Matthew 23:23-24 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Woe 4: A Disregard for Justice and Mercy

Matthew 23:23-24 – Woe 4: A Disregard for Justice and Mercy

|| Luke 11:42

MT23:23 “WOE to you hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees because you tithe[1] the mint, dill, and cummin,[2] but you leave out the weightier matters of the Law:[3] justice and mercy and faith.[4] The former is necessary to perform[5] but also the latter. MT23:24 Blind guides, you [religiously] pick out the gnat but swallow the whole camel![6]

*

[1] You tithe: Or, give the tenth. Leviticus 27:30 commands, “Every tenth part of the land, out of the seed of the land and the fruit of the tree, belongs to Jehovah.” Jesus is indicating their religious Jews were rigorous in their tithing, right down to such insignificant herbs.

Cumin, also spelled cummin, (Cuminum cyminum), small, slender annual herb of the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) with finely dissected leaves and white or rose-coloured flowers. Native to the Mediterranean region, cumin is also cultivated in India, China, and Mexico for its fruits, called seeds, which are used to flavour a variety of foods.

[2] Mint, dill, and cummin: Small amounts of herbs used in seasoning food. Luke 11:42 puts it, “… and the rue and of every [other] vegetable.” Mint is mentioned only in Matthew and Luke. Dill is only mentioned here in the Bible. Dill was used for seasoning as well certain medical disorders. Regarding cummin see Isaiah 28:22-29. Or, TCNT: mint, finnel and caraway seed; BAS: all sorts of sweet-smelling plants; TAY: down to the last mint leaf in your garden.

[3] You leave out the weightier matters of the Law: Or, ASV: have left undone; RHM: have dismissed; RSV: neglected; KNX: forgotten; NEB: overlooked the weightier demands. Certainly religious leaders create multitudinous rules great and small but in their personal lives ignore the fundamentals of their faith.

[4] Justice and mercy and faith: Or: KNX: mercy and honour; NASB: faithfulness; GDSP: integrity; BER: fidelity. Consider a similar theme at Micah 6:8.

[5] The former is necessary to perform: Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 that he did not come to destroy the Law. He speaks here to religious Jews bound by the Mosaic Law. Tithing is unknown in the early Christian church.

[6] You [religiously] pick out the gnat but swallow the whole camel: The “gnat” was unclean to the Jew so these would remove from any drink (Leviticus 11:42). However the camel was also “unclean.” (Leviticus 11:4) In other words in some areas these clergy when to great lengths of religiosity while in other areas they completely ignored legal regulations. Or, KJV: strain at a gnat; RIEU: you filter your wine to get rid of a gnat; NEB: the midge; PME: you filter out the mosquito.

+

Preceding

Matthew 6:1-34 – The Nazarene’s Commentary on Leviticus 19:18 Continued 5 Matthew 6: 24-34: e) Anxiety and neighbor love

Matthew 23:1-12 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Prominence and Humility

Matthew 23:13-14 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Shutting Up the Kingdom

Matthew 23:15 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Woe 2: Evangelists of Gehenna

Matthew 23:16-22 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Woe 3: Blind Guides and Gold

++

Additional reading

1. Ideas about Religiosity
2. Being Religious and Spiritual 2 Religiosity and spiritual life
3. Finding God amid all the religious externals
4. The false prophets in the present world
5. Problems attracting and maintaining worshippers
6. When there is secrecy involved
7. Sword of the Spirit – Old Manna #1009
8. What Doctrines came out of the Shepherding/Discipleship Movement (SDM)?
9. Expenses, costs – Onkosten, uitgaven
10. Contribution – Contributie, bijdrage

+++

Related articles

1. Building God’s House First
2. The Blessing in Being a Blessing is “Ki Tavo” in the Hebrew
3. tithe An amount of money that a person gives to a church, usually one-tenth of their income.
4. Tithing the scary topic. Tithing is a conversation that I have seen a lot of people get weird around.
5. Cha Ching!Easily Confused Words: Teethe vs. Tithe
6. Do you tithe?
7. Prepaid Debt
8. The church and giving…
9. Tithe
10. Tithes
11. Techno Tithe
12. 10%
13. 10% More Poor
14. Tithing vs. Generosity
15. The Giveaway!
16. Bring your whole tithe
17. Honor the Lord
18. Daily Service – Tithe Part 1
19. Daily Service – Tithe Part 2
20. Daily Service -Tithe 3
21. Biblical Tithe Facts
22. What Does the Bible Say About Tithing in the New Testament?
23. The Truth About Tithing
24. On Tithes, Offerings and Psalm 50
25. Biblical Tithe System
26. Tithing Truths
27. Bible Verses on Tithe Your Pastor Will Never Tell You
28. Do Christians Have to Tithe?
29. The Life of a Christian is a Life of Generosity
30. Does Your Income Go Into A Bag With Holes?
31. Secrets
32. Hebrews 7:9 In addition, we might even say that these Levites-the ones who collect the tithe-paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him.
33. The Prosperity Gospel: Man’s Version Of Truth
34. Double Tithes and Speech
35. ‘No Christian Should Pay Tithe’- Pastor Sam Adeyemi
36. ‘No Christian Should Pay Tithe’- Popular Pastor Says
37. Nigerian Christians don’t know they are to eat and merry with their tithes – Man says
38. I Go To Church But I Don’t Pay Tithe-Mark Okraku Mantey Reveals
39. ”You are not cheating God if you give your tithe to a needy person” – Catholic Priest says
40. You haven’t cheated God if you gave your tithe to a needy person – Rev Fr. Oluoma (Video)
41. Video: You Are Not Robbing God If You Give Tithe To Needy Person – Catholic Priest
42. More Blessed
43. The Seed of Generosity
44. Tithe First
45. 3 Things God Will Do for a Tither and Not for a Non-tither
46. 7 Promises God Gives People Who Tithe
47. Tithing – God Wants Our Heart, Not Our Money
48. How I pay my tithe in trailer loads – Oyedepo explains
49. Mr Peacock, covenant with Abraham’s children, and tithe
50. Prima manducare
51. I already pay tithe for my future husband – Nigerian lady reveals
52. One Way to Satisfy the Soul
53. A Poor Widow’s Offering
54. The Widow’s Offering | It’s True Message
55. The Widow’s Mite
56. Tithing: Why it is Crucial for Financial Well-Being
57. Woe to Prosperity!
58. Faith Workout: Giving
59. Stop Tithing and Start Giving
60. We Must Give God Our Best!
61. Tithing Under GraceStewardship is Faith forming1 Corinthians 6:19-20
62. Consistent Relationship Building with Divinity