Matthew 6:23

Matthew 6:23

But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

a. NLT: But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

b. NIV: But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

c. YLT: but if thine eye may be evil, all thy body shall be dark; if, therefore, the light that is in thee is darkness -- the darkness, how great!

d. Amplified Bible: But if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the very light in you [your conscience] is darkened, how dense is that darkness!

e. Worrell Translation: but, if your eye be evil, your whole body will be dark. If therefore, the light that is in you be darkness, how great is the darkness!

1. “But if thine eye be evil…”

a. but [1161 * de] [Strong: a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. if [1437 * ean] [Strong: from 1487 and 302; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.; often used in connection with other particles to denote indefiniteness or uncertainty:--before, but, except, (and) if, (if) so, (what-, whither-)soever, though, when (-soever), whether (or), to whom, (who-)so(-ever).]

c. thine [4675 * 4675] [Strong: genitive case of 4771; of thee, thy:--X home, thee, thine (own), thou, thy.]

d. eye [3788 * ophthalmos] [Strong: from 3700; the eye (literally or figuratively); by implication, vision; figuratively, envy (from the jealous side-glance):--eye, sight.]

e. be [5600 * o] [Strong: including the oblique forms, as well as es ace; e ay; etc. the subjunctive of 1510; (may, might, can, could, would, should, must, etc.; also with 1487 and its comparative, as well as with other particles) be:--+ appear, are, (may, might, should) be, X have, is, + pass the flower of her age, should stand, were.]

f. evil [4190 * poneros] [Thayer: full of labours, annoyances, hardships, pressed and harassed by labours, bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness; causing pain and trouble, bad, of a bad nature or condition, in a physical sense: diseased or blind, in an ethical sense: evil wicked, bad.]

1). One of the meanings of the word “evil” is “diseased” or “blind”.  There is an enlightening verse in the Old Covenant that draws it all together.

a). Deuteronomy 15:7-10 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

15:8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

15:9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

15:10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.

b). To be covetous is to have an “evil” or diseased eye or outlook. The context of this passage is about material possessions and clinging to them to the point it will affect our relationship with God. The alternative is laying up treasures in heaven. It seems there is a thermometer to determine if our intentions are good, it is the eye and the two positions are single and evil.

2.  “…thy whole body shall be full of darkness…”

a. thy [4675 * 4675] [Strong: genitive case of 4771; of thee, thy:--X home, thee, thine (own), thou, thy.]

b. whole [3650 * holos] [Strong: a primary word; "whole" or "all", i.e. complete (in extent, amount, time or degree), especially (neuter) as noun or adverb:--all, altogether, every whit, + throughout, whole.]

c. body [4983 * soma] [Strong: from 4982; the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively:--bodily, body, slave.]

d. shall be [2071 * esomai] [Strong: future of 1510; will be:--shall (should) be (have), (shall) come (to pass), X may have, X fall, what would follow, X live long, X sojourn.]

e. full of darkness [4652 * skoteinos] [Strong: from 4655; opaque, i.e. (figuratively) benighted:--dark, full of darkness.]

3. “…If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness…”

a. If [1487 * ei] [Strong: a primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.:--forasmuch as, if, that, (al-)though, whether. Often used in connection or composition with other particles, especially as in 1489, 1490, 1499, 1508, 1509, 1512, 1513, 1536, 1537.]

b. therefore [3767 * oun] [Strong: apparently a primary word; (adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordingly:--and (so, truly), but, now (then), so (likewise then), then, therefore, verily, wherefore.]

c. the light [5457 * phos] [Strong: from an obsolete phao (to shine or make manifest, especially by rays; compare 5316, 5346); luminousness (in the widest application, natural or artificial, abstract or concrete, literal or figurative):--fire, light.]

d. that is [2076 * esti] [Strong: third person singular present indicative of 1510; he (she or it) is; also (with neuter plural) they are:--are, be(-long), call, X can(-not), come, consisteth, X dure for a while, + follow, X have, (that) is (to say), make, meaneth, X must needs, + profit, + remaineth, + wrestle.]

e. in [1722 * en] [Strong: a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

f. thee [4671 * su] [Strong: the person pronoun of the second person singular; thou:-- thou.]

g. be darkness [4655 * skotos] [Strong: from the base of 4639; shadiness, i.e. obscurity (literally or figuratively):--darkness.]

4. “…how great is that darkness!”

a. how great [4214 * posos] [Strong: from an absolute pos (who, what) and 3739; interrogative pronoun (of amount) how much (large, long or (plural) many):--how great (long, many), what.]

b. is that darkness  [4655 * skotos] [Strong: from the base of 4639; shadiness, i.e. obscurity (literally or figuratively):--darkness.]

1). How much covetousness do we have in us.