What are the Origins of the Phrase “Pearls Before Swine”?
In any case, “pearls before swine” is sometimes also seen as margaritas ante porcos, which means the same thing in Latin. Christ Himself, of course, would have said it in Aramaic, and in fact some people believe that the “pearls” in this phrase may have been mistranslated from the Aramaic, suggesting that Christ used a different word in this now-famous saying. Given that people have been talking about casting pearls before swine for two thousand years, a new translation is likely to meet with a frosty reception. In the time of Christ, pigs were regarded as unclean animals in the Jewish faith, so in a sense, the term refers to giving great things to beings which are not worthy. The fact that pearls would be essentially useless to pigs has also been pointed out, as the term illustrates that it is rather foolish to give things to people who cannot or will not use them. Pigs are unlikely to realize the value of pearls when they see them, so tossing pearls to swine would really just be a wa
