Matthew 23 23

Matthew 23:23 kjv

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.

Matthew 23:23 nkjv

"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 niv

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices?mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law?justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Matthew 23:23 esv

"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.

Matthew 23:23 nlt

"What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law ? justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

Matthew 23 verses

Matthew 23 23 Meaning

This verse is a sharp prophetic denunciation by Jesus, primarily directed at the religious leaders of His time. It condemns their spiritual hypocrisy, highlighting a profound misplacement of religious priorities. While meticulously adhering to minor ritualistic commands, such as tithing common herbs, they had simultaneously neglected the core moral principles and foundational ethical demands of God's Law: justice, mercy, and faith (or faithfulness). Jesus emphasizes that true devotion requires adherence to all aspects of God's commands, but with correct emphasis, prioritizing the virtues that truly reflect God's heart and are essential for righteousness, without dismissing the smaller details.

Matthew 23 23 Context

Matthew 23:23 stands within Jesus’s final and most stringent public denouncement of the scribes and Pharisees. This chapter marks the culmination of their conflict with Jesus, presenting a series of seven "woes" that systematically expose their spiritual bankruptcy. Prior to this, Jesus had asserted His authority, engaged in various disputes with the religious leaders, and unveiled their hypocrisy in different scenarios (e.g., controversies over healing on the Sabbath, external purity). Matthew 23 follows His lament over Jerusalem (Matt 23:37-39) and His teachings on the Temple's destruction (Matt 24).

Historically and culturally, the scribes were legal experts and interpreters of the Mosaic Law, while the Pharisees were a dominant religious sect known for their rigorous adherence to both the written Law and extensive oral traditions. They meticulously observed even minor details, sometimes inventing new regulations to safeguard the existing ones. Tithing, mandated by the Law (Lev 27:30; Num 18:21; Deut 14:22), extended to agricultural produce, and some Pharisees diligently applied it even to tiny garden herbs, seeking to fulfill every letter. Jesus’s rebuke highlights that in their pursuit of external precision, they had tragically lost sight of the spirit and intent behind the Law – its emphasis on inner righteousness, compassion for others, and true faithfulness to God's character.

Matthew 23 23 Word analysis

• Woe (Οὐαί, Ouai): Not merely an expression of sadness, but a prophetic pronouncement of solemn judgment, an eschatological curse implying severe impending doom or distress. It signifies the spiritual catastrophe awaiting those addressed due to their actions.
• to you, scribes (γραμματεῖς, grammateis) and Pharisees (Φαρισαῖοι, Pharisaios): The primary religious authorities and popular teachers. Scribes were legal experts; Pharisees were a sect known for their strict adherence to the Law and traditions. This address targets those holding positions of religious influence.
• hypocrites (ὑποκριταί, hypokritai): A strong descriptor, originating from "an actor in a play" or "one who answers." It denotes someone who wears a mask, playing a role; a dissembler whose outward show of piety belies their true inward character or motives.
• For you pay tithe (ἀποδεκατοῦτε, apodekatoute): Literally, "you decimate," meaning you meticulously give a tenth. This refers to the Mosaic law requiring a tithe of agricultural produce, and their practice of extending this to the smallest herbs, often as a display of superior piety.
• of mint (ἡδύοσμον, hedyosmon): A common, small, aromatic garden herb.
• anise (ἄνηθον, anēthon): More accurately, dill, a small aromatic plant with seeds used as a spice.
• and cummin (κύμινον, kyminon): A small plant with pungent seeds, similar to caraway, used as a spice. The point is the minute, common nature of these herbs, suggesting extreme literalism in tithing to the smallest detail.
• and have neglected (ἀφήκατε, aphēkate): To abandon, disregard, leave undone, or pass over. It implies an act of conscious omission or careless disregard, starkly contrasting their meticulous tithing.
• the weightier matters (τὰ βαρύτερα, ta barytera): From barus, meaning "heavy" or "weighty." Refers to things of greater substance, importance, or gravity. It highlights that the core, essential elements of the Law are of far greater value.
• of the law (τοῦ νόμου, tou nomou): The Mosaic Law, God's divine revelation of His will and covenant requirements for His people.
• justice (τὴν κρίσιν, tēn krisin): Fairness, equity, righteous judgment, the impartial application of truth, and upholding the rights of others, particularly the vulnerable. It signifies correct moral action in dealing with people.
• mercy (τὸν ἔλεος, ton eleos): Active compassion, benevolence, kindness, and pity towards those in need or distress. It goes beyond feeling to acting kindly and forgivingly.
• and faith (τὴν πίστιν, tēn pistin): Often understood here as faithfulness, reliability, loyalty, trustworthiness, or sincerity, reflecting one's commitment to God and truth in all dealings. The parallel in Luke 11:42 uses "the love of God," which often encapsulates "faith" in this broader sense of covenant loyalty.
• These you ought to have done (Ταῦτα ἔδει ποιῆσαι, Tauta edei poiēsai): Indicates a strong moral obligation; "these things it was necessary/incumbent upon you to do."
• without leaving the others undone (κἀκεῖνα μὴ ἀφιέναι, kakeina mē aphienai): "And those not to leave." This crucial qualifier clarifies that Jesus is not invalidating the tithe of herbs but demanding correct priority. Both the ritualistic and ethical aspects of the Law are to be fulfilled, but the "weightier matters" must not be neglected for the sake of the less significant ones.

Words-Group Analysis

• "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!": This forceful opening establishes Jesus's severe condemnation, branding these religious leaders with their true inner state: a facade of piety masking spiritual hollowness and deceit.
• "For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.": This core comparison contrasts their meticulous, almost pedantic, adherence to the minor ceremonial requirements (tithing insignificant herbs) with their catastrophic failure to uphold the fundamental, substantial moral principles of the Law (justice, mercy, and faithfulness). It exposes their spiritual blindness and distorted priorities.
• "These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.": This concluding statement offers the divine corrective. Jesus clarifies that the issue is not about abolishing the minor laws but about correct prioritization and integration. Both types of commands are to be fulfilled, but the "weightier matters" must always form the foundation and guide, ensuring that outward observances stem from an inner commitment to God's character and purposes.

Matthew 23 23 Bonus section

This verse highlights a timeless danger for those engaged in religious practice: the tendency to elevate external, measurable, and often less significant acts of piety over the foundational internal virtues and ethical demands of God. It's a warning against confusing religious activity with genuine righteousness. The "weightier matters" are not just intellectual concepts but deeply practical, lived-out expressions of what it means to truly know God and live in His Kingdom. They serve as a vital reminder that devotion is incomplete without compassionate action and unwavering integrity towards others. For believers today, it implies the importance of assessing spiritual priorities, ensuring that acts of worship, doctrine, or ministry do not overshadow the call to live justly, mercifully, and faithfully in daily life.

Matthew 23 23 Commentary

Matthew 23:23 delivers one of Jesus's most poignant condemnations against religious legalism and hypocrisy. The "woe" is a divine judgment against the scribes and Pharisees for their profoundly imbalanced and ultimately misdirected religious practice. They demonstrated an extreme literalism in tithing even the smallest, most common garden herbs – a practice that may have extended beyond the specific letter of the Law – while simultaneously disregarding the heart and spirit of God's commands. Their flaw was not in tithing per se, which was a commandment, but in elevating external ritual to such a degree that it eclipsed the internal, foundational virtues God truly desires.

"Justice, mercy, and faith" represent the enduring moral fabric of God's Law, echoing themes found throughout the Old Testament prophets who similarly chastised Israel for their empty rituals detached from ethical living (e.g., Isa 1, Amos 5, Hos 6). Justice speaks to integrity and righteousness in all human dealings; mercy signifies compassionate action towards the needy; and faith denotes unwavering loyalty, trustworthiness, and sincere fidelity to God. These are "weightier matters" because they reflect God's very character and are essential for truly loving God and one's neighbor, upon which "hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matt 22:40). The profound irony is that in their meticulous attention to minor observances, these leaders effectively negated the very essence of the Law they claimed to uphold. Jesus's injunction to do "these... without leaving the others undone" emphasizes that true righteousness is comprehensive, demanding both adherence to specific commands and, more critically, cultivation of a heart that embodies God's character through acts of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. It's a call for spiritual integrity, not selective piety.