Ecclesiastes 11:22

Nova Vulgata

Circulus aureus in naribus suis mulier pulchra et fatua.

Parallel Translations

Clementine Latin Vulgate (1592)
Circulus aureus in naribus suis, mulier pulchra et fatua.

Jerome's Latin Vulgate (405)
Circulus aureus in naribus suis,
mulier pulchra et fatua.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a jewel: Proverbs 31:30, Ezekiel 16:15-22, Nahum 3:4-6, 1 Peter 3:3, 1 Peter 3:4, 2 Peter 2:22

is without: Heb. departed from, Proverbs 7:10, Proverbs 9:13

Reciprocal: Matthew 7:6 - cast

Gill's Notes on the Bible

[As] a jewel of gold in a swine's snout,.... The allusion seems to be to the ringing of swine, to prevent their rooting up the earth; which is usually done by putting an iron ring into their snout; which is much more proper and suitable than a gold ring, or a jewel set in gold, which is very unbecoming such a creature; and is soon had to the dunghill, or to some miry place, and there defiled;

[so is] a fair woman which is without discretion; or, "has departed from taste" y; from a taste of virtue and honour; lost all sense of modesty and chastity; forsaken her husband, and given up herself to the embraces of others. As her beauty is fitly expressed by a "jewel of gold", which is valuable and desirable, and, rightly placed and used, is ornamental; so she is properly represented by a swine, wallowing in the impurities of lust; to which her beauty was the snare, and whereby it is quickly sullied and lost. Jarchi applies this to a disciple of a wise man, or a scholar that departs from the good way, or from the law; which he explains by taste or sense: but it may be better applied to the scarlet whore, or apostate church of Rome; which has departed from Christ, once her professed husband; from the doctrines of the Gospel, and the ordinances of it; from all taste and savour of true religion; and even from common sense and right reason, as in the affair of transubstantiation, and other things; and may be fitly compared to a swine with a jewel of gold in its snout, being "decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls"; and yet "drunk with the blood of the saints", and "martyrs of Jesus"; and wallowing in all the faith of fornication, of idolatry, and superstition; as well as in all manner of other sins and iniquities, Revelation 17:4.

y וסרת טעם Heb. "recedens a gusta", Piscator; "cujus recessit sapor", Schultens.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The most direct proverb, in the sense of “similitude,” which has as yet met us.

Jewel of gold - Better, ring; i. e., the nose-ring Genesis 24:22, Genesis 24:47; Isaiah 3:21.

Without discretion - literally, “without taste,” void of the subtle tact and grace, without which mere outward beauty is as ill-bestowed as the nose-ring in the snout of the unclean beast. If we may assume that in ancient Syria, as in modern Europe, swine commonly wore such a ring to hinder them doing mischief, the similitude receives a fresh vividness.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 11:22. A jewel of gold in a swine's snout — That is, beauty in a woman destitute of good breeding and modest carriage, is as becoming as a gold ring on the snout of a swine. Coverdale translates thus: "A fayre woman without discrete maners, is like a ringe of golde in a swyne's snoute." In Asiatic countries the nose jewel is very common: to this the text alludes.