Pigs get a bad rap! Think of all the idioms in the English language about pigs. Not a one of them is very flattering.
- If you eat too much or too fast, you are told that you eat like a pig.
- At a buffet, there is the temptation to pig out.
- The star athlete who wants the ball for themselves is called a ball hog.
- If your room’s a mess, it might be called a pig sty.
- A pig in a poke is a purchase made without knowing its value.
- A stubborn person is pig headed.
- A show off is being a
- If you carry someone on your shoulders, they got a piggyback ride – and you got the sore back!
- Even a seemingly positive hog related comment comes across with a bit of negativity. For instance, you might be happy, but you are as happy as a pig in the mud. The excited person goes hog wild.
And it might be said that you went whole hog, meaning you went all out – usually to the point of frivolous extravagance.
Now, the impetus for this devotional is in another piggy phrase that isn’t flattering – and is completely inaccurate. Have you ever said that you are sweating like a hog or pig? That means you are sweating profusely. However, if you know anything about hogs, they don’t sweat so where does the phrase come from?
“The expression dates to the days of industrial steel production and refers to pig iron, which was shaped in molds that had the pieces branching off to look like piglets suckling on a sow. Once produced, pig iron was not cool enough to move without burning anything it touched until it reached a point at which water vapor condensed on its surface (dew point), producing “sweat.” Hence, “sweating like a pig.”1
Humans sweat through thermoregulation. Part of that entails sweating. As we get hot, moisture breaks out on our body. As the air cools it, we receive the benefits and start to cool down. Dogs and other animals accomplish this through panting. Pigs enjoy rolling in the mud.
Even in the Bible, pigs didn’t have the best reputation. They were an unclean animal which the Jews couldn’t eat (Leviticus 11:7). I guess that’s good for the pig! Taking care of pigs was a job held by those of the lowest reputation, as seen in Luke 15 and the story of the prodigal son. They were a desirable habitation for the demons Jesus had cast out in Matthew 8. Two other verses, though, really captured my thoughts.
Proverbs 11:22 says, “As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.” Discretion has a broad range of meanings. It means good behavior, good judgment, good reasoning skills, understanding. Bruce Waltke writes, “It implies that she has turned herself into a boorish animal in her dress, speech, and behavior. In fact, she is worse than a pig. The sow by nature is boorish, but this woman ‘turns aside’ from her dignity. The misplaced ornaments, instead of enhancing her beauty, make her look foolishly wasteful, grotesque, and repulsive. Instead of gaining honor by her natural gift, she wins ridicule (11:16). The proverb instructs youth to give priority to inner grace, not outward beauty.”
Campbell Morgan takes the explanation further. “If the thought of the contrast be carried out a little, it will be recognized that the swine will speedily destroy the luster of the gold, and so a woman lacking discretion will surely destroy her own beauty.”
The other verse that grabs me is Matthew 7:6. “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” Have you ever fed pigs? If so, you understand why it’s called slopping the hogs. It’s an absolute feeding frenzy! We are warned in Matthew not to give that which is holy to the unholy. The Believer’s Bible Commentary writes, “When we meet vicious people who treat divine truths with utter contempt and respond to our preaching of the claims of Christ with abuse and violence, we are not obligated to continue to share the gospel with them. To press the matter only brings increased condemnation to the offenders.”
Hogs get a bad rap for legitimate reasons. Don’t become a victim of their hoggish ways or succumb to someone’s boorish behavior. Think about this devotional as you eat that slice of bacon, ham, or pork loin.
1https://www.historynet.com/sweating-like-pig-come/
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