Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Ye tithe (apodekatoute). The tithe had to be paid upon "all the increase of thy seed" (Deuteronomy 14:22; Leviticus 27:30). The English word tithe is tenth. These small aromatic herbs, mint (to hduosmon, sweet-smelling), anise or dill (anhqon), cummin (kuminon, with aromatic seeds), show the Pharisaic scrupulous conscientiousness, all marketable commodities. "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" (Vincent).
These ye ought (tauta edei). Jesus does not condemn tithing. What he does condemn is doing it to the neglect of the
weightier matters (ta barutera). The Pharisees were externalists; cf. Luke 11:39-44.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Matthew 23:23:
Matthew 23:13
Luke 11:42
James 4:17
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