Problem: Jesus said, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces” (Mt. 7:6). What did he mean by this?
Solution: This passage is given in the context of evangelism (vv.7-11). Some interpreters believe that Jesus is claiming that we shouldn’t give the gospel to Gentiles (e.g. dogs). But this is misguided. In this gospel, Jesus teaches us to bring the gospel to Gentiles (Mt. 28:18-20). Thus Carson writes, “‘Dogs’ and ‘pigs’ cannot refer to all Gentiles but, as Calvin rightly perceived, only to persons of any race who have given clear evidences of rejecting the gospel with vicious scorn and hardened contempt.”[1] Thus to throw pearls before swine means to give the gospel to those who are unwilling.
Why does Jesus pick the symbolism of dogs and pigs to refer to unwilling unbelievers? In this culture, dogs were not friendly, household pets. In Scripture, dogs are spoken of as unclean and vicious animals (1 Sam. 17:43; 24:14; 1 Kings 14:11; 21:19; 2 Kings 8:13; Job 30:1; Prov. 26:11; Eccl. 9:4; Isa. 66:3; Mt. 15:27; Phil. 3:2; Rev. 22:15).[2] Dogs will bit the hand that feeds them; thus they’re foolish. Likewise, what use is it to give pearls to a pig? They’d rather have something less valuable (like slop) to satiate their appetite. They can’t appreciate the value of a pearl. In the same way, those who reject the gift of Christ are rejecting an incredibly valuable gift.
“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” (Matt 7:6)
