Matthew 23:23

“Woe to you, experts in the law ¹  and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth ²  of mint, dill, and cumin, ³  yet you neglect what is more important in the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You ⁴  should have done these things without neglecting the others.

1Sa 15:22; Pr 21:3; Jer 22:15,16; Ho 6:6; Mic 6:8; Mt 5:19,20; Mt 9:13; Mt 12:7; Mt 22:37-40; Lu 11:42; Ga 5:22,23

¹ tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

² tn Or “you tithe mint.”

³ sn Cumin (alternately spelled cummin) was an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region. Its seeds were used for seasoning.

⁴ tc ‡ Many witnesses (B C K L W Δ 0102 33 565 892 pm) have δέ (de, “but”) after ταῦτα (tauta, “these things”), while many others lack it (א D Γ Θ Ë^1,13 579 700 1241 1424 pm). Since asyndeton was relatively rare in Koine Greek, the conjunction may be an intentional alteration, and is thus omitted from the present translation. NA²⁷ includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.