Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings —Psalms 17:8
This is not decorative poetry. David is not reaching for a sentimental picture of closeness. He is drawing from an image his listeners would physically feel.
“Keep me as the apple of the eye”
David and his readers were certainly familiar with the frailty of the eye. Minor injuries here can be devastating.
It does not require any scientific understanding to realize that we instinctively protect our eyes. Whenever an object flies toward our face, or a finger nears our eye, or in bright sunlight: blinking, throwing our hands up, even turning our faces away from perceived danger. These responses require no thought or evaluation. They are hard-wired into the subconscious.
David is praying,
“Guard me with the same reflex You guard Your own sight.”
Not reluctant protection. Not even negotiated protection. But reflexive protection.
This type of protection is dependent on proximity. It requires that God be near. David is asking to live at the center of God’s attention. Where harm cannot reach without first meeting Him.
Which naturally leads David to the next expression of protection:
“Hide me in the shadow of Your wings”
In David’s experience, this was a familiar, powerful scene: When danger appeared, chicks ran instinctively under the mother. Her wings became a living shield. The chicks could not fight, flee, or understand — they could only trust.
David is saying:
“I want to be that small, and I want You to be that near.”
David was seeking an immediate covering. A relational refuge. He was trusting God to position Himself between David and any potential danger.
David sees himself as small and defenseless. He knows he can only survive not by his own strength, but by his proximity to his Creator.
David was a warrior, yet he understood that safety comes not from what he can do, but from where he stands.