8361. 'And do what is right in His eyes' means a life in keeping with them. This is clear from the meaning of 'doing what is right' as leading a life in keeping with what truth dictates; and from the meaning of 'in Jehovah's eyes' as before the Lord, thus in keeping with His commandments, since the Lord is within His commandments when a person leads a life in keeping with them. Also a person who possesses faith in the Lord is said to be 'in His eyes'. As regards 'hearing the voice', its proper meaning is obedience, 2542, 3869, 5017. But when the verb 'doing' is used as well, as it is here, 'hearing' in that case means faith and 'doing' means life, as may be recognized from the Lord's words in Matthew,
Everyone who hears My words and does them I will liken to a wise man. But everyone hearing My words yet not doing them will be likened to a foolish man. Matt 7:24, 26.
In Luke,
Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like. Luke 6:47.
In the same gospel,
The seed which [fell] on the good earth - these are they who with a simple and good heart hear the Word, keep it, and bear fruita' with patience. Luke 8:15.
In the same gospel,
Jesus said, My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it. Luke 8:21.
In these places 'hearing' means having perception, understanding, and faith; and 'doing' means leading a life in keeping with them. But when 'hearing' is used by itself and not together with 'doing' it means faith in will and action, thus obedience. The reason why is that what a person hears passes into his inward power of sight which belongs to the understanding; there it is embraced by the will and completes a kind of circle that passes into action. This explains why the actual word 'hear', from the nature of the activity it describes, may mean obedience, as in the expression to hear or else hearken to someone, see 4652-4660.
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church