Biblical Sources of Common English Language Phrases: The Eyes Are the Windows of the Soul

 

The exact earliest origin of the phrase "the eyes are the window of the soul" is debated but the concept is ancient.

 

The Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC/BCE), said “The face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter.”

 

The phrase does not appear in the Bible but the concept is echoed by Jesus in Matthew 6:22–23 where he says "The eye is the lamp of the body … if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light…”

 

The first known use of the phrase in its modern form was by the 16th-century French poet Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas (1544-1590), who spoke of the eyes as "windows of the soul".

 

As I was growing up, I was taught that it was rude to not look people in the eyes as you talked to them. The idea was that to not do so made you appear to be evasive or uninterested. But … there are numerous cultures which believe the exact opposite, that avoiding direct eye contact is a sign of respect and deference to the other person. They see direct eye contact as aggressive and as an invasion of their personal space.

 

So, I am either very open and direct or I am very rude, because I will look into you and allow you to look into me. It is just part of who I am.

 

I am in my over 60 years period of life so, through the decades, I have occasionally met numerous internationally known persons, usually for only a few minutes or even seconds. I am just a regular person. Let’s just say that I don’t normally run in their circles and that meeting most of them was incidental.

 

I will discuss what I saw in the eyes of some of them but I will respect their privacy and will not personally identify them.

 

One of them was a retired National Football League quarterback who was posthumously inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame. His eyes told me that he was friendly and easy-going, fun to talk with, and that he was surprised that I did not ask for his autograph.

 

Another was a politician who was involved with the peace negotiations during the Vietnam War. His eyes told me that he did not see me at all.

 

The eyes of the legendary daytime soap opera actor whom I met told me that he would have rather been anywhere else than where he was.

 

Highly respected as a radio announcer in numerous sports, one man showed me friendly eyes and even invited me to sit and talk with him about sports during his lunch hour.

 

An Israeli business executive showed me eyes that told me that she respected my politeness and competence. Whenever she visited, she sought me out before meeting with my superiors.

 

My co-worker of African ancestry showed me eyes of deep friendship, great professional competence, and ambition. He ended up in a national governmental health position.

 

The historic singer looked deep into my eyes with what appeared to be panic and repugnance as if I were an unexpected intruder into her home. I must have pushed her personal space and privacy buttons.

 

I was sitting on the second row in the coliseum when an internationally known Christian singer came down from the stage and began to personally interact with people in the crowd. When he stopped to talk to two pre-teen girls, he was about four feet away from me. He noticed me and we locked eyes.

 

What I saw was kindness, generosity, gentleness, sincerity, and a love for the people who had come to his concert. What I saw was a Christian man. His wife has said that he is the purest soul she has ever met. We all should hope that our eyes show the same thing.