<p>7:6&nbsp;<em>Do not give</em>- We are to judge, but not to condemn (7:1). Clearly this verse 6 requires us to show discernment.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>That which is holy to the dogs-</em>&nbsp;<em>Hagios</em>, &quot;the holy&quot;, could be translated 'the holy ones', the saints. They were not to be thrown out to the dogs- i.e. to be condemned. This command not to condemn would then fit in seamlessly with the teaching of the preceding verses. The dogs which were on the edge of the city are associated with condemnation in both Jewish thought and Biblically (Ps. 59:6,14; Rev. 22:15). We are not to condemn, to throw the saints out to the dogs.</p>
<p><em>Nor cast</em>-&nbsp;<em>Ballo</em>, related to&nbsp;<em>ekballo</em>&nbsp;(&quot;cast out&quot;) in :5. I have noted several times that 'casting out' is used in the Lord's thought for condemnation.</p>
<p><em>Your pearls</em>- Pearls represent the believers. The 12 pearls of Rev. 21:21 represent the 12 disciples. The Lord Jesus in His work with us is &quot;seeking goodly pearls&quot; (Mt. 13:45). The pearls are 'ours' in the sense that all that are Christ's are ours, as He makes explicit in John 17. His pearls are our brethren.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Before the pigs, lest they trample them under their feet</em>- Trampling by pigs was another Jewish figure of condemnation, of rejection into the Gentile world. Earlier in the Sermon, the Lord used the figure of trampling [s.w.] to describe condemnation and rejection (Mt. 5:13). To trample under foot meant to despise and specifically, to reject (s.w. Heb. 10:29 &quot;trodden underfoot the Son of God&quot;). Again the point is being made- don't condemn your brethren and treat them as mere worldlings, or even worse, those who shall be rejected from God's Kingdom. To refuse to fellowship them is treating them just like that.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>And turn again and tear you to pieces</em>- If we condemn our brethren, as it were casting them out to the pigs- those same pigs will turn on us and rend us- i.e.,&nbsp;<em>we</em>&nbsp;will share the same condemnation which we gave our brethren. And thus the point of 7:1 is repeated- if you condemn, you shall be condemned. The same word translated &quot;rend&quot; is used by the Lord in Mt. 9:17 about how the wine of the new covenant will &quot;burst&quot; or destroy the old wineskins and the wine will run out from them. The bursting or rending of the wineskins is a picture of destruction and condemnation. The pigs of condemnation to whom we consigned our brethren will turn again and trample&nbsp;<em>us</em>&nbsp;underfoot. Therefore- do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. This interpretation of verse 6 fits snugly into the context of the preceding verses. Any attempt to make it apply to not offering the Gospel to &quot;pigs&quot; in case we get hurt by them would seem out of context- and contrary to the spirit of taking the Gospel to all men without discrimination, and never holding back in sharing the Gospel from fear that we might get beat up for it.&nbsp;</p>