Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Follow my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as carefully as you protect your eyes.
The writer is saying that God's commands are life-giving and should be treasured and protected like our most precious possessions.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Proverbs, written by King Solomon around 900 BC, these verses are part of a father's wise counsel to his son on living a godly life amid the moral challenges of ancient Israelite society. Proverbs 7 specifically warns against the dangers of adultery and immorality, using poetic language to stress the protective role of God's commands. The phrase "the apple of thine eye" draws from everyday observations of how people instinctively guard their eyesight, symbolizing the need to cherish and protect divine instructions as something irreplaceable.
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