TRV
Translation
King James Version
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
KJV (with Strong's)
Woe G3759 unto you G5213, scribes G1122 and G2532 Pharisees G5330, hypocrites G5273! for G3754 ye pay tithe G586 of mint G2238 and G2532 anise G432 and G2532 cummin G2951, and G2532 have omitted G863 the weightier G926 matters of the law G3551, judgment G2920,G2532 mercy G1656, and G2532 faith G4102: these G5023 ought ye G1163 to have done G4160, and not G3361 to leave G863 the other G2548 undone G863.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P'rushim! You pay your tithes of mint, dill and cumin; but you have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah -- justice, mercy, trust. These are the things you should have attended to -- without neglecting the others!
Berean Standard Bible
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
American Standard Version
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone.
World English Bible Messianic
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the Torah: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Wo be to you, Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites: for ye tithe mynt, and annyse, and cummyn, and leaue the weightier matters of the law, as iudgement, and mercy and fidelitie. These ought ye to haue done, and not to haue left the other.
Young's Literal Translation
`Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law--the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved you to do, and those not to neglect.
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Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers . Public domain.
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Origen of Alexandria (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 253
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
But because it was possible that some, hearing the Lord speak thus, might thereupon neglect paying tithes of small things, He prudently adds, These things ought ye to have done, (i. e. justice, mercy, and faith,) and not to leave the others undone, i. e. the tithing of mint, anise, and cummin.
Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 19-20
Not only among the Jews but among ourselves as well, we find people sinning in these ways. They are swallowing camels. People of this type frequently show off their religion even in the smallest of things. They are rightly called hypocrites for wanting to exploit their religiosity before men but being unwilling to undertake that very faith which God himself has justified. Therefore the imitators of the scribes and Pharisees must be dislodged and sent away from us, lest a woe touches us in the same way it touches them. The scribes could be described as those who valued nothing found in the Scriptures except its plain sense interpreted legalistically. Meanwhile they condemn those who look into the very depths of God himself. Mint and dill and cummin are only spices for food but are not themselves substantial food. What substantive food would mean in conversion would be that which is necessary for the justification of our souls—faith and love—unlike these legalisms, which are more like condiments and flavorings. It is as if a meal might be thought to consist more of condiments and flavorings than the food itself. The seriousness of judgment is neglected while great attention is given to minor matters. Spiritual exercises which in and of themselves are hardly justice are spoken of as justice and compassion and faith. It is lacking in justice to treat these small parts as the whole. When we do not offer to God the observance of all that is necessary for worship, we fail altogether.
Hilary of Poitiers (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 367
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
And because it was much less guilt to omit the tithing of herbs than a duty of benevolence, the Lord derides them, Ye blind guides, which strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Hilary of PoitiersAD 367
Commentary on Matthew 24.7
What is lost is the hidden dimension of the evil will. These hidden things of the mind bring about these distortions of the law. The law prescribes that a tenth be given, so they measure out a tenth of a measure of mint and dill but only in order that they might be thought by other men to fulfill the law. They abandon mercy and justice, faith and every form of benevolence. Yet these are the true duties of man.… God laughs at the superficial diligence of those who measure cucumbers. God laughs at our attempts to swallow camels, as if the sins of avoidance were less serious than the sins of consumption.
John Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 407
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
The Lord had said above that they bound heavy burdens upon others, which they themselves would not touch; He now again shows how they aimed at being correct in little things, but neglected weighty matters.
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 73
Then He derides them for folly also, because they bade them disregard the greater commandments. And yet before He had said the opposite, that "they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne." But these things too they did again and were doing everything for the corruption of those who were subject to them, in little things requiring strictness, and despising the great.
"For ye pay tithe," He saith, "of mint and anise, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, and mercy, and faith. These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone."
Here then He naturally saith it, where it is tithe and almsgiving, for what doth it hurt to give alms? But not to keep the law; for neither doth it say thus. Therefore here indeed He saith, "These ought ye to have done;" but where He is speaking about clean and unclean, He no longer adds this, but makes a distinction, and shows that the inward purity is necessarily followed by the outward, but the converse is no longer so.
For where there is a plea of love to man, He passes it over lightly, for this very reason, and because it was not yet time expressly and plainly to revoke the things of the law. But where it is an observance of bodily purification, He overthrows it more plainly.
Then, to show that there is no harm arising from despising bodily cleansings, but very great vengeance from not regarding the purifications of the soul, which is virtue, He called these "a gnat," for they are small and nothing, but those other a camel, for they were beyond what men could bear. Wherefore also He saith, "Straining at the gnat, and swallowing the camel." For indeed the one were enacted for the sake of the other, I mean of mercy and judgment; so that not even then did they profit being done alone. For whereas the little things were mentioned for the sake of the great, and after that these last were neglected, and labor was spent on those alone, nothing was gained even then by this. For the greater followed not the lesser, but the lesser were sure to follow these greater.
But these things He saith to show, that even before grace was come, these were not among the principal things, or amongst those upon which men should spend their labor, but the matters required were different. But if before the grace they were so, much more when high commandments had come, were these things unprofitable, and it was not meet to practise them at all.
In every case then is vice a grievous thing, but especially when it does not so much as think it needs amendment; and it is yet more grievous, when it thinks itself sufficient even to amend others; to express which Christ calls them "blind guides." For if for a blind man not to think he needs a guide be extreme misery and wretchedness; when he wishes himself to guide others, see to what a gulf it leads.
But these things He said, by all intimating their mad desire of glory, and their exceeding frenzy concerning this pest. For this became a cause to them of all their evils, namely, that they did all things for display. This both led them away from the faith, and caused them to neglect what really is virtue, and induced them to busy themselves about bodily purifyings only, neglecting the purifications of the soul. So therefore to lead them into what really is virtue, and to the purifyings of the soul, He makes mention of mercy, and judgment, and faith. For these are the things that comprise our life, these are what purify the soul, justice, love to man, truth; the one inclining us to pardon and not suffering us to be excessively severe and unforgiving to them that sin (for then shall we gain doubly, both becoming kind to man, and hence meeting also ourselves with much kindness from the God of all), and causing us both to sympathize with them that are despitefully entreated, and to assist them; the other not suffering them to be deceitful, and crafty.
But neither when He saith, "These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone," doth He say it as introducing a legal observance; away with the thought; neither with regard to the platter and the cup, when He said, "Cleanse that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also," doth He bring us unto the old regard for little things, but on the contrary indeed, He doth all things to show it to be superfluous. For He said not, Cleanse the outside of them also, but that which is within, and the outside is sure to follow.
Jerome (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 420
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
The Lord had commanded, that for the maintenance of the Priests and Levites, whose portion was the Lord, tithes of every thing should be offered in the temple. Accordingly, the Pharisees (to dismiss mystical expositions) concerned themselves about this alone, that these trifling things should be paid in, but lightly esteemed other things which were weighty. He charges them then with covetousness in exacting carefully the tithes of worthless herbs, while they neglected justice in their transactions of business, mercy to the poor, and faith toward God, which are weighty things.
The camel I suppose to mean the weighty precepts, judgment, mercy, and faith; the gnat, the tithing of mint, anise, and cummin, and other valueless herbs. The greater of God's commands we swallow and overlook, but show our carelessness by a religious scrupulousness in little things which bring profit with them.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Matthew
(Verse 23.) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Many precepts are given in the law that foreshadow future events. But others are open, according to the Psalmist, saying: The commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:8), which are immediately to be desired. For example, thou shalt not commit adultery: thou shalt not steal: thou shalt not bear false witness, etc. But the Pharisees, because the Lord had commanded (let us for the present leave out the mystical understanding) tithes to be offered in the temple for the maintenance of the priests and Levites, whose portion was the Lord’s, were studious in this one thing, that the commands should be observed: but as to the other matters, whether a man should do them or not, they made little account. And from this chapter it accuses them of greed, because they eagerly demand tithes even of cheap vegetables, and neglect justice in the handling of business disputes, and mercy towards the poor, orphans, and widows, and faith in God, which are great.
Cyril of AlexandriaAD 444
FRAGMENT 258.25
“O Pharisees, you demand,” Jesus says, “perhaps the tithes of herbs and the smallest coins while you neglect the commandments, concerning which the violation is greater.” And what kind of commandments are these? Justice, that is, to judge uprightly and blamelessly; mercy, that is, genuineness toward God. For justice and mercy and faith toward God are better than the tithe and firstfruits. Therefore the God of all things says through the prophet, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord require from you but to do justice and to love and seek mercy and to be prepared to follow the Lord your God.” For the genuine faith of those being saved is seen in their exceeding readiness to follow.
Desert FathersAD 500
The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks
A hermit was asked by a brother, ‘How do I find God? With fasts, or labour, or vigils, or works of mercy?’ He replied, ‘You will find Him in all those, and also in discretion. I tell you many have been very stern with their bodies, but have gained nothing by it because they did it without discretion. Even if our mouths stink from fasting, and we have learnt all the Scriptures, and memorized the whole Psalter, we may still lack what God wants, humility and love.’
Pseudo-Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 500
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Or, because these covetous Priests, when any one did not bring his tithes of the smallest thing, made it a matter of grave reprehension; but when one injured his neighbour or sinned against God, they were at no pains to reprove him, careful only of their own profit, neglecting the glory of God, and the salvation of men. For to observe righteousness, to do mercy, and to have faith, these things God commanded for His own glory; but the payment of tithes He established for the support of the Priests, so that the Priests should minister to the people in spiritual things, and the people supply the Priests with carnal things. Thus is it at this time, when all are careful of their own honour, none of God's honour; they jealously protect their own rights, but will not bestow any pains in the service of the Church. If the people pay not their tithes duly, they murmur; but if they see the people in sin, they utter not a word against them. But because some of the Scribes and Pharisees, to whom He is now speaking, were of the people, it is not unsuitable to make a different interpretation; and 'to tithe' may be used as well of him who pays, as of him who receives, tithes. The Scribes then and Pharisees offered tithes of the very best things for the purpose of displaying their righteousness; but in their judgments they were unjust, without mercy for their brethren, without faith for the truth.
Remigius of Rheims (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 533
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
In these words the Lord shows that all the commandments of the Law, greatest and least, are to be fulfilled. They also are refuted who give alms of the fruits of the earth, supposing that thus they cannot sin, whereas their alms profit them nothing unless they are careful to keep themselves from sin.
Gregory the Dialogist (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 604
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(Mor. i. 15.) Or otherwise; The gnat stings while it hums; the camel bows its back to receive its load. The Jews then strained off the gnat, when they prayed to have the seditious robber released to them; and they swallowed the camel, when they sought with shouts the death of Him who had voluntarily taken on Him the burden of our mortality.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
In this poignant denunciation, Jesus issues a "woe" to the scribes and Pharisees, exposing their profound hypocrisy. While meticulously observing the minor stipulations of the Mosaic Law, such as tithing even the smallest garden herbs like mint, anise, and cummin, they flagrantly neglected the foundational and more significant principles of God's law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Jesus asserts that both aspects of obedience are important, but the weightier matters are paramount and should never be overlooked in favor of lesser observances.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several powerful Literary Devices to convey Jesus's message. The repeated "Woe unto you" throughout Matthew 23 functions as Anaphora, creating a rhythmic and emphatic condemnation that highlights the severity of their spiritual condition. Juxtaposition is central to the verse's impact, sharply contrasting the Pharisees' meticulous tithing of insignificant herbs ("mint and anise and cummin") with their egregious neglect of fundamental moral virtues ("judgment, mercy, and faith"). This contrast underscores their distorted priorities and the emptiness of their outward religiosity. The phrase "weightier matters" serves as a Metaphor, representing the profound moral and spiritual principles of God's law that carry greater significance than ceremonial observances. While not strictly hyperbole, the emphasis on tithing tiny herbs can be seen as an Exaggeration of their legalistic tendencies, making their hypocrisy even more glaring.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 23:23 profoundly articulates the essence of true righteousness, moving beyond mere external conformity to the spirit of the Law. It teaches that God values a heart transformed by justice, mercy, and faithfulness far more than ritualistic precision. This verse resonates deeply with the Old Testament prophetic tradition, which consistently called for inward integrity and ethical living over empty religious observance. It underscores that genuine piety is not measured by outward displays but by the character of God reflected in one's actions and relationships. The "weightier matters" are not just suggestions but fundamental attributes of a life pleasing to God, without which religious practice becomes a hollow shell.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This timeless warning from Jesus challenges us to critically examine the priorities in our own spiritual lives. It's easy to fall into the trap of focusing on visible, often less significant, religious activities while neglecting the deeper, more demanding call to cultivate a righteous character. Are we meticulous about church attendance, giving, or specific spiritual disciplines, yet overlook opportunities to extend mercy, pursue justice, or live with unwavering faithfulness in our daily interactions? True faith demands both outward obedience and inward transformation. We are called to embody the very character of God—His justice, His mercy, and His unwavering faithfulness—in all areas of our lives. This verse reminds us that while all of God's commands are important, our primary focus must always be on loving God and loving our neighbor, as these are the foundational expressions of a genuine relationship with Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does Jesus mean by "judgment, mercy, and faith"?
Answer: These three terms represent the core moral and relational principles that Jesus identifies as the "weightier matters" of the Law, in contrast to the ceremonial or ritualistic aspects. "Judgment" (or justice) refers to acting rightly and fairly, upholding what is just and equitable, especially for the vulnerable. "Mercy" (or compassion) signifies active kindness, empathy, and forgiveness towards others, reflecting God's own compassionate nature. "Faith" (or faithfulness) denotes loyalty, trustworthiness, and integrity in one's relationship with God and fellow humans. These are not merely suggestions but fundamental virtues that define true righteousness and reflect the very character of God, as highlighted throughout the Old Testament prophets (e.g., Amos 5:24).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 23:23 finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodied the "weightier matters of the law." Unlike the Pharisees, Jesus did not merely teach about justice, mercy, and faith; He lived them out flawlessly. His entire ministry was an outpouring of mercy to the sick, the marginalized, and the sinful, as seen in countless healing narratives and His compassion for the crowds (Matthew 9:36). He consistently upheld divine justice, confronting sin and hypocrisy, yet always with an invitation to repentance and grace. His faithfulness to God the Father was absolute, culminating in His obedience unto death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). Jesus Himself declared that He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17), demonstrating that true fulfillment of the Law is found in embodying its spirit—love for God and neighbor—rather than merely adhering to its letter. His life and sacrifice are the ultimate expression of the judgment, mercy, and faith that the Law truly demanded, offering a righteousness that surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).