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.
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 to the Jews, and indeed to the ancients generally.
Least they trample them under their feet-as swine do-and turn again and rend you - as dogs do. Religion is brought into contempt, and its professors insulted when it is forced upon those who cannot value it and will not have it. But while the indiscriminately zealous have need of this caution, let us be on our guard against too readily setting our neighbours down as dogs and swine, and excusing ourselves form endeavouring to do them good on this poor plea.
Enough one might think, had been said on this subject in Matthew 6:5-15. But the difficulty of the foregoing duties seems to have recalled the subject, and this gives it quite a new turn. 'How shall we ever be able to carry out such precepts as these, of tender, holy, yet discriminating love?' might the humble disciple inquire. 'Go to God with it.' is our Lord's reply; but He expresses this with a fullness which leaves nothing to be desire, urging now not only confidence, but importunity in prayer.