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An Idiom That Bothers Me

April 17, 2006

There is one saying or phrase that really bothers me for some reason. I don't know why it bothers me so much, but every time I hear it I just want to cover my ears and run away. I know that you are going to find this to be an extremely strange problem that I have, but I tell you this is true. I cannot stand it when I hear or see the expression, "the apple of your eye". When we sing the song "As the Deer Panteth for the Water" our worship pastor always does the verse of that song that contains that dreaded phrase. I can't even sing it and I shudder when everyone else sings it. I don't know why, I just do.

So, of course, today I walk into the office and flip my handy, dandy scripture verse calendar to today's date and lo and behold today's scripture verse is Psalm 17:8

"Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings." - Psalm 17:8

Not only that, I found it in other places as well.

Deuteronomy 32:10 - "In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye"

and

Zechariah 2:8 - "For this is what the Lord Almighty says: "After he has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you--for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye--"

The expression means that someone is very special to you, or that person is cherished or valued. In fact, daughters and sons were often referred to as the "apple" of their parent's eye and this phrase originates from King David himself. David is basically saying to God in Psalm 17:8, "God, cherish me, place value on my life, remember me and love me as your own child and hide me from my enemies."

I have King David to thank for that expression.

It is comforting to think that God might cherish us as His very own child and that He would place that much value on our lives. It's a powerful prayer that David offered to God and I will follow his example in this prayer, however, I think I will just come out and say it instead of using an idiom to get the point across.

Comments

Posted by: JD
April 17, 2006 11:48 AM

That phrase has always irritated the heck out of me too. I think i'm going to go scribble out the word "apple" and replace it with "Hostess cupcake."

Posted by: Holly Hobbie
April 18, 2006 10:12 AM

That phrase never bothered me ....but being raised with the KJV version Bible there are certain words that are used in a bad way today that make me cringe....expecially when I here a Christian say them.

Posted by: Joe Kennedy
April 22, 2006 06:49 PM

I can't sing "As the Deer" at all without risk of laughing loudly. Especially when it's in KJV. Oh man. I became a Christian at 17 (back in 1999), and the song just makes me laugh. I think it's the word "panteth." I can't handle it. What kind of people say that stuff today? (Yes, I know it's a Psalm, but still....)