cast pearls before swine

Meaning of the phrase:

Origin of the phrase:

The phrase first appears in Tyndale’s Bible, Mathew 7:6, which was printed in 1526:

“Geve not that which is holy to dogges nether cast ye youre pearles before swyne lest they treade them vnder their fete and ye other tourne agayne and all to rent you.”

The expression is generally considered to be a warning to the disciples of Jesus that they should not preach religious doctrine (pearls of Godly wisdom) to those who will not appreciate or understand (the swine)  its significance.

The expression has been recorded in other forms and may be derived from the older variation of the phrase that appears in William Langland’s, Piers Plowman, c. 1390:

“Noli mittere Margeri perles Among hogges.”

Margeri is now written margarite and is an archaic term for pearl. This version has margarites thrown to hogs rather than swine but the idea is still present.

This phrase is still popular has been used by the likes of Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare. From his novel Dombey written in 1848, Dickens writes:

“Oh I do a thankless thing, and cast pearls before swine.”