A gold ring in a pig’s snout

Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.

[Proverbs 11:22]

Gold rings and physical beauty

No one disputes the beauty and value of a gold ring. In the same way, the bible doesn’t teach that physical beauty is a bad thing. In fact, the bible tells us when women were beautiful, and some of the key women in the bible were, Sarah, Esther, etc.

This proverb compares physical beauty with a gold ring, which is a good thing. But put that gold ring in a pig’s snout and it looks out-of-place. The beauty and value of the gold is wasted and covered up.

A pig uses its snout to dig in the mud and slop. That gold ring will soon be bent up and covered in stinky filth, if not lost altogether.

Character is larger than beauty

Notice the size of a gold ring compared to the whole hog. Physical beauty may be a good and desirable thing, but it’s a small thing compared to one’s character. And when character is bad, it drags the beauty through the mud until it is distorted, covered in filth, or lost altogether.

Physical beauty is a relatively small portion of what makes up a person. And beauty is out-of-place, wasted, and soon unattractive on a person of bad character. If you think you can have bad character and your physical beauty will still attract people and be an asset, you are correct. Just remember though, the only ones attracted to stinking, filthy hogs, are other stinking, filthy hogs!

Pigs attract pigs

Women, if you want a man who isn’t a pig, then don’t act like one yourself! Even if you’re beautiful, your character is what counts. Your beauty will be as unattractive as a ring in a pig’s snout if your character is bad.

This verse specifically mentions discretion. If you behave and speak with no regard for how you may be offending others, then you lack discretion. If you gossip and can’t keep private information, well, private, then you lack discretion.

No one wants to be around someone who mindlessly offends them, or embarrasses them by telling others what should have remained private. That would be like hanging out in the pig stall, getting mud all over yourself and smelling the hogs.

Don’t be a hog with a gold ring in its snout. Spend more time working on your character than you do managing your photos on Facebook.

photo credit: Project 404