In New Testament times, the Pharisees and teachers of the Law had added human traditions to the commandments of God. One of these added traditions, as an extension of the tithe of the land, was to give a tenth of their garden herbs to the Temple (Luke 11:42). The Pulpit Commentary mentions that the original Old Testament tithe included important crops, but the Pharisees and others “had extended the primitive obligation to the smallest garden herbs.”
Matthew’s Gospel specifically names these tithed herbs as mint, dill, and cumin (Matthew 23:23). Some versions translate dill in this verse as anise, which is another common spice (KJV, ASV). However, modern translations tend to favor dill as the preferred translation (NIV, ESV, CSB). The specific classifications of the herbs are not as important as Jesus’ rebuke. He mentioned the plants to emphasize the glaring inconsistency in the Pharisees’ religious practice. They had focused so much on small matters – tithing mint, dill, and cumin – while failing to care about the more important matters of the Law: “justice, mercy, and faith” (Matthew 23:23).
Tithing was not the problem. They should have done this in addition to obeying what God had commanded about dealing with others. As each of the seven woes show, the Pharisees and teachers of the Law were hypocrites. Appearing outwardly righteous and devout, they failed to see that they were inwardly sinful and were merely putting on a religious show. Jesus rightly told the disciples earlier in this chapter, “[the Pharisees] do not practice what they preach” (Matthew 23:3).
People today can also miss the spirit of the commands in Scripture. God is more concerned with our hearts – that we care about the things He does. Mercy, not empty worship, is what the Lord desires from us. The prophet Micah explained this well: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
We should not get lost in the details of religious practice and neglect the larger picture of what it means to follow the Lord. Simple herbs can remind us of this truth.
Sources
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, John D. Hannah, “Exodus,” Victor, 1983, p. 128
Smith’s Bible Dictionary, William Smith p. 63
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