21He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by aHim who dwells in it.
22And he who swears by heaven, swears by athe throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! aFor you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and bhave neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
24Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! aFor you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and1self-indulgence.
26Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! aFor you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
28Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29a“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and1adorn the monuments of the righteous,
30and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
Matthew 23:23 Ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin. Insignificant garden herbs. The Jews were bidden to pay tithes of the fruits of the field and of trees (Leviticus 27:30). The Pharisees were scrupulous in paying tithes of garden herbs that were almost valueless, but neglected much more important duties.
Other People's Commentary (NT) entries containing Matthew 23:23:
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