Matthew 23:23: Edit history

Context

Chapter 23 of the Gospel of Matthew records teaching that Jesus gave in the temple after his entry into Jerusalem. Jesus warns the crowds and his disciples to beware of the scribes (experts in the law) and the Pharisees (a Jewish sect known for strict observance of the law). He then pronounces a series of laments and rebukes against them, each beginning with "Woe unto you." This verse is one of them: "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."

"Hypocrites" refers to those who put on an outward show of piety. Mint, anise, and cummin were small plants used as seasonings or medicinal herbs. The law required a tenth of the produce of the land to be given (Leviticus 27:30; Deuteronomy 14:22), and the Pharisees applied this requirement even to such small plants. The next verse, Matthew 23:24, likens this attitude to those who "strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel." A similar saying appears in the Gospel of Luke at Luke 11:42.

Interpretation

• Reading for the relative weight of the law's demands: Many commentators locate the focus of this verse in "the weightier matters of the law." On this view, what is rebuked is not the careful observance of minor regulations in itself, but an attitude that substitutes such observance for the heart of the law. The closing words, "these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone," are read not as an instruction to abolish the lesser commandments but as a call to set priorities rightly.
• Reading in continuity with the prophetic tradition: The emphasis on justice, mercy, and faith is seen as continuing the line of Micah 6:6–8 and Hosea 6:6. In Matthew, Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 twice (Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7).
• Reading as a basis for tithing: This view holds that because Jesus said the tithe was not to be left undone, the verse provides grounds for regarding tithing as a continuing obligation of faith in the New Testament era.
• Reading that distinguishes covenantal eras: This view holds that because these words were spoken to Jews living under the law before the cross, they do not directly establish rules for giving in the New Testament church. It explains Christian giving instead through other principles, such as giving willingly from the heart (2 Corinthians 9:7 and elsewhere).

Debates and Issues

The chief controversy surrounding this verse is the tithing debate. Those who teach tithing as an obligation of church members take "these ought ye to have done" as Jesus' direct endorsement of the tithe. Those critical of making it mandatory counter that the emphasis of the verse lies not on tithing but on justice, mercy, and faith, and they argue that citing the verse primarily to promote tithing actually inverts its intent. Views differ even within denominations, depending on the pastor or theologian.

The third of the weightier matters translates the Greek pistis, which carries the senses of both "faith" and "faithfulness." For this reason, it is sometimes interpreted as faithfulness toward God and others, or rendered as "good faith." In Korean Bible translations, the Korean Revised Version rendered the three terms roughly as "righteousness, benevolence, and faithfulness," while the New Korean Revised Version renders them "justice, mercy, and faith."

In Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant churches, this verse is frequently cited alongside Malachi 3:8–10 in sermons teaching the tithe. It is also often used, together with the image of those who "strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel," in sermons warning against hypocrisy and formalistic faith.

Related Passages

• Luke 11:42
• Micah 6:8
• Matthew 12:7
• Matthew 5:20
• Malachi 3:8–10