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Proverbs 11:22

Solomon uses humour in this verse. Solomon and his nation hated pigs. Everybody in Israel believed that pigs were unholy animals. The people never ate pig meat (Leviticus 11:7).

An ugly pig does not become beautiful, even if it has a gold ring! In the same way, a foolish woman is never really beautiful! (By ‘foolish’, Solomon means a person who refuses God’s wisdom.)

A beautiful woman should be kind and generous. The woman’s face might be ugly or pretty. But she is really beautiful if she does good things! (1 Peter 3:3-4)

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See also Proverbs 11:22 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Proverbs 11:22. _A JEWEL OF GOLD IN A SWINE'S SNOUT_] That is, beauty in a woman destitute of good breeding and modest carriage, is as becoming as a gold ring on the snout of a swine. _Coverdal...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    The most direct proverb, in the sense of “similitude,” which has as yet met us. JEWEL OF GOLD - Better, ring; i. e., the nose-ring Genesis 24:22, Genesis 24:47; Isaiah 3:

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 11 THE CONTRAST CONTINUED The continued contrast in this chapter between the righteous and the wicked contains many precious gems, sweet to faith and wholesome for instruction. In the second v...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    PROVERBS 11. The orthodox view of strictly retributive justice found in Proverbs 10:24 f., Proverbs 11:27 is represented by a further group (Proverbs 11:2;...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    JEWEL. a nose-jewel, worn by women. See Genesis 24:47; Isaiah 3:21. FAIR. beautiful....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _jewel_ Rather, RING (R.V. marg.). The reference to the _nosering_, which Eastern women wore as an ornament, gives point to the proverb. See Genesis 24:47; Ezekiel 16:12, in both which places R.V. ren...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AS A JEWEL OF GOLD, &C.— See Job 42:11. The meaning is, "As a jewel of gold would be ill placed in the snout of a swine, which is always raking in the mire; so is beauty ill bestowed on a woman, whose...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT Proverbs 11:22-31 22. As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, So is a fair woman that is without discretion. 23. The desire of the righteous is only good; But the expectation of the wicked is...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion. (AS) A JEWEL OF GOLD IN A SWINE'S SNOUT, (SO IS) A FAIR WOMAN (WHICH IS) WITHOUT DISCRETION - literally, witho...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight. Under this prohibition of "a false balance" is forbidden all fraud, by whatsoever suns of deception it may be committed,...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1. False weights were exceedingly common (Proverbs 16:11; Proverbs 20:10; Amos 8:5)....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    A gold ring was and still is worn by Oriental women, depending from the right nostril to the mouth....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    AS A JEWEL OF GOLD IN A SWINE’S SNOUT. — Rather, _a nose-ring_ run through the right nostril and hanging down over the mouth; a female ornament used from the earliest times (Genesis 24:47; Isaiah 3:21...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    נֶ֣זֶם זָ֭הָב בְּ אַ֣ף חֲזִ֑יר אִשָּׁ֥ה יָ֝פָ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 12 GOODNESS "The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them." Proverbs 11:6 "An unjust man is the abomination of the righteous, and he who goes right in his way is the abomination of t...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Verse Proverbs 11:7. The antithesis of this proverb is between the condition described and that of one not described, that is to say, the expectation or hope of the wicked lies wholly on this side of...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Foolish. Beauty, without prudence, leads to ruin, as ornaments are ill bestowed on swine. The women in the east sometimes wore rings in their noses, (Genesis xxiv. 22.; Calmet) or hanging down upon t...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches. The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh. The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 10 THROUGH 31. In chapter 10 begin the details which teach those who give ear how to avoid the snares into which the simple might fall, the path to be followe...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    [AS] A JEWEL OF GOLD IN A SWINE'S SNOUT,.... The allusion seems to be to the ringing of swine, to prevent their rooting up the earth; which is usually done by putting an iron ring into their snout; wh...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Proverbs 11:22 [As] a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, [so is] a fair woman which is without discretion. Ver. 22. As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout.] It is a small praise, saith one, to have a g...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout_ Which would not adorn the swine, but only be disparaged itself; _so is a fair woman without discretion_ Who disgraceth the beauty of her body by a foolish and f...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    V. 22. AS A JEWEL OF GOLD IN A SWINE'S SNOUT, a nose-ring such as is worn in the Orient, SO IS A FAIR WOMAN WHICH IS WITHOUT DISCRETION, without a sense of propriety and modesty, her beauty correspond...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    IS WITHOUT: _ Heb._ departeth from...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    10-31 This is the description of a virtuous woman of those days, but the general outlines equally suit every age and nation. She is very careful to recommend herself to her husband's esteem and affec...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    AS A JEWEL OF GOLD IN A SWINE'S SNOUT; which would not adorn the swine, but only be disparaged itself. It was the custom of some of the Jews to wear jewels upon their noses, and some of their neighbou...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Proverbs 11:22 ring H5141 gold H2091 swines H2386 snout H639 lovely H3303 woman H802 lacks H5493 (H8802) discreti

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    FURTHER CONTRASTS BETWEEN THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS (PROVERBS 11:15). In this subsection we again have the continual contrast between the righteous, the gracious, the merciful and the blamele...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Proverbs contrasting good and evil. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLUSION: The ways of righteousness are plain and safe and in them we may enjoy a holy security. The ways of wickedness are dangerous...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Proverbs 11:1. _A false balance is an abomination to the Lord._ A dishonest tradesman here receives a hard stroke. Though his weight be but little short of the standard; yet by using it a thousand tim...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion._ A GOOD THING IN A BAD PLACE The Jews regarded the pig as an unclean animal. The heathen around worshipped the...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _MAIN HOMILETICS OF Proverbs 11:22_ PRECIOUS THINGS POSSESSED BY UNWORTHY OWNERS I. THERE IS AN ANALOGY BETWEEN GOLD AND BEAUTY. 1. _They are both gifts from God_. Whether a man possesses gold by in...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROVERBS 11:1 A FALSE BALANCE; literally, _balances of deceit _(Proverbs 20:23). The repetition of the injunctions of Deuteronomy 25:13,...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Shall we turn now in Proverbs to the eleventh chapter. Now we have come in the Proverbs to individual little sayings of wisdom. Each one is separate and complete in itself and unrelated to the next. S...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Peter 3:3; 1 Peter 3:4; 2 Peter 2:22; Ezekiel 16:15; Nahum 3:4;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    So is a fair woman without discretion — "Of beauty vain, of virtue void, What art thou in the sight of God? A slave to every base desire, A creature wallowing in the mire. Go, gaudy pageant of a day,...

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