(NKJV): “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, from the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about”
(NIV): “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me”.
(CEV): “Protect me as you would your very own eyes; hide me in the shadow of your wings. Don’t let my brutal enemies attack from all sides and kill me.
This prayer is a prediction that Christ Would be Preserved, through all the hardships and difficulties of his humiliation, to The Glories and Joys of His Exalted State, and is a pattern to Christians to commit the keeping of their souls to God, trusting Him to Preserve them to His Heavenly Kingdom. Those are our worst enemies, that are enemies to our souls.
Believers have always been the target of the Devil and his followers. Near the beginning of time wicked Cain killed his brother, righteous Abel (Genesis 4:8). Pharaoh tried to kill all the Hebrew male infants (Exodus 1:15–16). Haman tried to destroy Mordecai and all the Jews in the nation (Esther 3:8–11). Seeking to kill a Baby Jesus, Herod ordered the slaughter of Jewish boys under the age of two in an entire town (Matthew 2:16). Wicked men conspired to crucify Jesus (Matthew 26:3–5; John 19:12–16). Christ’s early Followers Suffered the wrath of unsaved Jews and Gentiles (Acts 5:40; 8:3; 16:19–24). In the tribulation, the beast and the false prophet will conduct a terrorist campaign against all who refuse the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:15–17). However, Jesus said, “Take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).
That was why David said this prayer: The pupil: the dark circle at the center of the human eyeball, is arguably the most closely protected part of the body: something we take great pains to protect and which we never allow to be struck or scratched. David’s plea, then, is for God to Protect him with that level of care and tenderness. At some point, the term “apple of the eye” became the English idiom referring to the pupil, and so many translations use that phrase when referring to this idea.
I remember back in our secondary school days in the boarding house, when boys used all manner of terms in their letters to ladies in other schools. The terms some of the guys used included, ‘you are my heartbeat’, ‘you are the apple of my eye’, etc. Today I sit back and reflect as to whether we really understood some of these expressions we used.
David prayed requesting that God Kept him as The ‘apple of His eye’. This is a figurative expression which literally referred to the pupil of the human eye; in the iris of the eye that focuses all light entering the eye. The pupil represents one of the most sensitive and cherished parts of the human body.
Therefore, a person being considered as the apple of your eye implies that you hold that person so dear to you. David was in effect asking God to Keep him as A Precious part of Himself that He Would Hold So Dear. He prayed that God Would Hide him in The Shadow of His Wings. No wonder, David became universally known as ‘the man after God’s heart’ (1 Samuel 16 and 17).
What does it mean to be under the shadow of the Almighty? = in The Presence of God “Under the shadow of the Almighty” can mean “in the presence of God.” God is Always Surrounding you. In His Presence all good is yours. Understanding this enables you to be at peace, whatever your present circumstances. … Even when circumstances are their darkest, we can look to God.
“The shadow of your wings,” evokes a mother bird pulling her young close to protect them (Matthew 23:37). Chickens, among the earliest domesticated birds, are famous for tucking their children under their wings for warmth and safety. Other birds cover their young to shield them from sun, rain, or the eyes of predators (Psalm 17:9). So, too, does David want God to Hold him Close and Keep him safe.
You can also become The Apple of God’s Eye, and be a man or woman after God’s Heart? Yes, you can if you really want to. At least it begins with you having that passionate desire to be God’s Beloved. You have to come to the point where you love God so much and value His Presence in your life above all people and things. And as you love God with all your heart, may you become the apple of God’s Eye. Amen.
It is hopeful for us when our enemies are God’s Enemies. They were deadly enemies, whom nothing but his death would satisfy. The foes of a believer’s soul are mortal foes most emphatically, for they who war against our Faith aim at the very life of our life. These foes oppressed David; they laid his spirit waste, as invading armies ravage a country, or as wild beasts desolate a land. He likens himself to a besieged city and complains that his foes compass him about. It may well quicken our business upward when all around us (every road), is blockaded by deadly foes. This is our daily position, for all around us dangers and sins are lurking. O God, do Thou Protect us from them all.
Dear Lord,
It is You I love and would want to love dearly all my life. Like David, I pray You make me The Apple of Your Eye and Keep me Close to You all the days of my life,
in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
