Matthew 6:23 Meaning and Explanation
“But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →A diseased, grasping eye fills the whole person with darkness; corrupted inner light is the deepest darkness of all.
What Does Matthew 6:23 Mean?
This is the dark counterpart to the previous verse. If a healthy eye floods the body with light, a bad eye leaves it in darkness. In that culture an 'evil eye' meant a grudging, covetous spirit, the opposite of the generous single eye.
A heart darkened by greed cannot see rightly; it mistakes lesser things for treasure and loses its way. Jesus presses the warning to its edge: if the very light within a person has gone dark -- if the conscience and inner sight are corrupted -- how total that darkness is. There is no deeper blindness than the blindness that thinks it sees. The verse is a plea to keep the heart clear and God-centered, lest the lamp meant to guide us becomes the source of our gloom.
Frequently Asked Questions About Matthew 6:23
What does Matthew 6:23 mean?
A diseased, grasping eye fills the whole person with darkness; corrupted inner light is the deepest darkness of all.