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Read›Matthew›Chapter 23

Woes to Scribes and Pharisees

Matthew 23:23

In 9 translations

BSB
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
KJV
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.
WEB
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.cumin is an aromatic seed from Cuminum cyminum, resembling caraway in flavor and appearance. It is used as a spice.
ASV
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone.
LSV
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and neglected the weightier things of the Law—judgment, and kindness, and faith; these it was necessary to do, and those not to neglect.
YLT
'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law — the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved [you] to do, and those not to neglect.
DBY
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside.
DRC
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and have left the weightier things of the law; judgment, and mercy, and faith. These things you ought to have done, and not to leave those undone.
GNV
Wo be to you, Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites: for ye tithe mynt, and annyse, and cummyn, and leaue the weightier matters of the law, as iudgement, and mercy and fidelitie. These ought ye to haue done, and not to haue left the other.

Word by word Greek · tap a word

Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Greek has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.

Where the editions differ

Editions are published forms of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Meet the editions and sources →

  • NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles read τὸ (“the”); Textus Receptus, Byzantine text read τὸν (“the”).
  • NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles read ἔλεος (“mercy”); Textus Receptus, Byzantine text read ἔλεον (“mercy”).
  • NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Textus Receptus, Byzantine text read ἀφιέναι (“to be leaving aside”); Westcott–Hort, Tregelles read ἀφεῖναι (“to leave aside”).
Spelling, punctuation and minor wording (1)
  • In STEPBible’s comparison, NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, Westcott–Hort, Tregelles include δὲ (“now”); SBLGNT (2010), Textus Receptus, Byzantine text do not include this wording.
SBLGNT apparatus (3)

A comparison of published Greek editions. “Add” means after the SBLGNT wording; “omit” refers to that wording.

  • SBLGNT: τὸ ἔλεος. Westcott and Hort (1881), Tregelles, Nestle–Aland 28th edition read τὸ ἔλεος; Robinson–Pierpont read τὸν ἔλεον.
  • SBLGNT: ταῦτα. the Greek text behind the NIV, Robinson–Pierpont read ταῦτα; Westcott and Hort (1881), Tregelles, Nestle–Aland 28th edition add δὲ.
  • SBLGNT: ἀφιέναι. Westcott and Hort (1881), Nestle–Aland 28th edition, Robinson–Pierpont read ἀφιέναι; Tregelles read ἀφεῖναι.

Copyright 2010 by the Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software. CC BY 4.0.

Edition differences: STEP Bible, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0). Names and codes expanded; consecutive words grouped. Comparisons follow the editions used by the source; see version details.

Original-language editions

SBLGNT
Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί, ὅτι ἀποδεκατοῦτε τὸ ἡδύοσμον καὶ τὸ ἄνηθον καὶ τὸ κύμινον, καὶ ἀφήκατε τὰ βαρύτερα τοῦ νόμου, τὴν κρίσιν καὶ τὸ ἔλεος καὶ τὴν πίστιν· ταῦτα ἔδει ποιῆσαι κἀκεῖνα μὴ ἀφιέναι.
RP2018
Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι, ὑποκριταί, ὅτι ἀποδεκατοῦτε τὸ ἡδύοσμον καὶ τὸ ἄνηθον καὶ τὸ κύμινον, καὶ ἀφήκατε τὰ βαρύτερα τοῦ νόμου, τὴν κρίσιν καὶ τὸν ἔλεον καὶ τὴν πίστιν· ταῦτα ἔδει ποιῆσαι, κἀκεῖνα μὴ ἀφιέναι.
TR-Boyd
Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι, ὑποκριταί, ὅτι ἀποδεκατοῦτε τὸ ἡδύοσμον καὶ τὸ ἄνηθον καὶ τὸ κύμινον, καὶ ἀφήκατε τὰ βαρύτερα τοῦ νόμου, τὴν κρίσιν καὶ τὸν ἔλεον καὶ τὴν πίστιν· ταῦτα ἔδει ποιῆσαι, κἀκεῖνα μὴ ἀφιέναι.
SCR1894
ουαι υμιν γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι υποκριται οτι αποδεκατουτε το ηδυοσμον και το ανηθον και το κυμινον και αφηκατε τα βαρυτερα του νομου την κρισιν και τον ελεον και την πιστιν ταυτα εδει ποιησαι κακεινα μη αφιεναι

Who and where

◆ Holy Week◆ Debates in the Temple

People, places and events the Theographic dataset links to this verse.

In the reference works topics that cite this verse

From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).

Cross-references most cited first

  • Luke 11:42Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.
  • Micah 6:8He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
  • Hosea 6:6For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
  • Matthew 9:13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
  • Matthew 5:19–20So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom…
  • 1 Samuel 15:22But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.
  • Proverbs 21:3To do righteousness and justice is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice.
  • Galatians 5:22–23But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
  • Matthew 22:37–40Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All…
  • Leviticus 27:30Thus any tithe from the land, whether from the seed of the land or the fruit of the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.
  • Luke 18:12I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’
  • Matthew 12:7If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
  • Jeremiah 22:15–16Does it make you a king to excel in cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He administered justice and righteousness, and so it went well with him. He took up the cause of the poor and needy, and so it went…

From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).

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