Matthew 23:23

Sunday, 18 October 2026

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Matthew 23:23

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! Because you tithe the mint, and the dill, and the cummin, and you left the ‘weightier, the law’: the judgment, and the mercy, and the faith. These, also, it necessitated to do – those, not leave!” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus finished up His fourth woe to the scribes and Pharisees. He now moves right to the fifth, saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites!” He uses the same opening formula as the first two woes, noting their hypocrisy. He then begins to define it, saying, “Because you tithe.”

Here is a new word, apodekatoo, to give, pay, or take a tithe. It is derived from apo, away or from, and dekatoo, a tithe. The tithe was a mandate of the law of Moses. Like taxes today, tithes were mandated as a part of the society to keep various aspects of the society functioning and to keep the needy from abject poverty.

Greater levies were imposed on the people by kings or by foreign powers, but the tithe of Israel was mandated in the law with specific targeted purposes that were explicitly stated. Jesus singles out certain tithes made by these men, saying, “the mint, and the dill, and the cummin.”

Three new words are seen here. The first is héduosmon, mint. It is derived from hédeós, sweetly, and osmé, fragrance. The two together form a word picture describing mint. The next is anéthon, dill or anise, closely related botanicals. The word is found only here in the Bible.

Next is kuminon, cummin. It is etymologically equivalent to kammon, cummin, found three times in Isaiah 28. The Greek word is found only here in the New Testament. These men did the minimum required by the law, as it says in Leviticus 27:30, “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.”

They were doing what was mandatory and which could be verified by set measurement. But Jesus continues, “and you left the ‘weightier, the law’.”

Another new word is seen: the adjective barus, weighty. Figuratively, it signifies being burdensome or grave. It is derived from the noun baros, weight. There is the sense of the inability to move freely. Jesus’ point is that they did the easy stuff, but neglected that which required true effort.

In other words, the tithe was something that was set and important, but it did not carry the same weight as other precepts mandated in the law. Jesus next notes what those weightier matters are, saying, “the judgment, and the mercy, and the faith.” The words appear to be a loose citation of Micah 6:8 –

“He caused to declare to you, man, what ‘good’.
And what Yehovah ‘inquiring’ from you?
That if doing verdict, and cherishing kindness, and causing to efface,
To walk with your God.” Micah 6:8 (CG)

The final Greek word Jesus uses, pistin, signifies faith or faithfulness based on the context. If Jesus is referring to Micah, faith matches the “causing to efface.” One will only purposefully humble himself before God if he has faith that God cares about those things. Faith looks upward to God as the object of trust. Faithfulness looks outward through actions, obedience, and duty.

Both are understandable, but in Micah, the person being spoken to is being instructed on faith first and foremost. With this stated, Jesus finishes with, “These, also, it necessitated to do – those, not leave!”

The meaning is that the weightier matters (these) were expected, even if they were burdensome. The other matters (those) were always expected to be accomplished as well, even if they were lesser mandates.

Life application: Jesus informed these leaders of Israel that tithing was expected. Does this mean that tithing is required even now? No. The law is fulfilled. Tithing was mandated under the law. The instance of Abraham giving a tenth to Melchizedek is descriptive. It prescribes nothing. Jacob’s promise to give a tenth to the Lord is descriptive. It prescribes nothing.

These cannot be used as examples that must be followed (the made-up and unsupportable doctrine called “the law of first-mention”). Giving within the church is defined by Paul’s words found in 2 Corinthians 9:6, 7 –

“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Tithing is a mandate, not a cheerful decision. To understand the full scope of the tithes of Israel and how the mandate is inappropriately abused within the church, refer to the Superior Word sermons on the subject, the main one of which is found in Deuteronomy 14:22-29, entitled The Tithes of Israel.

Lord God, may we always walk humbly with You, glorifying You with our lives, actions, and interactions. Remind us of Your presence so that You are always at the forefront of our thoughts. Be glorified in and through us always. Amen.