“Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout 

is a beautiful woman without discretion.”

Proverbs 11:22

Though our contemporary culture would be accused of toxic masculinity for saying something like this, the Spirit inspired biblical author believes this is a wise and profitable teaching. Whereas we would have said that a beautiful woman lacking discretion is a bit of a disappointment, Solomon regards her as a monstrosity. As one thinks through the meaning of such a vivid and graphic proverb, they quickly realize that this is a lesson often neglected in our society that prizes beauty over discretion. We would be wise to wean ourselves from the present-day culture’s way of thinking and to lay this biblical wisdom to heart.

External Beauty

External beauty, like a gold ring, is a gift from God. As one makes their way through the Bible, they will quickly notice that Rachel was beautiful in appearance (Genesis 29:17), that Job’s daughters were more beautiful than all others (Job 42:15), that Esther had a stunning figure (Esther 2:7), that Joseph was handsome in form (Genesis 39:6), that Moses was beautiful in the Lord’s eyes (Acts 7:20), and that David had lovely eyes and was regarded as good-looking (1 Samuel 25:33). It is evident that external beauty is not an anathema in the eyes of the Lord. Like a gold ring, beauty is both valuable and desirable. It is a good gift from a benevolent God.

Gold Rings on Pigs

Nevertheless, just as a gold ring loses its outwards appeal and desirability when it is attached to an unclean pig’s snout, so external beauty loses its attractiveness and allure when it is attached to a woman that lacks discretion. A pig takes the gold ring that is pierced through his snout and begins to root up the ground. The shine of the gold ring loses its charm as it gets covered with the mire and mud of the earth. The valuable and beautiful ring becomes unbecoming and undesirable as one looks at the filthy creature behind it.

Beauty Without Discretion

And so it is when external beauty is attached to a woman lacking discretion. To have discretion is to have godly wisdom and discernment that allows one to act in a way that honors the Lord. Discretion is what the beautiful Abigail had when she counseled King David not to avenge himself but to leave vengeance to the Lord (1 Samuel 25:33). On the other hand, to lack discretion is to lack godly wisdom and discernment. This, in turn, causes one to act in a way that is distasteful to Christ.

The beautiful woman that lacks discretion spends her days wallowing in the sewage and sludge of the world. Rather than pleasantly speaking about spiritual things, she gives her tongue to gossip and slander. Instead of adorning herself with good works that are pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ, she gives unbridled reign to her sensual passions. When she could be tenderly tending to other’s for Christ’s sake, she selfishly seeks her own self-interest. While she lives this life, she lives for her own sinful lusts. 

And as she lives a life that lacks discretion, her external beauty becomes as unbecoming and undesirable as a gold ring in a pig snout. While the godly, virtuous wife is to be praised (Proverbs 31:30), the woman without discretion is to be pitied. If she were in Christ and filled with the Spirit, she could be pictured as the crown of her husband and as far more precious than jewels (Proverbs 12:4; Proverbs 31:10), but while she remains apart from Christ and lacking discretion, she is pictured as nothing more than an undesirable gold ring in a pig’s snout.