Apple of the eye. — Literally, little man, daughter of the eye. The mannikin is, of course, the reflection seen in the pupil. Daughter is either a contraction of a word meaning cavity, or is the common Hebrew idiom which by son or daughter of expresses relation, as sons of the bow = arrows. In fact, the curious Hebrew phrase is substantially like the Greek κόρη and Latin pupa, or pupilla, even to the gender.
Hide me under the shadow of thy wings. — The figure of the sheltering wings of the parent bird, so common in Hebrew literature, generally refers to the eagle or vulture, as in Deuteronomy 32:10-11, the source of both the beautiful images of the text. Our Lord’s use of the figure is made more tender by the English rendering, “hen” (Matthew 23:37). (See Note New Testament Commentary.)