“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus isn't just pointing out that the Pharisees were bad at math; he's highlighting their warped priorities. They meticulously tithed tiny garden herbs, even down to their seeds, while completely neglecting the weighty matters of justice and loving God. This shows that external rituals can easily become a substitute for genuine inner transformation and compassion.
“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is at a meal with a Pharisee and, in the midst of this social setting, unleashes a powerful series of woes against the Pharisees and lawyers. He criticizes their outward show of piety, their greed, and their hypocrisy, contrasting their meticulous observance of minor laws with their neglect of the weightier matters of God's heart. This verse directly follows Jesus' critique of their excessive tithing of even small garden herbs while ignoring the core principles of justice and love for God.
The Pharisees were meticulous about tithing even the smallest garden herbs. But Jesus points out a dangerous trap in this extreme observance.
The Smallest Things, The Biggest Deal?
The Pharisees had developed an incredibly detailed system for tithing. They didn't just tithe the major crops like grain and wine; they meticulously tithed even tiny garden herbs like mint and rue. The Talmud, their body of Jewish law and tradition, even debated whether to tithe the stalks of these herbs!
What's the Problem?
Jesus isn't necessarily condemning the act of tithing these herbs itself. The Old Testament law did require a tenth of produce. The issue, as Jesus highlights, is priority and omission. By focusing so intensely on these minute details of ritual observance, they were missing the weightier matters of the law.
Jesus calls out the Pharisees for bypassing the very heart of God's commands. What are these essential, non-negotiable elements?
The Weightier Matters
Jesus pinpoints two crucial areas the Pharisees were neglecting: 'justice' and 'the love of God.' These aren't just abstract concepts; they represent the core of God's heart and His desires for His people.
Ask a follow-up
What is Justice?
This refers to doing what is right, fair, and equitable in our dealings with others. It's about upholding righteousness, ensuring fairness in transactions, and caring for the vulnerable. It's the outward expression of a right relationship with God.
What is the Love of God?
This encompasses both our love for God (shown through obedience and devotion) and our love for our neighbor out of love for God. It's the foundational attitude of the heart that should drive all our actions. Jesus himself identified love as the greatest commandment.
These were not optional extras; they were fundamental to living according to God's will.
Jesus delivers a sharp correction: 'These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.' What does this crucial phrase teach us?
The Balance of Obedience
Jesus' final words in this verse are critical: 'without neglecting the others.' This isn't an either/or situation. The Pharisees’ error wasn't that they tithed their herbs, but that in doing so, they abandoned the more significant commands.
Integrated Faith
True discipleship involves a holistic approach to obedience. The outward acts of worship and ritual are important, but they are meaningless if they don't flow from and support a heart devoted to God, characterized by justice and love.
A Warning for Us
We, too, can fall into this trap. We might be incredibly diligent in certain religious practices – attending services, praying specific prayers, following certain traditions – while neglecting the core of our faith: loving God wholeheartedly and treating others with justice and compassion. Jesus calls us to integrate both, letting our outward observances be expressions of our inner commitment to God's highest commands.
Understand the original words
ouai · Greek Interjection
An exclamation of distress, grief, or impending judgment upon those who persist in sinful behavior or hypocrisy.
Pharisaios · Greek Noun
A Jewish religious movement focused on strict adherence to the Law of Moses, including oral traditions and ritual purity.
apodekatoō · Greek Verb
The practice of giving a tenth of one's income or produce to God, prescribed in the Old Testament for the support of the Levites and the poor.
krisis · Greek Noun
The moral obligation to treat others fairly and rightly, reflecting God's own character and requirement for His people.
agapē · Greek Noun
The committed, sacrificial affection and loyalty toward God, which is the foundational commandment for all human duty.
The Pharisees' scrupulous tithing of even the smallest herbs, while seemingly devout, masked a severe neglect of the core principles of justice and love for God, a hypocrisy Jesus fiercely condemned.
c. 150 BC - AD 70— this verse
Pharisaic Expansion of Tithing Law
During this period, Pharisaic interpretation of the Mosaic Law led to an extremely detailed application of tithing, extending even to small garden herbs like mint and rue, far beyond the original scope of grains, wine, and oil.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Public Ministry in Galilee and Judea
Jesus traveled throughout the region, teaching, healing, and engaging in public debates, including confrontations with the Pharisees about their interpretations of the Law.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Final Week and Crucifixion
Jesus' ministry culminated in Jerusalem during Passover, where he delivered strong rebukes against the religious establishment, including the Pharisees, shortly before his death.
This passage is a parallel account where Jesus directly confronts the Pharisees, calling them hypocrites for meticulously tithing small herbs while neglecting the 'weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness'.
Deuteronomy 14:22This Old Testament passage lays the foundation for tithing, showing that the original command was focused on agricultural produce, not necessarily the meticulous tithing of every small garden herb that the Pharisees had adopted.
Romans 12:1-2Paul urges believers to offer their 'bodies as living sacrifices,' emphasizing a holistic devotion to God that includes both outward actions and inner transformation, contrasting with the Pharisees' focus on external observance.
Micah 6:8This verse clearly outlines what God requires: 'to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God,' echoing Jesus' emphasis on justice and love for God over mere ritualistic compliance.
vincentLuke 11:42: "But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."
Ye tithe (ἀποδεκατοῦτε)Tithe is tenth. See on Matthew 23:23.Rue (τήγανον)Probably from πήγνυμι, to make fast; because of its thick, fleshy leaves. Matthew has anise. See on Matthew 23:23.Herb (λάχανον)See on Mark 4:32. Wyc. has wort, originally the general term for a plant. Hence colewort, l…
jfbLuke 11:37-54: "And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat."
Lu 11:37-54. Denunciation of the Pharisees.
Jesus isn't just pointing out that the Pharisees were bad at math; he's highlighting their warped priorities. They meticulously tithed tiny garden herbs, even down to their seeds, while completely neglecting the weighty matters of justice and loving God. This shows that external rituals can easily become a substitute for genuine inner transformation and compassion.
Jesus is at a meal with a Pharisee and, in the midst of this social setting, unleashes a powerful series of woes against the Pharisees and lawyers. He criticizes their outward show of piety, their greed, and their hypocrisy, contrasting their meticulous observance of minor laws with their neglect of the weightier matters of God's heart. This verse directly follows Jesus' critique of their excessive tithing of even small garden herbs while ignoring the core principles of justice and love for God.
Jesus is at a meal with a Pharisee and, in the midst of this social setting, unleashes a powerful series of woes against the Pharisees and lawyers. He criticizes their outward show of piety, their greed, and their hypocrisy, contrasting their meticulous observance of minor laws with their neglect of the weightier matters of God's heart. This verse directly follows Jesus' critique of their excessive tithing of even small garden herbs while ignoring the core principles of justice and love for God.
"“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others." — Jesus isn't just pointing out that the Pharisees were bad at math; he's highlighting their warped priorities. They meticulously tithed tiny garden herbs, even down to their seeds, while completely ne…
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Last reviewed October 2026