Matthew
King James Version (KJV)
Matthew 7:6
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Matthew 7:6 Context
3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. 6Give 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. 7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
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Other Translations for Matthew 7:6
¶ Giue not that which is holy vnto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearles before swine: lest they trample them vnder their feete, and turne againe and rent you.
- King James Version (1611) - View 1611 Bible Scan
"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.
- New American Standard Version (1995)
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you.
- American Standard Version (1901)
Do not give that which is holy to the dogs, or put your jewels before pigs, for fear that they will be crushed under foot by the pigs whose attack will then be made against you.
- Basic English Bible
Give not that which is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before the swine, lest they trample them with their feet, and turning round rend you.
- Darby Bible
Give not that which is holy to dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
- Webster's Bible
Give not that which is holy to the dogs, nor throw your pearls to the swine; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and then turn and attack you.
- Weymouth Bible
Don't give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
- World English Bible
Nile ye yyue hooli thing to houndis, nethir caste ye youre margaritis bifore swyne, lest perauenture thei defoulen hem with her feet, and the houndis be turned, and al to-tere you.
- Wycliffe Bible
`Ye may not give that which is [holy] to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before the swine, that they may not trample them among their feet, and having turned -- may rend you.
- Youngs Literal Bible
Bible Commentary for Matthew 7:6
Wesley's Notes for Matthew 7:6
7:6 Here is another instance of that transposition, where of the two things proposed, the latter is first treated of. Give not - to dogs - lest turning they rend you: Cast not - to swine - lest they trample them under foot. Yet even then, when the beam is cast out of thine own eye, Give not - That is, talk not of the deep things of God to those whom you know to be wallowing in sin. neither declare the great things God hath done for your soul to the profane, furious, persecuting wretches. Talk not of perfection, for instance, to the former; not of your experience to the latter. But our Lord does in nowise forbid us to reprove, as occasion is, both the one and the other.
People's Bible Notes for Matthew 7:6
Mt 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto dogs. The dog was regarded an unclean animal by the Jewish law. They probably represent snarling, scoffing opposers. The characteristic of dogs is brutality. To try to instill holy things into such low, unclean, and sordid brutal minds is useless. Neither cast ye your pearls before swine. The swine were also unclean. They would have no use for pearls, and perhaps would rush upon those who scattered the pearls. So, too, there are men so dull, imbruted and senseless, as to reject the pearls of truth. It is our duty to help and to try to save others, but we must use common sense.
Discussion for Matthew 7:6
Matthew 7:6 Inspirational Image
Acts 18:6 'And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, YOUR BLOOD BE UPON YOUR OWN HEADS; I AM CLEAN'
And again, Acts 20:26-27 "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of ALL MEN. For I HAVE NOT SHUNNED TO DECLARE UNTO YOU ALL the counsel of God."
And again, Mark 6:11 "whosoever shall not receive you, NOR HEAR YOU, when ye depart thence, SHAKE OFF THE DUST UNDER YOUR FEET for a testimony AGAINST THEM. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city."
And again, Matthew "whosoever shall not receive you, NOR HEAR YOUR WORDS, when ye depart out of that house or city, SHAKE OFF THE DUST OF YOUR FEET."
Perhaps seeds were planted/watered by us and later that person will come to their senses, but the Bible tells us our duty is fulfilled. We depart from them and warn others.
Matthew 7:6 '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.'
We see here, Christ Jesus never required us to babysit or go after the dogs or swine. Rather, he warns us to beware them.
Philippians 3:2 "BEWARE OF DOGS, beware of evil workers" Dogs are people who reject the Gospel of Christ. God compares them to evil workers.
And again, in Titus 3:10-11 "A man that is an heretick AFTER the first and second admonition REJECT; Knowing that HE THAT IS SUCH IS SUBVERTED, and SINNETH, BEING CONDEMNED OF HIMSELF.
What about witnessing to our family members? Family are perhaps the hardest people to preach to. Because they know us. "Oh that's just Joshua, I've known him since I was a kid. He used to pull my hair! What does he know?"
It's as Jesus said, "No prophet is accepted in his own country." Or by their own family! God tells us this: "And of some HAVE COMPASSION, MAKING A DISTINCTION: And others SAVE WITH FEAR, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." Jude 22-23
But God even gave us the example of our own wives/husbands if they reject and leave us BECAUSE of the Gospel:
1 Corinthians 7:15 'But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?'
If an unbelieving husband or wife leaves us, we are not under bondage to go after them. If we are not REQUIRED to go after our own spouses, why would we go after the dogs/swine? Recall again Matthew 7:6.
One modern argument is that dogs and pigs represent Gentiles and heathens, and that this verse is demonstrating that Jesus' original message was intended only for the Jews. Harrington notes that such warnings are found in rabbinic works of the period. In Jewish literature heathens were often compared to dogs, and the unclean pig was a Jewish symbol for the Roman Empire. In 2 Peter 2:22, dogs and swine quite clearly refers to heretics. According to Schweizer this verse was used by Jewish Christians to attack the Gentile churches, to argue that Gentile Christians would turn on the Jews by rejecting their laws and destroying Israel.The dominant reading is that the two expressions are both referring to the same thing and the same group of people. To Nolland this verse is not an attack on any particular group, but rather a continuation of the theme of God and Mammon begun at Matthew 6:24 and that verse is an attack on wasteful spending. We should put all of our resources to God, as everything is like dogs and pigs compared to Him.Nolland also proposes that the verse might be to balance the other verses, that non-judgmentalism can only go so far and that there are some who should be excluded.
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