Pearls

Pearls are precious in almost all cultures that became acquainted with them. Well-formed pearls of high lustre are relatively rare in nature lending them extra value. Curiously, pearls are reported in the OT and all the references to them in the Bible are foundly only in the NT.

The first time we hear of them is in Jesus' counsel not to throw our pearls to the pigs lest they trample them under their feet (Matt 7:6), a call to exercise wisdom and discernment. Jesus also likens the kingdom of heaven to a merchant looking for fine pearls; "When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it" (Matt 13:45-46). On the other hand Paul counsels women to " to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes" (1 Tim 2:9). This is, of course, not a ban on wearing them; it is rather a call to be mindful of our priorities and decorum. The book of Revelation takes up the other five references to the precious little globules. The female ally of the Beast was attired in pearls and other precious stones (Rev 17:4). The fall of "Babylon" (which come commentators believe is a code for Rome) will be preceeded by merchants refusing to buy her goods, including pearls (18:12) while the personified city is herself dressed up glittering in gold, precious stones and pearls (18:16). The gates of the New Jerusalem—all twelve of them—that John saw in his vision, however, "were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass" (Rev 21:21).