MATTHEW 23:23

KING JAMES VERSION (KJV)

TRANSLATION, MEANING, CONTEXT

WORDS OF JESUS IN RED

To get what Matthew 23:23 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity.

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.

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Popularity relative to other verses in Matthew chapter 23 using average monthly Google searches.

Matthew 23:23 Translation & Meaning

What does this verse really mean? Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Greek Scripture. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. Follow the buttons in the right-hand column for detailed definitions and verses that use the same root words. Use this reference information to gain deeper insight into the Bible and enrich your understanding. Information based on Strong's Exhaustive Concordance[1].

KJV Verse Original Greek Meaning/ Definition
This is a simplified translation of the original Greek word. Follow the buttons on the right to get more detail.
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Woe Οὐαὶ Woe Woe
unto you, ὑμῖν To (with or by) you unto you
scribes γραμματεῖς A professional writer scribes
and καὶ And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words and
Pharisees, Φαρισαῖοι A separatist, i.e., exclusively religious; a Pharisean, i.e., Jewish sectary Pharisees
hypocrites! ὑποκριταί An actor under an assumed character (stage-player), i.e., (figuratively) a dissembler ("hypocrite" hypocrites
for ὅτι Demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because for
ye pay tithe ἀποδεκατοῦτε To tithe (as debtor or creditor) pay tithe
of mint ἡδύοσμον A sweet-scented plant, i.e., mint mint
and καὶ And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words and
anise ἄνηθον Dill anise
and καὶ And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words and
cummin, κύμινον Dill or fennel ("cummin") cummin
and καὶ And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words and
have omitted ἀφήκατε To send forth, in various applications (as follow) omitted
the τὰ The (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom) the
weightier βαρύτερα Weighty, i.e., (fig) burdensome, grave weightier
matters (No Greek definition. English implied.)
of νόμου Law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), genitive case (regulation), specially, (of Moses (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively (a principle) of
the τοῦ The (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom) the
law, νόμου Law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), genitive case (regulation), specially, (of Moses (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively (a principle) law
judgment, κρίσιν Decision (subjectively or objectively, for or against); by extension, a tribunal; by implication, justice (especially, divine law) judgment
mercy, ἔλεον Compassion (human or divine, especially active) mercy
and καὶ And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words and
faith: πίστιν· Persuasion, i.e., credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself faith
these ταῦτα These things these
ought ἔδει Also deon deh-on'; neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is (was, etc.) necessary (as binding) ought
ye ἔδει Also deon deh-on'; neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is (was, etc.) necessary (as binding) ye
to have done, ποιῆσαι To make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct) done
and the κἀκεῖνα Likewise that (or those) and the
not μὴ (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas G3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether not
to leave undone. ἀφιέναι To send forth, in various applications (as follow) leave undone
other κἀκεῖνα Likewise that (or those) other

Verse Context

See Matthew 23:23 with its adjacent verses in bold below. Follow either of the two large buttons below to see these verses in their broader context of the King James Bible or a Bible concordance.

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  • 21  And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

  • 22  And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

  • 23  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.

  • 24  Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

  • 25  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.




Sources:

The King James Bible (1611) and Strong's Concordance (1890) with Hebrew and Greek dictionaries are sourced from the BibleForgeDB database (https://github.com/bibleforge) within the BibleForge project (http://bibleforge.com). Popularity rankings are based on search volume data from the Google AdWords Keyword Planner tool.


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