Matthew 7:6

Matthew 7:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Context of Matthew 7:6

4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me get the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite (play-actor, pretender), first get the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. “Do not give that which is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, for they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. 7“ Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened.

Matthew 7:6 word by word

Μὴ δῶτε τὸ ἅγιον τοῖς κυσὶν μηδὲ βάλητε τοὺς μαργαρίτας ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων μήποτε καταπατήσουσιν αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτῶν, καὶ στραφέντες ῥήξωσιν ὑμᾶς.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Giveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• notμήmē · notG3361
• that which is holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
• unto the dogsκύωνkuōn · dogG2965
• neitherμηδέmēde · norG3366
• cast yeβάλλωballō · to throw: throwG906
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• pearlsμαργαρίτηςmargaritēs · pearlG3135
• beforeἔμπροσθενemprosthen · beforeG1715
• swineχοῖροςchoiros · pigG5519
• lestμήποτεmēpote mē pote · lestG3379
• they trampleκαταπατέωkatapateō · to trampleG2662
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• underἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• feetπούςpous · footG4228
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• turn again andστρέφωstrephō · to turnG4762
• rendῥήγνυμιrhēgnumi rhēssō · to throw violentlyG4486

Cross-references for Matthew 7:6

• Matthew 10:14Whoever does not welcome you, nor listen to your message, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust [of it] off your feet [in contempt, breaking all ties].
• Matthew 15:26And He replied, “It is not good (appropriate, fair) to take the children’s bread and throw it to the pet dogs.”
• Proverbs 9:7He who corrects and instructs a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man gets insults for himself.
• Proverbs 23:9Do not speak in the ears of a fool, For he will despise the [godly] wisdom of your words.
• Proverbs 26:11Like a dog that returns to his vomit Is a fool who repeats his foolishness.
• Acts 13:45But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things said by Paul, and were slandering him.
• Philippians 3:2Look out for the dogs [the Judaizers, the legalists], look out for the troublemakers, look out for the false circumcision [those who claim circumcision is necessary for salvation];
• Hebrews 6:6and then have fallen away—it is impossible to bring them back again to repentance, since they again nail the Son of God on the cross [for as far as they are concerned, they are treating the death of Christ as if they were not saved by it], and are holding Him up again to public disgrace.
• Hebrews 10:29How much greater punishment do you think he will deserve who has rejected and trampled under foot the Son of God, and has considered unclean and common the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and has insulted the Spirit of grace [who imparts the unmerited favor and blessing of God]?
• 2 Peter 2:22The thing spoken of in the true proverb has happened to them, “The dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “A sow is washed only to wallow [again] in the mire.”
• Proverbs 11:22As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, So is a beautiful woman who is without discretion [her lack of character mocks her beauty].
• Matthew 22:5But they paid no attention [they disregarded the invitation, treating it with contempt] and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.
• Matthew 24:10At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another.
• 2 Corinthians 11:26many times on journeys, [exposed to] danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own countrymen, danger from the Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger on the sea, danger among those posing as believers;
• 2 Timothy 4:14Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; [but that is no concern of mine, for] the Lord will repay him according to his actions.

Commentaries on Matthew 7:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Give not that which is holy - , 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Give not that which is holy … - By some the word “holy” has been supposed to mean “flesh offered in sacrifice,” made holy, or separated to a sacred use; but it probably means here “anything connected with religion” - admonition, precept, or doctrine. Pearls are precious stones found in shell-fish, chiefly in India, in the waters that surround Ceylon. They are used to denote anything especially precious, Revelation 17:4; Revelation 18:12-16; Matthew 13:45…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Rabbis often referred to important ideas or Scripture verses as pearls. The mysteries of the kingdom of God (13:11) are holy (see Exodus 29:33; Leviticus 2:3; 22:10–16; Numbers 18:8–10). do not give dogs what is holy: Jews often referred to non-Jewish (Gentile) people as dogs or pigs because these animals were ceremonially unclean (Matthew 15:26; Psalm 22:16, 20; Leviticus 11). Some think this means that many Gentiles would not accept the message of the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs--savage or snarling haters of truth and righteousness. neither cast ye your pearls before swine--the impure or coarse, who are incapable of appreciating the priceless jewels of Christianity. In the East, dogs are wilder and more gregarious, and, feeding on carrion and garbage, are coarser and fiercer than the same animals in the West. Dogs and swine, besides being ceremonially unclean, were peculiarly repulsive…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 7:6

• Commandments
• Minister, Christian
• Pearl
• Prudence
• Religion
• Swine
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Ask
• Descend
• Destruction
• Gather
• Judge
• Measure
• Mote
• None
• Pearl
• Profess

Commentaries on Matthew 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings