How can David claim to be the apple of God’s eye? Can he say this because it’s before his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, her husband? Did he forfeit this claim after he committed such sins? And, what about us? Surely we couldn’t lay hold of this title. We know our sin. How can we be the apple of God’s eye?

Our English phrase the apple of your eye is a helpful translation of the Hebrew, which is the little man of the eye. When you look into someone’s eye, you can see yourself reflected in the pupil of their eyeball as a little person. Also, your eye is the most vulnerable part of your body. You protect it by blinking or turning your face turning away from a ball or a blow. When we think about this term we should think of presence and protection.

We read in Psalm 17 that David says he is the apple of God’s eye.

“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.” (Psalm 17:8)

What does this mean?

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