Pearls Before Swine (Matthew 7:6)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

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St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 23 (on Matthew 7:6) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.XXIII.html

On who are meant by the dogs and the swine:

And by "dogs" here He figuratively described them that are living in incurable ungodliness, and affording no hope of change for the better; and by "swine," them that abide continually in an unchaste life, all of whom He hath pronounced unworthy of hearing such things.

On why holy things are withheld from such men:

For as to the well-disposed and intelligent, things appear venerable when revealed, so to the insensible, when they are unknown rather.

On the pearl that is trampled not for its own worth but because it fell among swine:

But it is not the things that yield it, but that these men are swine; even as when the pearl is trampled under foot, it is not so trampled, because it is really contemptible, but because it fell among swine.

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Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount, Book II, Chapter XX (on Matthew 7:6) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 6. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf106.v.iii.xx.html

On how this precept guards against betraying the truth to those unable to bear it:

But inasmuch as the word "guileless" may mislead some who are desirous of obeying God's precepts, so that they may think it wrong, at times, to conceal the truth, just as it is wrong at times to speak a falsehood, ... He very rightly adds: "Give not that which is holy to the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."

On what is meant by the holy thing and the pearls:

A holy thing is something which it is impious to violate and to corrupt; ... By pearls, again, are meant whatever spiritual things we ought to set a high value upon, both because they lie hid in a secret place, are as it were brought up out of the deep, and are found in wrappings of allegory, as it were in shells that have been opened.

On the dogs as assailants of the truth and the swine as its despisers:

We may therefore not unsuitably understand dogs as used to designate the assailants of the truth, swine the despisers of it.

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St. Rabanus Maurus (c. 780–856)

Commentary on Matthew (on Matthew 7:6) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.vii.html

On the dogs and the swine:

The dogs are returned to their vomit; the swine not yet returned, but wallowing in the mire of vices.