Bible Society of South Africa

40 DAYS – Time with God – Day 13

Apple of God’s Eye

by Pat Baxter

Se(di)ngolwa (t)sa Bibele

Pesalema 17

Thapelo ya ya hloriswang

1Thapelo ya Davida.

Morena, ako utlwe thapedi ya ka,

o mamele sello sa ka;

o sekehele thapelo ya ka tsebe,

hobane e tswa molomong

o se nang mano.

2A nke ke ahlolwe ke wena,

mahlo a hao a bone seo e leng toka.

3O hlahlobile pelo ya ka,

wa ntlhwela le bosiu,

wa nnonya,

empa ha wa fumana letho le kgopo;

ha ke a bua tse mpe jwaloka ba bang.

4Ho ya ka mantswe

a tswang molomong wa hao,

ke qobile mekgwa ya dinokwane.

5Mehato ya ka

e latetse mehlala ya hao,

maoto a ka

ha a a ka a kgothometseha.

6Nna ke ipiletsa ho wena Modimo,

hobane o tla nkaraba;

ntshekehele tsebe,

o mamele lentswe la ka.

7Ako bonahatse mohau wa hao,

mohau o hlollang.

Ba balehelang ka tsohong la hao

le letona,

ke wena ya ba pholosang

ho ba ba tsohelang matla.

8O mpaballe

jwaloka thaka ya leihlo la hao;

o mpate moriting wa mapheo a hao,

9hole le ba kgopo ba ntlhekefetsang,

hole le dira tse ntikanetseng.

10Pelo tsa bona ha di na mohau,

melomo ya bona e tletse boikakaso.

11Ba tla ba ntobile,

jwale ba nketsetsa sakana-la-nkope,

ba ntswepetse mahlo

ho nkgatakella fatshe.

12Ba jwaloka tau

e labalabelang ho harola,

le jwaloka tawana

e bothileng selaong.

13Thusa, Morena!

Ba futuhele, o ba dihe;

ka sabole ya hao

pholosa bophelo ba ka ho ba kgopo;

14ka letsoho la hao mpholose Morena,

mpholose ho batho bana ba lefatshe,

bao moputso wa bona

o leng bophelong bona.

Ba kgorise sa mpanaphatloha,

ba kgorise

ka tseo o ba boloketseng tsona;

le bana ba bona

ba tla di kgotsofalla,

ba tle ba di siele

le ditloholo tsa bona.

15Empa nna, ha ke se ke ahloletswe,

ke tla bona fahleho sa hao;

ha ke tsoha

ke tla kgotsofalla boteng ba hao.

Pesalema 17SSO89SOBula ka mmadi wa Bibele

‘The Apple of The Eye’ was originally a metaphor used in biblical times to describe the spherical shape of the pupil: the most sensitive part of the body. The pupil is the structure that tells what a person is touched by, sees and cherishes most. The Hebrew understanding of the pupil literally means ‘the little man of the eye’ that shows what a person loves above all else.

In this text the psalmist sees that what is most important is to ask God that you be kept cherished and protected under His wing. The eye is thus the window to the soul. The plea is to be beloved, to be precious to God always. The psalmist asks to be protected from all else that may get in the way of this treasured love.

Bible Society of South Africav.4.26.9
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