The Meaning of Matthew 6:22 Explained

Matthew 6:22

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

YLT: 'The lamp of the body is the eye, if, therefore, thine eye may be perfect, all thy body shall be enlightened,

Darby: The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body will be light:

ASV: The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Matthew 6:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 6:19-26 - What To Seek And Whom To Serve
What is in our inner life which answers to the eye of the body? Some have said that it is the intellect; others the heart. But it is truer to say that it is the inner purpose and intention of the soul.
When our physical eye is in an unhealthy condition, the image is doubled and blurred. To use a common expression, it has a squint, such as affected the noble face of Edward Irving, the noted English clergyman. We are told that as a babe he was laid in a wooden cradle, in the side of which was a small hole through which he watched what was going on. This distorted his vision through life. So we may look two ways at once.
The endeavor to serve God and mammon, to stand well with both worlds, to lay up treasures on earth and at the same time be rich toward God, is a spiritual squint. John Bunyan tells of Mr. Facing-Both-Ways, who kept one eye on heaven and the other on earth; who sincerely professed one thing and sincerely did another. He tried to cheat God and Devil, but in the end cheated only himself and his neighbors. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 6

1  Giving to the Needy
5  The Lord's Prayer
16  Proper Fasting
19  Store up Treasures in Heaven
25  Do Not Worry
33  but seek God's kingdom

Greek Commentary for Matthew 6:22

Single [απλους]
Used of a marriage contract when the husband is to repay the dowry “pure and simple” There are various other instances of such usage. Here and in Luke 11:34 the eye is called “single” in a moral sense. The word means “without folds” like a piece of cloth unfolded, simplex in Latin. Bruce considers this parable of the eye difficult. “The figure and the ethical meaning seem to be mixed up, moral attributes ascribed to the physical eye which with them still gives light to the body. This confusion may be due to the fact that the eye, besides being the organ of vision, is the seat of expression, revealing inward dispositions.” The “evil” eye The passage may be elliptical with something to be supplied. If our eyes are healthy we see clearly and with a single focus (without astigmatism). If the eyes are diseased (bad, evil), they may even be cross-eyed or cock-eyed. We see double and confuse our vision. We keep one eye on the hoarded treasures of earth and roll the other proudly up to heaven. Seeing double is double-mindedness as is shown in Matthew 6:24. [source]
Single [ἁπλοῦς]
The picture underlying this adjective is that of a piece of cloth or other material, neatly folded once, and without a variety of complicated folds. Hence the idea of simplicity or singleness (compare simplicity from the Latin simplex; semel, once; plicare, to fold )So, in a moral sense, artless, plain, pure. Here sound, as opposed to evil or diseased. Possibly with reference to the double-mindedness and indecision condemned in Matthew 6:24. [source]
Full of light [φωτεινὸν]
Bengel says, “As if it were all eye.” [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 6:22

Matthew 20:15 Is thine eye evil? [ο οπταλμος σου πονηρος εστιν]
(ο οπταλμος σου πονηρος εστιν — ho ophthalmos sou ponēros estiṅ) See note on Matthew 6:22-24 about the evil eye and the good eye. The complainer had a grudging eye while the householder has a liberal or generous eye. See note on Romans 5:7 for a distinction between dikaios and agathos f0). [source]
Luke 11:34 Single - full of light []
See on Matthew 6:22. [source]
Luke 11:34  []
Luke 11:34 is like Matthew 6:22 ., which see notes for details. [source]
Romans 12:8 Simplicity [ἁπλότητι]
See on single, Matthew 6:22, and compare James 1:5, where it is said that God gives ἁπλῶς simplySee note there. In 2 Corinthians 8:2; 2 Corinthians 9:11, 2 Corinthians 9:13, the A.V. gives liberality; and in James 1:5, liberally. Rev. accepts this in the last-named passage, but gives singleness in margin. In all the others liberality is, at best, very doubtful. The sense is unusual, and the rendering simplicity or singleness is defensible in all the passages. [source]
2 Corinthians 8:2 Abundance [περισσεια]
Late word from περισσευω — perisseuō to overflow. Their deep poverty (η κατα βατους πτωχεια αυτων — hē kata bathous ptōcheia autōn). Πτωχεια — Ptōcheia is old word from πτωχευω — ptōcheuō to be a beggar, as of Jesus in 2 Corinthians 8:9 (from πτωχος — ptōchos cowering in fear and poverty, as in Luke 14:13, but ennobled by Christ as in Matthew 5:3; 2 Corinthians 8:9). Poverty down deep. Strabo (LX 419) has κατα βατους — kata bathous down to the bottom. Liberality From απλους — haplous single, simple (Matthew 6:22). “The passage from single-mindedness or simplicity to liberality is not quite obvious” (Plummer). Perhaps “heartiness” supplies the connecting link. See also 2 Corinthians 9:11-13. [source]
2 Corinthians 8:2 Liberality [απλοτητος]
From απλους — haplous single, simple (Matthew 6:22). “The passage from single-mindedness or simplicity to liberality is not quite obvious” (Plummer). Perhaps “heartiness” supplies the connecting link. See also 2 Corinthians 9:11-13. [source]
James 1:5 Let him ask [αιτειτω]
Present active imperative of αιτεω — aiteō “let him keep on asking.”Of God (παρα του τεου — para tou theou). “From (from beside) God,” ablative case with παρα — para Liberally (απλως — haplōs). This old adverb occurs here only in the N.T. (from απλους — haplous single-fold, Matthew 6:22, and απλοτης — haplotēs simplicity, generosity, is common - 2 Corinthians 8:2; Romans 12:8). But the adverb is common in the papyri by way of emphasis as simply or at all (Moulton and Milligan‘s Vocabulary). Mayor argues for the sense of “unconditionally” (the logical moral sense) while Hort and Ropes agree and suggest “graciously.” The other sense of “abundantly” or “liberally” suits the idea in απλοτης — haplotēs in 2 Corinthians 8:2; Romans 12:8, but no example of the adverb in this sense has been found unless this is one here. See Isaiah 55:1 for the idea of God‘s gracious giving and the case of Solomon (1 Kings 3:9-12; Proverbs 2:3).Upbraideth not Present active participle of ονειδιζω — oneidizō (old verb to reproach, to cast in one‘s teeth, Matthew 5:11) in the ablative case like διδοντος — didontos agreeing with τεου — theou and with the usual negative of the participle This is the negative statement of διδοντος απλως — didontos haplōs (giving graciously). The evil habit of giving stinging words along with the money is illustrated in Sirach 41:22 and Plutarch (Deut adulat., p. 64A). ] Cf. Hebrews 4:16.And it shall be given him (και δοτησεται αυτωι — kai dothēsetai autōi). First future passive of διδωμι — didōmi a blessed promise in accord with the words of Jesus (Matthew 7:7, Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13), meaning here not only “wisdom,” but all good gifts, including the Holy Spirit. There are frequent reminiscences of the words of Jesus in this Epistle. [source]
James 1:5 Of God [παρα του τεου]
“From (from beside) God,” ablative case with παρα — para Liberally This old adverb occurs here only in the N.T. (from απλους — haplous single-fold, Matthew 6:22, and απλοτης — haplotēs simplicity, generosity, is common - 2 Corinthians 8:2; Romans 12:8). But the adverb is common in the papyri by way of emphasis as simply or at all (Moulton and Milligan‘s Vocabulary). Mayor argues for the sense of “unconditionally” (the logical moral sense) while Hort and Ropes agree and suggest “graciously.” The other sense of “abundantly” or “liberally” suits the idea in απλοτης — haplotēs in 2 Corinthians 8:2; Romans 12:8, but no example of the adverb in this sense has been found unless this is one here. See Isaiah 55:1 for the idea of God‘s gracious giving and the case of Solomon (1 Kings 3:9-12; Proverbs 2:3). [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 6:22 mean?

The lamp of the body is eye If therefore is of you clear [the] whole - body full of light will be
λύχνος τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὀφθαλμός ἐὰν οὖν σου ἁπλοῦς ὅλον τὸ σῶμά φωτεινὸν ἔσται

λύχνος  lamp 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λύχνος  
Sense: a lamp, candle, that is placed on a stand or candlestick.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
σώματός  body 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: σῶμα  
Sense: the body both of men or animals.
ὀφθαλμός  eye 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ὀφθαλμός  
Sense: the eye.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἁπλοῦς  clear 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἁπλόος 
Sense: simple, single.
ὅλον  [the]  whole 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ὅλος  
Sense: all, whole, completely.
τὸ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
σῶμά  body 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: σῶμα  
Sense: the body both of men or animals.
φωτεινὸν  full  of  light 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: φωτεινός  
Sense: light.
ἔσται  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.