The apple or ball.
Deuteronomy 32:10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

· The lid.
Job 16:16 My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

· The brow.
Leviticus 14:9 But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.



ACTIONS OF, MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE,

· Seeing.
Job 7:8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

Job 28:10 He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.


· Winking.
Proverbs 10:10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.


· Weeping.
Job 16:20 My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.

Psalms 88:9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.

Lamentations 1:16 For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.


· Directing.
Numbers 10:31 And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes.

Psalms 32:8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.


· The light of, rejoices the heart.
Proverbs 15:30 The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.


· Not satisfied with seeing.
Proverbs 27:20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Ecclesiastes 1:8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.


· Not satisfied with riches.
Ecclesiastes 4:8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.


· Not evil thing to be set before.
Psalms 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.


· A guard to be set on.
Job 31:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

Proverbs 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.





We, as believers are commanded to WATCH with these spiritual eyes. We are to WATCH against sin, for the coming of the Lord, and in prayer. The literal meaning of WATCHING in prayer is to go without sleep, but the figurative watching is with the spirit, meaning to "hear or perceive" spiritual things. To WATCH means to GUARD. We are to guard against SIN, not only for ourselves, but also for our brother in Christ. We are to be careful that we are NOT a STUMBLINGBLOCK to other believers. This requires "spiritual SEEING or WATCHING" with our "SPIRITUAL EYES" in order to perceive what might be a STUMBLINGBLOCK to a brother or sister in Christ.