”“Don’t give to dogs what is holy, and don’t throw your pearls to the pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, then turn and attack you.“ Mattityahu (Mat) 7:6 CJB
Wasting valuable truth with those who not only do not appreciate it but may even become angry at the offer given are those whom we “do not cast our pearls” to.
The long-promised Messiah Yahshua came to preach repentance and that the kingdom of heaven was near, but He was rejected and hated when Israel’s religious leaders accused Him of heresy and blasphemy (Mark 14:61-65). What Messiah spoke was incredibly valuable (John 10:28) to those who embraced His message. And before Yahshua says not to cast your pearls before swine, He says, “Do not give dogs what is sacred.” Also, in Proverbs, scripture says, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.” Proverbs 26:11
In Jewish culture, dogs were rarely pets.
They were wild animals who roamed the streets in packs looking for food and attacking weaker animals. Dogs were symbols of immorality, barbarism, vulgarity, and ignorance. Pigs were officially unclean, according to Yahweh's law (Leviticus 11:7), and likely also scavenged for food. Pigs are voracious eaters, and not especially selective about food. Yet pigs can become aggressive when hungry; giving a herd of pigs something inedible when they expect food merely antagonizes them.
To be called a “dog” or a “pig” was a great insult in Yahshua’s culture. Still, He does not hesitate to compare those who reject Him, as Israel's Messiah, to dogs and pigs. The emphasis is to not waste time or invite harassment from those who are obviously hostile.
Another reference to dogs and swine is also found in 2 Peter 2:22; “Of [false teachers], the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit” and, “A sow (pig) that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.” In His sermon, Yahshua uses dogs and pigs in terms of those who would ridicule, reject, and blaspheme the gospel once it is presented to them. We are not to continue to try to share the truth with those who have no other purpose but to trample it and return to their evil ways. When we have to repeatedly do this and they mock and scoff, it is because they do not have true intentions to follow in Father’s ways at all. You are casting your pearls before swine. We should be able to identify such people through some measure of discernment and move on (Matthew 10:14).
In Matthew 7:6, Messiah shows us the difference between “judgment” and “discernment.” We are not to be hypocritical judges; yet, we must be able to discern the swine lest we cast our pearls before them.
Scripture embraces the value and importance of sharing the truth with others; however, we should use righteous judgment when encountering those who are willing versus wasting your time on the stiff-necked and hard-hearted. The best thing to do is to walk away lest you cast your pearls before swine.
