Words of Wisdom
Proverbs
11:22
As
a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without
discretion.
Women in Israel often
wore nose rings for ornamental purposes, as is common in many cultures
throughout the world, even today. The comparison made here is meant to be
slightly shocking, as pigs were considered unclean animals. Beauty is
represented by something small and insignificant, as compared to the
disgusting, filthy, and enormous problem of indiscretion.
The virtue praised here is what modern English speakers would
call “good taste.” This is a person's awareness of what is appropriate,
respectable, well-mannered, or dignified. A woman with “discretion,” in this
case, is one who acts sensibly and with self-control, as opposed to one who is
crude, offensive, or “tacky.”
Proverbs 31:10 describes a truly virtuous woman as “far
more precious than jewels.”
The Apostle Peter stresses that genuine
attractiveness is not achieved by adorning the body but by adorning “the hidden
person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which in God's sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:4).
