Matthew 7:6 is Jesus’ warning not to offer what is precious and sacred to people who will despise it and turn on the one who offered it. The verse works as a call to discernment: be generous with truth and holy things, but do not waste them on those who have shown they will trample them. Jesus spoke it to the crowds gathered on the hillside during the Sermon on the Mount, and it is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew.
“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.
Matthew 7:6 (WEB)
What Matthew 7:6 Means
The verse uses two images. “That which is holy” refers to something set apart as sacred, and in the setting of Jewish and early Christian life it points to sacred teaching and holy things treated with reverence. “Pearls” were costly and beautiful, valued far above ordinary goods. Dogs and pigs, in the Jewish world of Jesus’ time, were animals regarded as unclean, so the picture is of treasures given to those who have no regard for their worth.
Jesus is not saying that some people are worthless or beyond God’s love. The verse does not give believers permission to shun anyone they dislike or to decide who deserves the gospel. What it does is recognize a real situation: some people respond to precious things with contempt, and continuing to press them on such people can cost the one offering them. The verse promises nothing about how any particular person will respond. It simply asks for wisdom about when and how to share what matters most.
The Context of Matthew 7:6
The Gospel of Matthew is traditionally attributed to Matthew, one of the twelve disciples and a former tax collector, and it was written for a community with deep roots in Jewish scripture and practice. The Sermon on the Mount, which runs from chapter 5 through chapter 7, presents Jesus as the teacher who lays out the character and ways of life of the kingdom of heaven.
Verses 3 to 5 focus on judging others while ignoring one’s own faults, and Jesus calls his listeners to first deal with the beam in their own eye. Verses 7 to 11 turn to prayer, urging people to ask, seek and knock, with the assurance that the Father gives good gifts. Read between these two sections, verse 6 comes across as a call to self-examination and humility in how we share sacred things. It is about the posture of the one who speaks, not a license to condemn others.
Key Phrases in Matthew 7:6
Colossians 4:5-6
5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
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Paul urges believers to walk wisely toward outsiders and to let their speech be gracious, seasoned with salt. This pairs well with Matthew 7:6, because both call for thoughtful, careful speech that honors the message while paying attention to the listener.
Proverbs 9:8
Don’t reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
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This proverb describes the difference between a mocker who rejects correction and a wise person who receives it. Reading it alongside Matthew 7:6 helps you recognize that some people are not ready to receive what is offered, and that discernment about who is listening is a mark of wisdom.
A Short Prayer From Matthew 7:6
Lord, you have entrusted me with truths that are precious to me, and I ask for wisdom in how I share them. Show me when to speak and when to be silent, and give me a heart that loves people without throwing away what is holy. Guard me from pride and from the bitterness that comes when my words are mocked. Help me trust you with the results, and let my life point others toward your goodness. Amen.