Mark 7:20-23 (NKJV)

And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,  thefts,  covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

Proverbs 23:6 (KJV)

Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:

Matthew 6:22-23 (NKJV)

The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

Eisegesis: 

“Be careful of someone who is jealous of you or something you have they may put a curse on you.”

Exegesis:   

When the Bible mentions the “evil eye,” it has nothing to do with the superstitious belief of causing curses on someone. Instead, it refers to the sin of envy, jealousy, or stinginess that arises from within a person. The context of such verses suggests that the term is best understood as being stingy, which aligns with passages warning against eating with a selfish or begrudging person.

The evil eye is a superstitious belief appearing in many cultures around the world that enforces the idea that someone can cause injury, harm or bad luck to another person by simply looking at them.

Some teachers have gone so far as to teach that a resentful person can transmit a curse, willingly or unwillingly by simply looking at someone or something in envy. In order to ward off such superstitions of the evil eye people often buy accessories that they can wear to protect them from any evil intensions.

In the Bible, the notion of an “evil eye” is mentioned a few times, but it does not align with the superstitious understanding of the term found in other cultural contexts.

In context

The “evil eye” is a Hebrew expression referring to envy, a jealous attitude toward the possessions of others. The “evil eye” in any other culture than that of the Jews would make reference to this as casting a spell. But among the Jews it was an expression for envy.

Mark 7:20-23

In this verses, Jesus is simply repeating the positive truth that what comes out of a person is what defiles him morally (v15). If the heart is evil, there will be evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, and all other sins Jesus lists here.

Proverbs 23:6

As we can see, the “evil eye” in this verse again is not a malicious curse-causing stare. The person with the evil eye is best interpreted as stingy and selfish, which the writer here advises to not eat from. Likewise, in contrast, the person who has a “good eye” is someone who gives his bread to the poor and is called blessed.

Proverbs 22:9 (NKJV)

He who has a generous eye will be blessed,
For he gives of his bread to the poor.

Matthew 6:22-23

Here Jesus contrasts the “good eye,” which is generous and full of light, with the “evil eye,” which is envious and full of darkness.

Application

These biblical references are more about an individual’s moral character than about a superstitious curse. It’s a metaphorical use of the term rather than a literal one.

Christian beliefs are diverse, and the idea of the “evil eye” as a destructive supernatural force is not part of mainstream Christian theology. It should be noted that references to “evil eye” in the Bible generally refer to moral character, rather than to supernatural harm.

There are however some Christians who blend this cultural superstition with their Christian faith, especially those from cultures where the evil eye has been deeply embedded in traditional beliefs. A person may wear an amulet or perform a ritual to protect against the evil eye, but this is more of a cultural practice than an orthodox Christian teaching.

To combat evil influences, mainstream Christianity emphasizes faith in God, prayer, and reliance on His protection, rather than adhering to superstitions like the belief in the evil eye, which is not endorsed by most Christian denominations.

No need to fear

Lastly it must be noted that superstition often brings with it fear, but believers in Christ need not fear anything superstitious or supernatural.

When a person receives Christ, they can live in freedom from fear and superstition knowing that Satan is a defeated foe along with all his evil devices.