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Matthew 7:6 is the sixth verse of the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse contains an ambiguous warning about placing "pearls before swine." The original Koine Greek, according to Westcott and Hort, reads: :μη δωτε το αγιον τοις κυσιν μηδε βαλητε τους μαργαριτας :υμων εμπροσθεν των χοιρων μηποτε καταπατησουσιν αυτους :εν τοις ποσιν αυτων και στραφεντες ρηξωσιν υμας In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads: :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. The World English Bible translates the passage as: :“Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw :your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample :them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. For a collection of other versions see (BibRef Matthew 7:6 ) This well known verse, which has no parallel elsewhere in the New Testament, is a difficult one to interpret. There is much debate over what is represented by the holy and what by the unclean animals. It also seems to contradict some basic Christian tenets. How it is linked to the previous and proceeding verses is also in question. The phrase "pearls before swine" has become a common expression in English. There is a ''Pearls Before Swine'' comic strip, a Pearls Before Swine American psychedelic folk band, and ''Pearls Before Swine'' is an alternate title for Kurt Vonnegut's novel ''God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater''. ==Historical context== At the time both dogs and pigs were poorly regarded. Dogs were part of society, but were half wild and roamed the region in packs that were sometimes dangerous to humans. The word used here refers specifically to dogs without a human master.〔Harrington, Daniel J. ''The Gospel of Matthew.'' Liturgical Press, 1991 pg. 322〕 They were unclean and would eat whatever scraps and carrion they came across. Pigs were the quintessential unclean animal and were closely associated with the Gentile communities in the region which kept them in large numbers. Pearls were a luxury of extreme value. Another question raised by this metaphor is what link there is between pearls and pigs. Hill notes that some scholars have argued that ''pearls'' is actually a mistranslation. One suggestion (?) is that the actual word refers to a gold ring, and that this verse is linked to the metaphor found in Proverbs 11:22(???- no connection). Alternatively the word pearls can be seen as a reference to the food prepared on holy days, which would never have been given to swine. Alternatively the metaphor may be a reference to the immense appetites of pigs, and to how enraged they will be when they discover they cannot eat the pearls, and since they have no understanding of their greater value, will turn on the giver.〔Hill, David. ''The Gospel of Matthew''. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981〕 Nolland notes the work of Von Lips that advocates for two separate meanings. Pigs and dogs were thought of very differently. Parables from the period portray such dogs as dangerous urban animals. Pigs, while unclean, were docile and nonthreatening. Similarly while what is holy is clearly something of God's, pearls were a sign of secular wealth with no religious connotations.〔Nolland, John. ''The Gospel of Matthew: a commentary on the Greek text.'' Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2005 pg. 198〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Matthew 7:6」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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