Topical Bible: Swine: The Wicked

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Swine, commonly referred to as pigs, hold a significant place in biblical literature, often symbolizing uncleanness and moral corruption. In the cultural and religious context of ancient Israel, swine were considered unclean animals according to the Mosaic Law. Leviticus 11:7-8 states, "And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you." This prohibition against swine underscores their symbolic association with impurity and wickedness.

The New Testament further explores the metaphorical use of swine to represent moral degradation and spiritual defilement. In Matthew 7:6 , Jesus warns, "Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces." Here, swine are emblematic of those who are unable to appreciate or respect the sacred, highlighting their association with spiritual ignorance and hostility towards divine truth.

The account of the Gerasene demoniac in Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-39 provides a vivid illustration of swine as vessels of wickedness. When Jesus casts a legion of demons out of a man, they beg to enter a herd of pigs. Upon entering the swine, the entire herd rushes down a steep bank into the sea and drowns. This narrative not only reinforces the unclean status of swine but also serves as a powerful symbol of the destructive nature of evil and its ultimate demise.

In the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), swine are again used to depict moral and spiritual degradation. The younger son, having squandered his inheritance, finds himself in dire circumstances, feeding pigs and longing to eat their food. This imagery would have been particularly poignant to a Jewish audience, as it underscores the depth of the son's fall from grace and his association with uncleanness and sin.

The biblical portrayal of swine as wicked and unclean serves as a broader metaphor for the rejection of God's commandments and the embrace of a life contrary to His will. Swine, in their symbolic role, remind believers of the importance of spiritual purity and the dangers of moral compromise. Through these vivid depictions, Scripture calls the faithful to discernment, urging them to avoid the path of wickedness and to seek holiness in their walk with God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 7:6
Give not that which is holy to the dogs, neither cast you your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

That Evil Comes of Sloth, and virtue from Diligence, and that ...
... On this account he left the wicked in the midst of the good, that since they ... holy
things to the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before the swine, lest they ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily iii that evil comes.htm

Scriptures Showing the Sin and Danger of Joining with Wicked and ...
... our profaning of repentance and absolution, by casting such pearls to swine, and
for our own advantage, making a cloak of them to bring in wicked men, contrary ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/section v scriptures showing the.htm

How Brother Juniper Cut Off the Foot of a Pig to Give it to a Sick ...
... and loaded him with much abuse, calling him a fantastical fool and a wicked thief. ...
and begging him for the same motive to give the rest of the swine also; and ...
/.../the little flowers of st francis of assisi/chapter i how brother juniper.htm

Commandments to Women.
... worse than death; her hands are fetters." [2576] And in another passage: "As a jewel
of gold in a swine's snout, so is beauty in a wicked woman." [2577] And ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec iii commandments to women.htm

"Seek First the Kingdom of God," &C.
... what is it all? He esteems it so little that he often casts it to swine, the profane
and wicked world. He fills their belly with his hid treasure, Psal. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xix seek first the.htm

Letter cxlvii. To Sabinianus.
... your father's substance you take pleasure in the husks that the swine eat; [3952 ...
a victim for the slaughter, and imitate the lives of the wicked, careless of ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cxlvii to sabinianus.htm

The Attack on the Scriptures
... I forbid the keeping of the Sabbath. The Jews' law declares the flesh of swine to
be unclean. ... Horrible as it seems, all these wicked commands were carried out. ...
/.../duff/the bible in its making/chapter vi the attack on.htm

Whether Christ's Judiciary Power Extends to the Angels?
... whom the devils besought that they might be sent into the swine, according to ...
everlasting bliss; and as to the essential punishment of the wicked angels, which ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether christs judiciary power extends.htm

Gregory Laments his Departure under a Threefold Comparison ...
... one, for something he had not looked forward to"the sustenance of swine and serfs ...
a bane by the prophet, [256] "and in our case, indeed, those of wicked men ...
/.../argument xvi gregory laments his departure.htm

Against those who Object Because the Devil Has not Been Put Out of ...
... And in testimony of this we brought forward the swine, against which the Demons
were ... Let the Devil be allowed to be exceeding wicked, not by nature, but by ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily ii against those who.htm