Out of His sight: 2 Kings 17:18

The altar of gold is said to be enopion tou Theou, which I have rendered, "in the sight of the Deity." Literally, enopion signifies in the eye, from en, in, and opi, dative of ops, the eye. The Golden Altar Community is in the eye of the Deity, in the same sense that the twelve tribes of Israel were in his eye when they dwelt in the Holy Land; but, when expelled therefrom by the Assyrians, were said to have been removed out of his sight (2 Kings xvii. 18). The Golden Altar Community have never been "removed out of his sight," as Israel and Judah were. But, can any thing be removed out of the sight of him who sees all things? In a certain sense it can. Now, concerning the Holy Land, by way of illustration, Moses says, in Deut. xi. 12: "It is a land which Yahweh thine Elohim careth for; the eyes of Yahweh thine Elohim are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year." When, therefore, Israel and Judah were dwelling there, they were in his sight; for his eyes were upon them, being upon the land; but, when expelled, they were not within the landscape, and, therefore, out of his sight. But they are to return from captivity; and then, the prophet says, "in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight" (Hos. vi. 2); that is, in the Holy Land.