Pearl

(Prov. 8:11; 31:10; Matt. 7:6; 1 Tim. 2:9) is a product of mollusks, or pearl-bearing sea shells, gathered in ancient times in the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and especially in the Persian Gulf. In Holy Scripture the kingdom of Christ is likened to a precious pearl which a merchant buys, selling all that he had (Matt. 13:46). The glorious estate of the saints in heaven is likewise depicted under the image of twelve gates, each fashioned from a single precious pearl (Rev. 21:21).

The Lord Jesus Christ forbids His disciples to cast pearls before swine, that is, to enter into disputes over the sacred truths of the Gospel with stubborn, unbelieving, and blasphemous people. The most precious pearls have from time immemorial been gathered, and still are gathered, in the Persian Gulf, and from earliest antiquity, as now, they have been especially favored as an adornment by the rulers and sovereigns of the East, as well as by women (1 Tim. 2:9; Rev. 18:16). The modest luster of the pearl and its simple beauty apparently pleased the peoples of the East far more than the dazzling brilliance of diamonds, other gems, and precious stones.