SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:6
No deis lo santo a los perros, ni echis vuestras perlas delante de los puercos; no sea que las pisoteen, y se vuelvan y os despedacen.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 7:6
Verse 6. Give not that which is holy] to agion, the holy or sacred thing; i.e. any thing, especially, of the sacrificial kind, which had been consecrated to God. The members of this sentence should be transposed thus:-Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, Lest they turn again and rend you: Neither cast ye your pearls before swine, Lest they trample them under their feet The propriety of this transposition is self-evident. There are many such transpositions as these, both in sacred and profane writers. The following is very remarkable:-" I am black but comely; "As the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon." That is, "I am black as the tents of Kedar, "Comely as the curtains of Solomon." See many proofs of this sort of writing in Mr. WAKEFIELD'S Commentary. As a general meaning of this passage, we may just say: "The sacrament of the Lord's supper, and other holy ordinances which are only instituted for the genuine followers of Christ, are not to be dispensed to those who are continually returning like the snarling ill-natured dog to their easily predominant sins of rash judgment, barking at and tearing the characters of others by evil speaking, back biting and slandering; nor to him who, like the swine, is frequently returning to wallow in the mud of sensual gratifications and impurities."
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. Give not that which is holy to the dogs , etc.] Dogs were unclean creatures by the law; the price of one might not be brought into the house of the Lord, for a vow, ( Deuteronomy 23:18) yea, these creatures were not admitted into several temples of the Heathens f470 . Things profane and unclean, as flesh torn by beasts, were ordered to be given to them, ( Exodus 22:31) but nothing that was holy was to be given them, as holy flesh, or the holy oblations, or anything that was consecrated to holy uses; to which is the allusion here. It is a common maxim with the Jews, yblkl lykahl ydqh ta ydwp ya , that they do not redeem holy things, to give to the dogs to eat.
Here the phrase is used in a metaphorical sense; and is generally understood of not delivering or communicating the holy word of God, and the truths of the Gospel, comparable to pearls, or the ordinances of it, to persons notoriously vile and sinful: to men, who being violent and furious persecutors, and impudent blasphemers, are compared to dogs; or to such, who are scandalously vile, impure in their lives and conversations, and are therefore compared to swine; neither cast ye your pearls before swine . But since the subject Christ is upon is reproof, it seems rather to be the design of these expressions, that men should be cautious, and prudent, in rebuking and admonishing such persons for their sins, in whom there is no appearance or hope of success; yea, where there is danger of sustaining loss; lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you : that is, despise the admonitions and reproofs given, and hurt the persons who give them, either by words or deeds; (see Proverbs 9:7,8). The Jews have some sayings much like these, and will serve to illustrate them f472 ; yryzjh ynpl ynynph wkylt la , do not cast pearls before swine, nor deliver wisdom to him, who knows not the excellency of it; for wisdom is better than pearls, and he that does not seek after it, is worse than a swine.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - We must judge ourselves, and judge of our own acts, but not make ou word a law to everybody. We must not judge rashly, nor pass judgmen upon our brother without any ground. We must not make the worst of people. Here is a just reproof to those who quarrel with their brethre for small faults, while they allow themselves in greater ones. Some sins are as motes, while others are as beams; some as a gnat, others a a camel. Not that there is any sin little; if it be a mote, or splinter, it is in the eye; if a gnat, it is in the throat; both ar painful and dangerous, and we cannot be easy or well till they are go out. That which charity teaches us to call but a splinter in ou brother's eye, true repentance and godly sorrow will teach us to call beam in our own. It is as strange that a man can be in a sinful miserable condition, and not be aware of it, as that a man should have a beam in his eye, and not consider it; but the god of this worl blinds their minds. Here is a good rule for reprovers; first refor thyself.
Greek Textus Receptus
μη 3361 PRT-N δωτε 1325 5632 V-2AAS-2P το 3588 T-ASN αγιον 40 A-ASN τοις 3588 T-DPM κυσιν 2965 N-DPM μηδε 3366 CONJ βαλητε 906 5632 V-2AAS-2P τους 3588 T-APM μαργαριτας 3135 N-APM υμων 5216 P-2GP εμπροσθεν 1715 PREP των 3588 T-GPM χοιρων 5519 N-GPM μηποτε 3379 ADV καταπατησωσιν 2662 5661 V-AAS-3P αυτους 846 P-APM εν 1722 PREP τοις 3588 T-DPM ποσιν 4228 N-DPM αυτων 846 P-GPM και 2532 CONJ στραφεντες 4762 5651 V-2APP-NPM ρηξωσιν 4486 5661 V-AAS-3P υμας 5209 P-2AP
Vincent's NT Word Studies
6. That which is holy (to agion). The holy thing, as of something commonly recognized as sacred. The reference is to the meat offered in sacrifice. The picture is that of a priest throwing a piece of flesh from the altar of burnt-offering to one of the numerous dogs which infest the streets of Eastern cities.Pearls before swine (margaritav emprosqen twn coirwn). Another picture of a rich man wantonly throwing handfuls of small pearls to swine. Swine in Palestine were at best but half-tamed, the hog being an unclean animal. The wild boar haunts the Jordan valley to this day. Small pearls, called by jewellers seed-pearls, would resemble the pease or maize on which the swine feed. They would rush upon them when scattered, and, discovering the cheat, would trample upon them and turn their tusks upon the man who scattered them.
Turn (strafentev). The Rev. properly omits again. The word graphically pictures the quick, sharp turn of the boar.
Rend (rhxwsin). Lit., break; and well chosen to express the peculiar character of the wound made by the boar's tusk, which is not a cut, but a long tear or rip.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
7:6 {That which is holy unto the dogs} (to hagion tois kusin). It is not clear to what "the holy" refers, to ear-rings or to amulets, but that would not appeal to dogs. Trench (_Sermon on the Mount_, p. 136) says that the reference is to meat offered in sacrifice that must not be flung to dogs: "It is not that the dogs would not eat it, for it would be welcome to them; but that it would be a profanation to give it to them, thus to make it a _skubalon_, #Ex 22:31." The yelping dogs would jump at it. Dogs are kin to wolves and infest the streets of oriental cities. {Your pearls before the swine} (tous margaritas h-m"n emprosqen t"n choir"n). The word pearl we have in the name Margarita (Margaret). Pearls look a bit like peas or acorns and would deceive the hogs until they discovered the deception. The wild boars haunt the Jordan Valley still and are not far removed from bears as they trample with their feet and rend with their tusks those who have angered them.
