Pigs, also known as swine, are mentioned several times throughout the Bible, often symbolizing uncleanness and being associated with Gentile practices. In the ancient Near Eastern context, pigs were considered unclean animals according to the dietary laws given to the Israelites.

Old Testament References

In the Mosaic Law, pigs are explicitly listed among the animals that the Israelites were forbidden to eat. Leviticus 11:7-8 states, "And the pig, though it has a split hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you." Similarly, Deuteronomy 14:8 reiterates this prohibition, emphasizing the pig's status as an unclean animal.

The prohibition against eating pork was a significant aspect of the Israelites' identity, setting them apart from surrounding nations. This dietary restriction was part of a broader set of laws designed to maintain ritual purity and holiness among God's chosen people.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, pigs are mentioned in the context of Jesus' ministry. One of the most notable references is found in the account of the Gerasene demoniac. In Mark 5:11-13 , it is recorded, "There on the nearby hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the demons begged Jesus, 'Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.' He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water."

This event highlights the association of pigs with uncleanness and demonic activity, reinforcing their negative connotations within Jewish culture. The destruction of the pigs also serves as a demonstration of Jesus' authority over evil spirits.

Symbolism and Cultural Context

Pigs are often used symbolically in the Bible to represent impurity and moral corruption. In Proverbs 11:22 , it is written, "Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion." This proverb uses the image of a pig to illustrate the incongruity of external beauty paired with a lack of inner virtue.

In the parable of the Prodigal Son, found in Luke 15:11-32, the younger son ends up feeding pigs, which signifies his fall from grace and the depth of his degradation. For a Jewish audience, this detail would underscore the son's desperate and unclean state.

Theological Implications

The biblical portrayal of pigs underscores the importance of holiness and separation from practices deemed unclean or idolatrous. The dietary laws, including the prohibition against eating pork, were part of God's covenant with Israel, intended to teach obedience and distinguish His people from other nations.

In the New Testament, the coming of Christ and the establishment of the New Covenant brought a shift in understanding regarding ritual purity. In Acts 10, Peter's vision of a sheet containing all kinds of animals, including those previously considered unclean, signifies the removal of dietary restrictions and the inclusion of Gentiles into the faith. This vision is explained in Acts 10:15 , where a voice tells Peter, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

Thus, while pigs remain a symbol of uncleanness in the biblical narrative, the New Testament reveals a broader theological message of redemption and the breaking down of barriers between Jew and Gentile through Christ.

"Moreover, it Will be Worth While to Relate Also Some of his ...
... laying aside that old Adam, who still remains in that man, rather put on the new
Adam.' Oxen had, in one part, eaten up the grass of the meadows; pigs also had ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter x moreover it will.htm

For a Case must be Imagined...
... order that things may be seen more clearly"if dogs, I say, and asses, and along
with them water-wagtails, if the twittering swallows, and pigs also, having ...
/.../arnobius/the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/17 lo if dogs .htm

Of the Nature of Tithes.
... including tithe for the agistment of cattle. The second, MIXED, as of wool,
milk, pigs, &c. consisting of natural products, but matured ...
/.../prideaux/directions to church-wardens/1 of the nature of.htm

Choosing the Tens
... In the open spaces were covered heaps of sand, and tons of lime, in sacks; layers
of paint and hogsheads of tar; ingots of copper and pigs of bronze. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter i choosing the tens.htm

The Dark was Lifting as Vergilius Entered the Field of Mars. ...
... wailing. "It is like a sticking of pigs to leave a lot of plebeian women,"
said Manius, when the sound was far out of hearing. "An ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bacheller/vergilius/chapter 11 the dark was.htm

The Man Possessed by Devils.
... He suffered them to do so, and the devils went out of the man and entered into the
pigs, and the whole herd ran violently over the cliff into the water and ...
/.../anonymous/mother stories from the new testament/the man possessed by devils.htm

The Prodigal Son.
... of bread to eat. So he went and hired himself to a man of that country,
who sent him into the fields to feed his pigs. And he was ...
/.../anonymous/mother stories from the new testament/the prodigal son.htm

The Lesson Stories of Jesus.
... he could get. It was not easy to find work, for the only thing he could
do was to hire himself to a man who kept pigs. His work ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xxx the lesson stories.htm

Ep. Xlviii. To Basil.
... Give me before all things quiet. Why should I fight for sucking pigs and
fowls, and those not my own, as though for souls and canons? ...
/.../cyril/select letters of saint gregory nazianzen/ep xlviii to basil.htm

Opinions of Various Philosophers on the Chief Good.
... cold, uttered that godlike word, saying impiously that he would fight in these points
even with Father Jove; teaching, as if it were the case of pigs that live ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi opinions of various philosophers.htm

Pigs (18 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Pigs (18 Occurrences). ... (WEB BBE NIV). Matthew 8:30 Now
there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them. (WEB BBE NIV). ...
/p/pigs.htm - 11k

Rushed (24 Occurrences)
... Matthew 8:32 He said to them, "Go!" They came out, and went into the herd of pigs:
and behold, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea, and ...
/r/rushed.htm - 14k

Feeding (37 Occurrences)
... Matthew 8:30 Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them. ... (YLT).
Mark 5:11 Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding. ...
/f/feeding.htm - 17k

Rushing (61 Occurrences)
... And they came out, and went into the pigs; and the herd went rushing down a sharp
slope into the sea and came to their end in the water. (BBE). ...
/r/rushing.htm - 24k

Pig (4 Occurrences)
... 6. (vt & i.) To bring forth (pigs); to bring forth in the manner of pigs; to farrow.
7. (vt & i.) To huddle or lie together like pigs, in one bed. ...
/p/pig.htm - 8k

Slope (29 Occurrences)
... And they came out, and went into the pigs; and the herd went rushing down a sharp
slope into the sea and came to their end in the water. (BBE DBY). ...
/s/slope.htm - 16k

Begged (71 Occurrences)
... Begged (71 Occurrences). Matthew 8:31 The demons begged him, saying, "If you cast
us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs." (WEB RSV NIV). ...
/b/begged.htm - 26k

Sharp (115 Occurrences)
... And they came out, and went into the pigs; and the herd went rushing down a sharp
slope into the sea and came to their end in the water. (BBE). ...
/s/sharp.htm - 38k

Spirits (129 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Matthew 8:31 And the evil spirits made strong prayers to him, saying,
If you send us out, let us go into the herd of pigs. (BBE). ...
/s/spirits.htm - 42k

Bank (28 Occurrences)
... Matthew 8:32 He said to them, "Go!" They came out, and went into the herd of pigs:
and behold, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea, and ...
/b/bank.htm - 26k

Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs? | GotQuestions.org

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