As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.
Parallel translations
- WEB Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout, is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.
- KJV As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.
- BSB Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.
- NASB As a ring of gold in a pig’s snout So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.
- NLT A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Beauty without discretion is like a gold ring in a pig's snout. Outward attractiveness is wasted and incongruous when it lacks good sense.
Overview
With a memorable, almost comic image, the proverb teaches that physical beauty divorced from discernment is misplaced and worthless. It warns against prizing appearance over character. The lesson echoes Scripture's consistent call to value the inner adornment of a wise and godly heart above outward show.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 1 Pet 3:3–4Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing;
- Prov 31:30Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.
- Nah 3:4–6because of the multitude of the prostitution of the alluring prostitute, the mistress of witchcraft, who sells nations through her prostitution, and families through her witchcraft.
- 2 Pet 2:22But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog turns to his own vomit again,” and “the sow that has washed to wallowing in the mire.”
- Prov 9:13The foolish woman is loud, undisciplined, and knows nothing.
- Prov 7:10Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
- Gen 24:47I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands.
- Ezek 16:15–22“‘“But you trusted in your beauty, and played the prostitute because of your renown, and poured out your prostitution on everyone who passed by. It was his.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 11:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.