Click
here to show/hide instructions.
Instructions on how to use the page:
The commentary for the selected verse is is displayed below.
All commentary was produced against the King James, so the same verse from that translation may appear as well. Hovering your mouse over a commentary's scripture reference attempts to show those verses.
Use the browser's back button to return to the previous page.
Or you can also select a feature from the Just Verses menu appearing at the top of the page.
Selected Verse: Matthew 23:23 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Mt 23:23 |
Strong Concordance |
Woe [3759] unto you [5213], scribes [1122] and [2532] Pharisees [5330], hypocrites [5273]! for [3754] ye pay tithe [586] of mint [2238] and [2532] anise [432] and [2532] cummin [2951], and [2532] have omitted [863] the weightier [926] matters of the law [3551], judgment [2920], [2532] mercy [1656], and [2532] faith [4102]: these [5023] ought ye [1163] to have done [4160], and not [3361] to leave [863] the other [2548] undone [863]. |
| |
King James |
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. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise--rather, "dill," as in Margin.
and cummin--In Luke (Luk 11:42) it is "and rue, and all manner of herbs." They grounded this practice on Lev 27:30, which they interpreted rigidly. Our Lord purposely names the most trifling products of the earth as examples of what they punctiliously exacted the tenth of.
and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith--In Luke (Luk 11:42) it is "judgment, mercy, and the love of God"--the expression being probably varied by our Lord Himself on the two different occasions. In both His reference is to Mic 6:6-8, where the prophet makes all acceptable religion to consist of three elements--"doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God"; which third element presupposes and comprehends both the "faith" of Matthew and the "love" of Luke. See on Mar 12:29; Mar 12:32-33. The same tendency to merge greater duties in less besets even the children of God; but it is the characteristic of hypocrites.
these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone--There is no need for one set of duties to jostle out another; but it is to be carefully noted that of the greater duties our Lord says, "Ye ought to have done" them, while of the lesser He merely says, "Ye ought not to leave them undone." |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Ye pay tithe - A tenth part. The law required the Jews to devote a tenth part of all their property to the support of the Levites, Num 18:20-24. Another tenth part they paid for the service of the sanctuary, commonly in cattle or grain, but where they lived far from the place of worship they changed it to money, Deu 14:22-24. Besides these, there was to be every third year a tenth part given to the poor, to be eaten at their own dwellings Deu 14:28-29; so that nearly one-third of the property of the Jews was devoted to religious services by law. This was besides the voluntary offerings which they made. How much more mild and gentle are the laws of Christianity under which we live!
Mint - A garden herb, in the original so called from its agreeable flavor. It was used to sprinkle the floors of their houses and synagogues to produce a pleasant fragrance.
Anise - Known commonly among us as "dill." It has a fine aromatic smell, and is used by confectioners and perfumers.
Cummin - A plant of the same genus, like "fennel," and used for similar purposes. These were all herbs of little value. The law of Moses said that they should pay tithes of the "fruits of the earth," Deu 14:22. It said nothing, however, about herbs. It was a question whether these should be tithed. The Pharisees maintained, in their extraordinary strictness, that they ought. Our Saviour says that they were precise in doing small matters which the law had not expressly commanded, while they omitted the greater things which it had enjoined.
Judgment - Justice to others, as magistrates, neighbors, citizens. Giving to all their just dues.
Mercy - Compassion and kindness to the poor and miserable.
Faith - Piety toward God; confidence in him. Faith in God here means that we are to give to him what is his due; as mercy and justice mean to do to people, in all circumstances, what is right toward them.
These ought ye to have done - Attention to even the smallest points of the law of God is proper, but it should not interfere with the "higher" and more important parts of that law. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Ye Tithe (ἀποδεκατοῦτε)
ἀπί, from, δεκατόω, to take a tenth. Tithe is tenth; also in older English, tethe, as tethe hest, the tenth commandment. A tething was a district containing ten families.
Mint (ἡδύοσμον)
ἡδύς, sweet, ὀσμή, smell. A favorite plant in the East, with which the floors of dwellings and synagogues were sometimes strewn.
Anise - Cummin (ἄνηθον - κήμινον)
Rev. renders anise, dill in margin. Used as condiments. The tithe of these plants would be very small; but to exact it would indicate scrupulous conscientiousness. The Talmud tells of the ass of a certain Rabbi which had been so well trained as to refuse corn of which the tithes had not been taken.
Faith (πίστιν)
Rather faithfulness, as in Rom 3:3, Rev. Gal 5:22, Rev. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Judgment - That is, justice: Faith - The word here means fidelity. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Ye pay tithe of mint, etc. - They were remarkably scrupulous in the performance of all the rites and ceremonies of religion, but totally neglected the soul, spirit, and practice of godliness.
Judgment - Acting according to justice and equity towards all mankind. Mercy - to the distressed and miserable. And faith in God as the fountain of all righteousness, mercy, and truth. The scribes and Pharisees neither began nor ended their works in God, nor had they any respect unto his name in doing them. They did them to be seen of men, and they had their reward - human applause.
These ought ye to have done, etc. - Our Lord did not object to their paying tithe even of common pot-herbs - this did not affect the spirit of religion; but while they did this and such like, to the utter neglect of justice, mercy, and faith, they showed that they had no religion, and knew nothing of its nature. |
32 And [2532] the scribe [1122] said [2036] unto him [846], Well [2573], Master [1320], thou hast said [2036] the [1909] truth [225]: for [3754] there is [2076] one [1520] God [2316]; and [2532] there is [2076] none [3756] other [243] but [4133] he [846]:
33 And [2532] to love [25] him [846] with [1537] all [3650] the heart [2588], and [2532] with [1537] all [3650] the understanding [4907], and [2532] with [1537] all [3650] the soul [5590], and [2532] with [1537] all [3650] the strength [2479], and [2532] to love [25] his neighbour [4139] as [5613] himself [1438], is [2076] more [4119] than all [3956] whole burnt offerings [3646] and [2532] sacrifices [2378].
29 And [1161] Jesus [2424] answered [611] him [846], The [3754] first [4413] of all [3956] the commandments [1785] is, Hear [191], O Israel [2474]; The Lord [2962] our [2257] God [2316] is [2076] one [1520] Lord [2962]:
6 Wherewith shall I come before [06923] the LORD [03068], and bow [03721] myself before the high [04791] God [0430]? shall I come before [06923] him with burnt offerings [05930], with calves [05695] of a year [08141] old [01121]?
7 Will the LORD [03068] be pleased [07521] with thousands [0505] of rams [0352], or with ten thousands [07233] of rivers [05158] of oil [08081]? shall I give [05414] my firstborn [01060] for my transgression [06588], the fruit [06529] of my body [0990] for the sin [02403] of my soul [05315]?
8 He hath shewed [05046] thee, O man [0120], what is good [02896]; and what doth the LORD [03068] require [01875] of thee, but to do [06213] justly [04941], and to love [0160] mercy [02617], and to walk [03212] humbly [06800] with thy God [0430]?
42 But [235] woe [3759] unto you [5213], Pharisees [5330]! for [3754] ye tithe [586] mint [2238] and [2532] rue [4076] and [2532] all manner [3956] of herbs [3001], and [2532] pass over [3928] judgment [2920] and [2532] the love [26] of God [2316]: these [5023] ought ye [1163] to have done [4160], and not [3361] to leave [863] the other [2548] undone [863].
30 And all the tithe [04643] of the land [0776], whether of the seed [02233] of the land [0776], or of the fruit [06529] of the tree [06086], is the LORD'S [03068]: it is holy [06944] unto the LORD [03068].
42 But [235] woe [3759] unto you [5213], Pharisees [5330]! for [3754] ye tithe [586] mint [2238] and [2532] rue [4076] and [2532] all manner [3956] of herbs [3001], and [2532] pass over [3928] judgment [2920] and [2532] the love [26] of God [2316]: these [5023] ought ye [1163] to have done [4160], and not [3361] to leave [863] the other [2548] undone [863].
22 Thou shalt truly [06237] tithe [06237] all the increase [08393] of thy seed [02233], that the field [07704] bringeth forth [03318] year [08141] by year [08141].
28 At the end [07097] of three [07969] years [08141] thou shalt bring forth [03318] all the tithe [04643] of thine increase [08393] the same year [08141], and shalt lay it up [03240] within thy gates [08179]:
29 And the Levite [03881], (because he hath no part [02506] nor inheritance [05159] with thee,) and the stranger [01616], and the fatherless [03490], and the widow [0490], which are within thy gates [08179], shall come [0935], and shall eat [0398] and be satisfied [07646]; that the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] may bless [01288] thee in all the work [04639] of thine hand [03027] which thou doest [06213].
22 Thou shalt truly [06237] tithe [06237] all the increase [08393] of thy seed [02233], that the field [07704] bringeth forth [03318] year [08141] by year [08141].
23 And thou shalt eat [0398] before [06440] the LORD [03068] thy God [0430], in the place [04725] which he shall choose [0977] to place [07931] his name [08034] there, the tithe [04643] of thy corn [01715], of thy wine [08492], and of thine oil [03323], and the firstlings [01062] of thy herds [01241] and of thy flocks [06629]; that thou mayest learn [03925] to fear [03372] the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] always [03117].
24 And if the way [01870] be too long [07235] for thee, so that [03588] thou art not able [03201] to carry [05375] it; or if the place [04725] be too far [07368] from thee, which the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] shall choose [0977] to set [07760] his name [08034] there, when the LORD [03068] thy God [0430] hath blessed [01288] thee:
20 And the LORD [03068] spake [0559] unto Aaron [0175], Thou shalt have no inheritance [05157] in their land [0776], neither shalt thou have any part [02506] among [08432] them: I am thy part [02506] and thine inheritance [05159] among [08432] the children [01121] of Israel [03478].
21 And, behold, I have given [05414] the children [01121] of Levi [03878] all the tenth [04643] in Israel [03478] for an inheritance [05159], for [02500] their service [05656] which they serve [05647], even the service [05656] of the tabernacle [0168] of the congregation [04150].
22 Neither must the children [01121] of Israel [03478] henceforth [05750] come nigh [07126] the tabernacle [0168] of the congregation [04150], lest they bear [05375] sin [02399], and die [04191].
23 But the Levites [03881] shall do [05647] the service [05656] of the tabernacle [0168] of the congregation [04150], and they shall bear [05375] their iniquity [05771]: it shall be a statute [02708] for ever [05769] throughout your generations [01755], that among [08432] the children [01121] of Israel [03478] they have [05157] no inheritance [05159].
24 But the tithes [04643] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478], which they offer [07311] as an heave offering [08641] unto the LORD [03068], I have given [05414] to the Levites [03881] to inherit [05159]: therefore I have said [0559] unto them, Among [08432] the children [01121] of Israel [03478] they shall have [05157] no inheritance [05159].
22 But [1161] the fruit [2590] of the Spirit [4151] is [2076] love [26], joy [5479], peace [1515], longsuffering [3115], gentleness [5544], goodness [19], faith [4102],
3 For [1063] what [5101] if [1487] some [5100] did not believe [569]? [3361] shall [2673] their [846] unbelief [570] make [2673] the faith [4102] of God [2316] without effect [2673]?