Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 7:6

"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." — Matthew 7:6 (ASV)

When people are evidently unable to perceive the purity of a great truth, do not set it before them. They are like mere dogs, and if you set holy things before them, they will be provoked to turn again and rend you. Holy things are not for the profane. Without are dogs. They must not be allowed to enter the holy place.

When you are among the vicious, who are like swine, do not bring forth the precious mysteries of the faith, for they will despise them and trample them under their feet in the mire. You are not to needlessly provoke attack upon yourself or upon the higher truths of the Gospel. You are not to judge, but you are not to act without judgment. Do not regard people as dogs or swine, but when they avow themselves to be such, or by their conduct act as if they were such, do not give them opportunities for displaying their evil character. Saints are not to be simpletons. They are not to be judges, but also, they are not to be fools.

Great King, how much wisdom Your precepts require! I need You, not only to open my mouth, but also at times to keep it shut.

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.

It is a pity to talk about some of the secrets of our holy faith in any and every company. It would be almost profane to speak of them in the company of profane men. We know that they would not understand us; they would find occasion for jest and ridicule, and therefore our own reverence for holy things must cause us to lay a finger on our lips when we are in the presence of profane persons.

Let us not, however, carry out one precept to the exclusion of others. There are dogs that eat of the crumbs that fall from the master's table. Drop them a crumb.

And there are even swine that may yet be transformed, to whom the sight of a pearl might give some inkling of a better condition of heart. Do not cast the pearls before them, but you may show them the pearls sometimes when they are in as good a state of mind as they are likely to be in. It is ours to preach the gospel to every creature; that is a precept of Christ, and yet all creatures are not always in the condition to hear the gospel.

We must choose our time. Yet even this I would not push too far.

We are to preach the gospel in season and out of season. Oh, that we may be able to follow precepts as far as they are meant to go, and no further.

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.

When men are evidently unable to perceive the purity of a great truth, do not set it before them. They are like mere dogs, and if you set holy things before them they will be provoked to turn again and rend you: holy things are not for the profane. Without are dogs: they must not be allowed to enter the holy place. When you are in the midst of the vicious, who are like "swine," do not bring forth the precious mysteries of the faith, for they will despise them, and trample them under their feet in the mire.

You are not needlessly to provoke attack upon yourself, or upon the higher truths of the gospel. You are not to judge, but you are not to act without judgment. Do not count men to be dogs or swine; but when they avow themselves to be such, or by their conduct act as if they were such, do not put occasions in their way for displaying their evil character. Saints are not to be simpletons; they are not to be judges, but, also, they are not to be fools. Great King, how much wisdom your precepts require! I need you, not only to open my mouth, but also at times to keep it shut.

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.

Zeal should always be tempered by prudence. There are times when it would be treason to truth to introduce it as a topic of conversation—when men are in such a frame of mind that they will be sure rather to cavil at it than to believe it. Not only speak well, but speak at the right time, for silence is sometimes golden. See that you have your measure of golden silence as well as of silver speech.