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.

“The Lord had commanded, that for the maintenance of the Priests and Levites, whose portion was the Lord, tithes of every thing should be offered in the temple. Accordingly, the Pharisees (to dismiss mystical expositions) concerned themselves about this alone, that these trifling things should be paid in, but lightly esteemed other things which were weighty. He charges them then with covetousness in exacting carefully the tithes of worthless herbs, while they neglected justice in their transactions of business, mercy to the poor, and faith toward God, which are weighty things.”

“After he had instructed the disciples and the crowds about the caution they ought to have regarding the teaching of the Jews, here he turns his speech to the Scribes, rebuking them. First he rebukes them for feigning religion, when they were irreligious; second for feigning purity, when they were impure; third for feigning piety, when they were impious. The second is found where it says, "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who cleanse that which is outside the cup," and so on. The third is found where it says, "Woe to you who build the tombs of the prophets," and so on. Among those things that pertain to religion, some are owed by priests to the people, and some conversely. First, then, he sets forth their wickedness in those things owed by priests; second, in those owed by the people, where it says, "Whoever shall swear," and so on. A priest owes something to a subject already converted, and something to one not yet converted. To one not converted, that he might convert him; to one converted, doctrine; Malachi 2:7: "The lips of the priest shall keep knowledge." Likewise he owes him intercessions; Hebrews 5:1: "For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God." And these men were doing evil in both respects; hence he first accuses them of the first, then of the second, where it says, "Woe to you who devour the houses of widows," and so on. In all these rebukes he shows himself to be the Son of him who gave the old law. In Deuteronomy 26 and 28, curses are given to those who do not remain in the law, and afterward blessings are given. But because he had come to loose the curses of the law, therefore blessings were given first, above, where it is said, "Blessed are the poor," "Blessed are the meek," and so on. Toward the end of his teaching, however, he gives the curse. Therefore those who find fault with the old law on the ground that it contained curses find fault wrongly, because it is the same in the new law as in the old. For just as in the law none were cursed except those who transgressed the law, so also here; Proverbs 3:11: "Reject not the discipline of the Lord." But what is meant by his saying, "who shut the kingdom of heaven against men"? The kingdom of heaven is said to be the blessedness of eternal life; above, 5:20: "Unless your justice abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Likewise Sacred Scripture is called the kingdom; above, 21:43: "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you," that is, the understanding of Sacred Scripture. To both kingdoms Christ is the door; John 10:9: "I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and he shall go in and go out, and shall find pastures." What, then, is it to shut the kingdom, except that these men were shutting it through bad teaching and bad life? Only what is open can be shut. The teachings about Christ were open, but these men were shutting them, because they were making them obscure. We have Isaiah 35:4-5: "The Lord himself will come and will save us. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped." When the Lord was working these miracles, this Scripture was open, but they were shutting it, saying, "By Beelzebub, the prince of devils, he casts out devils," Luke 11:15. Likewise they were shutting it through a bad life, when by bad example they led people into sin; Psalm 1:1: "Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence." He properly sits in the chair of pestilence who takes up the office of teaching and, by a bad life, corrupts the people. By an unjust sentence also a judge destroys a man, yet he casts the unjust sentence to no purpose. For the power of binding and loosing was given for building up, not for tearing down. Hence it can be said to them, "Woe to you... because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men." Likewise, whoever hinders entry into the kingdom, there is no doubt that he does evil; hence it follows, "For you yourselves do not enter, and those who are entering, you do not allow to enter," that is, others to be converted. Hence Malachi 2:8: "You have departed out of the way, and have caused many to stumble." "Woe to you... who devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers." This is the second "woe," in which is touched their feigning in regard to prayer. And first he accuses them of gluttony, when he says "who devour the houses of widows," because whatever they did, they turned it all to gluttony, so that there applies to them what is said in 2 Maccabees 6:4, that the whole temple was full of riotous living and revelling. "The houses of widows," that is, the resources of widows. But why the houses of widows more than of others? The reason is that they intended more to seduce women, because men are wiser and more discerning, and are not so quickly deceived. Likewise women have a disposition more inclined to generosity; 1 Timothy 2:10: "But as becomes women professing godliness, by good works." Likewise "the houses of widows," because a woman who has a husband has him as head and as counselor, and therefore is not so deceived. Likewise a married woman does not have power over her own house, but a widow does; therefore she is able to give more than a married woman, and therefore they made more profit from widows than from others, since more was to be given by them; hence there fittingly applies to them what is said in Psalm 93:6: "They have slain the widow and the stranger." And this in prayer. "Praying long prayers," for the sake of feigning sanctity; and thus they turned prayer to profit, and profit to glory. Hence they could be reproved, because gluttonous, because plunderers, and also because they feigned sanctity; and therefore it follows, "And for this you shall receive greater judgment," that is, you shall sin more. And why? Because if someone plunders by the weapons of the devil, he sins; and if by the weapons of God, he sins doubly, because he sins against God and against his neighbor. Or "greater," etc., because you take from those to whom you ought to give. Or "greater," as it is found in Luke 12:47: "The servant who knew the will of his lord, and did not do it, shall be beaten with many stripes." "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who go about the sea and the land to make one proselyte." And this is explained in two ways, so as to be referred to the time after Christ, and before Christ. If referred to the time after, then he speaks of future and present things. For he foresaw that the Jews were to be scattered throughout the whole world, and that they would convert to their own law and pervert from Christ those whom they could. And therefore it says, "you go about the sea and the land," and so on. Those are called proselytes who are converted from the gentiles to their faith, or from Christians; and because he foresaw that they would convert to their own faith some from among Christians, he says this. And he says "one," because very few were converted. Hence they fell under that curse which is found in Hosea 9:10: "I found Israel like grapes in the desert." "And when he is made," namely a Jew, "you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves"; because first he is a gentile and afterward a Jew, and then he has twofold sins, namely those of the gentiles and of the Jews, because being a Jew he becomes a partaker in the killing of Christ; but if he was a Christian and afterward a Jew, he becomes doubly worse, because he stains the gift of the Holy Spirit which he had received in the sacraments. Likewise he becomes a partaker of the sins of the Jews; John 8:44: "You are of your father the devil." It can also be referred to the time before Christ, because before Christ they converted some to their faith. And this is clear, because everyone loves himself more than another; therefore if they converted others for the sake of the salvation of their soul, they ought all the more to have taken care of their own salvation, but they did not care. Rather they did all this for the sake of profit, because they wanted offerings to be increased; hence their teaching was worthless. "And when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves"; because first he was converted to Judaism and was scandalized, and thus afterward he was converted a second time. Hence 2 Peter 2:21: "It is better for them not to have known the way of justice, than after they have known it, to turn back." Likewise otherwise: before he was a Jew, he abstained from evils, at least for the sake of the praise of men, but afterward, not so; hence Romans 2:14: "For when the gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature those things that are of the law, these, having not the law, are a law to themselves." Hence they were taking their example from evil men. "Woe to you, blind guides." In this he shows how they were counterfeiters of sanctity in the things owed to prelates. And first concerning offerings; second concerning tithes, where it says, "Woe to you... who tithe mint," and so on. Note: first he sets down their tradition; second he argues by three reasons. The first part, where the tradition is set down along with the reason, has two parts. The second is where it says, "And whoever shall swear by the altar," and so on. These men dragged all religion toward profit, so as to draw men to make offerings. In the temple much gold was laid up; hence they said that if anyone swore by the temple, he owed nothing; but he who swore by the gold obligated himself to the amount for which he swore. Likewise the second tradition was that there was an altar there and many things were offered upon the altar; hence they said that he who swore by the altar paid nothing, but he who swore by the offering obligated himself to the value of the offering. And why? So that they might profit from the penalties, and so that they might raise up the offering through an appearance of sanctity, and so that men might be incited to offer more. And first he sets down the first part; second the second. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth their tradition; second the refutation, where it says, "you fools and blind," and so on. He therefore says, "Woe to you, blind guides," and so on. The same is found above, 15:14: "They are blind, and leaders of the blind"; Isaiah 56:10: "His watchmen are all blind." "Who say, whoever shall swear by the temple of God, it is nothing," because it is impossible for that man to make another temple; "but whoever shall swear by the gold of the temple," that is, by the gold, "is a debtor," namely of that gold. Consequently he sets down the refutation, "you fools and blind"; for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? It is agreed that whatever is in the temple is holy by reason of the temple, hence he who steals anything in the temple commits sacrilege; hence it is greater to swear by the temple than by the gold. Chrysostom, against certain persons who say that to swear by God is nothing: hence those who swear by God believe they are swearing nothing; but when they swear by the holy Gospels of God, they believe it to be a great thing. Hence it can be said to them: which is greater, God or the Gospel? It is agreed, God. And this is true simply speaking; it is otherwise when some circumstance is added which aggravates the sin. For he who swears by the holy Gospels of God has sworn with a certain deliberation and solemnity, and therefore sins more gravely. Then he sets down the second part of the tradition, "And whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing: but whoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is bound." Then he sets down the refutation of the blind: which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift? For the gift is not sanctified except by the altar. "He therefore that shall swear by the altar, swears by it, and by all things that are upon it." Here he sets down another reason. The temple contains the gold, and not conversely; likewise the altar contains the gift, and not conversely. Hence he who swears by the temple swears by the gold that is in the temple; and he who swears by the altar, that is, by the altar, swears by that which is in it. Likewise there follows another reason: "And whoever shall swear by the temple, swears by it, and by him that dwells in it." These men said: whoever swears by the temple swears nothing. But he wishes to show that whoever swears by the temple swears by God, because he does not swear by the temple except as sanctified, and it is not sanctified except unto God. Therefore whoever swears by the temple swears by God. Then another reason is set down: "And he that swears by heaven," that is, by heaven, "does not swear by it, except because it is the throne of God," and because the power of God is manifested there; hence he who swears by heaven swears "by the throne of God, and by him that sits thereon." Psalm 10:5: "God is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven." And this is brought in there according to a likeness. But mystically, according to Origen, he makes mention of the temple, of the gold, and of the altar, in which are signified the contemplative and glorious life. By the gold the contemplative life is signified, by which is signified the subtle sense thought out of Scripture itself: because however reasonable it may seem, it is nothing unless it is in the temple, that is, unless it is confirmed in Sacred Scripture. By the altar the heart is signified, in which there ought to be the fire of devotion; Leviticus 6:12: "The fire on my altar shall never go out." By the offerings are signified services and oblations, which, unless they proceed from a holy heart or from a holy altar, can be of no value; above, 6:22: "If your eye be single, your whole body shall be lightsome." By the throne the glorious life is signified: there is God who is exceeding all things. Or by the altar and the temple we understand Christ: for he names himself the temple; John 2:19: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Likewise he is called the altar; Hebrews, last chapter, 10: "We have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle." Hence whatever good we do, unless it be sanctified in this temple, that is, in Christ, is of no worth; hence everything is contemptible unless it be referred to Christ. "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who tithe mint, and anise, and cumin." Here he rebukes them concerning tithes; and he does three things. First he sets down their custom; second he adduces the doctrine; third he sets down a certain likeness. The second is where it says, "these things you ought to have done"; the third where it says, "blind guides, that strain out a gnat," and so on. Hence he says, "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees," and adds "hypocrites," because their chief intention was pretense, "who tithe mint, anise, and cumin." It can be understood either as "you give tithes," or "you exact tithes"; hence there were very many priests and Levites, to whom it belonged to exact the tithes that were owed to them, as is found in Numbers 18:21 and Deuteronomy 14:22; therefore they were most diligent in exacting them, and so exacted down to the smallest things, even cumin and anise. "And have left the weightier things of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith." For certain things were owed to priests on their own account, such as the tithes on which they were to live; but to certain other things they were bound for the sake of God, such as doing judgment and mercy; hence the Lord required these of them, namely judgment and mercy; Psalm 100:1: "Mercy and judgment I will sing to you, O Lord." Likewise he wills faith for the sake of his own glory. Hence the things to which they were bound for God's sake, they did not attend to; hence he says, "and have left the weightier things of the law, judgment, and mercy, and faith." But concerning tithes, to which they were bound for their own sake, they took good care, according to Philippians 2:21: "All seek the things that are their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's." Charity does the contrary, which "seeks not her own, but the things of Jesus Christ," 1 Corinthians 13:5. Likewise it can be said, "Woe to you who give tithes," because you give of the smallest things, of mint and cumin and things of this sort, and this in order to appear religious; but of the interior things you take no care, because you love neither mercy, nor judgment, nor faith; above, 12:7: "If you knew what this means, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, you would never have condemned the innocent." Origen says that by mint and cumin, etc., certain things can be understood which pertain to the decency of religion. Hence mercy, judgment, and faith are like foods, but the other, smallest things are like seasoning. Hence just as they put greater effort into their seasoning in preparing food than into the food itself, so also these men put more effort into having the knee bent before them than into the things that pertained to God. "These things you ought to have done, and not to leave the other undone." Because he had said, "Woe to you who tithe," someone could say that the Lord was forbidding the giving of tithes; therefore he says rather the contrary, when he says "these things you ought to have done, and not to leave the other undone"; as if to say: you do not sin in these things, but in omitting those to which you are more bound. Therefore, "these things you ought to have done," that is, to exact tithes, "and not leave the other," namely judgment, justice, and faith, "undone." But here there can be a question about tithes. The Lord seems to establish a necessity of paying tithes; hence in the whole New Testament there is no mention so explicit as here. But is it had from a precept of the law? No: because in the law certain things are moral, certain ceremonial, certain judicial. Moral things are to be kept at every time and by all; ceremonial things by certain men and at certain times, as circumcision, and these were only in figure; likewise certain things are judicial, as that if anyone should steal a sheep, he should restore fourfold. Therefore the question is asked concerning tithes, whether tithes are a moral precept. And it seems not, because moral things belong to the natural law. But that alone belongs to the natural law which natural reason persuades. But it does not persuade one to give a tenth part any more than a ninth or an eleventh, and so on. Therefore it does not belong to natural right. Likewise, if tithes are ceremonial, then those who pay them sin. To this those who came before us have said that certain things are purely moral, certain purely ceremonial, certain have something moral and something ceremonial. "You shall not kill" is purely moral. Likewise, "you shall adore the Lord your God," and so on. If you say, "on the fourteenth day of the moon, in the evening, you shall offer a lamb," that is purely ceremonial. But if it is said, "remember to keep holy the sabbath day," it has something natural, or moral, and something ceremonial. Moral, namely that natural reason suggests that one should have some time free, in which one is free to pray to God. But that it be on the sabbath day, or on Sunday, etc., is judicial. Hence they say that the precept concerning tithes is partly ceremonial, partly moral. For they are for the sustenance of the poor and of those who are free for the service of God, or for preaching: for one who serves the community, it is fitting that he live from the community, and this is of natural right; but that it be a tenth part, this is ceremonial. But are they bound now? I say that the determination belongs to whatever prince has the power of establishing law; hence it is within the power of the Church to establish either a tenth, or a ninth, or the like. Hence they are bound, not because it is of natural right, but from the constitution of the Church. "Blind guides, that strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel." In this part he sets down a likeness; hence he says "straining out a gnat." He who strains, swallows with difficulty. Hence he means to say that they put great care into the smallest things, and little into great things. Or by the gnat the smallest sins are understood, by the camel great ones, hence they put effort into small sins; and this is what he says, "swallowing a camel." "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, who cleanse that which is outside the cup and the dish." Above, the Lord rebuked the Pharisees for the pretense which they displayed outwardly which they did not have in the heart, but which they turned to profit; here for the pretense of purity which they showed outwardly. And here first as to the desire of temporal goods, or as to carnal sins; second as to spiritual things. And first he treats the first; second the second, where it says, "Woe to you... because you are like whitened sepulchers." Concerning the first he does two things. First he accuses their pretense; second he sets forth sacred doctrine, where it says, "You blind Pharisee," and so on. He therefore says, "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who cleanse that which is outside the cup," and so on. Note that this can be understood in two ways. In one way, that it is a proper statement; and he means to touch on the custom of the Pharisees, who put great fastidiousness into cleaning the outside, as is found above, that they observed cleanliness of pitchers and vessels; hence, "woe to you," who impose great solicitude in cleaning vessels, but not hearts. Hence there follows, "but within," that is, in the heart, "you are full of rapine and uncleanness." Jerome holds that it is a figurative statement, hence he holds that it should be understood of every cleanliness which is shown outwardly. In the dish food is served, in the cup drink. Now man is called a dish; and the food in which God delights is the good works which he does; John 4:34: "My food is to do the will of my Father." It is agreed that the use of the cup and the dish is not on the outward surface but the inward. He therefore cleanses the cup outwardly who prepares his body outwardly. But you are of this sort: "but within you are full of rapine and uncleanness." And he sets down two things, rapine and uncleanness, because there are two kinds of sins: carnal ones, which are consummated in the delight of the flesh, as gluttony and lust; other ones which are in the delight of the spirit, as pride and avarice, since avarice, as regards its object, holds with carnal sin; as regards its completion, since it is completed in the delight of the mind, namely in the desire for money, it holds with the spiritual. Hence he reproves avarice when he says "rapine." Now rapine properly occurs when what belongs to another is taken; thus the miser properly withholds what belongs to another: hence it is opposed to justice; Isaiah 3:14: "The spoil of the poor is in your house." Likewise "full of uncleanness," as regards gluttony and lust. The soul is rendered impure through passion, and no passion so depresses reason as gluttony and lust; Ephesians 5:3: "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you, as becomes saints." Then he brings them back to sound doctrine: "You blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the dish." All exterior purity is from interior purity, as is found above, 6:22: "If your eye be single, your whole body shall be lightsome," and so on. Therefore he teaches that one should cleanse the heart, and thus the whole will be clean. Hence he says, "You blind Pharisee," and so on. Wisdom 2:21: "Their own malice blinded them." "Cleanse first what is within," because whatever is done outwardly, provided it be done from good will, is wholly good; Proverbs 4:23: "With all watchfulness keep your heart." Likewise it can be explained of the word of man: hence that which is within can be understood as the understanding of Sacred Scripture, Ecclesiasticus 15:3: "He fed him with the bread of life and understanding," in which wisdom is served. The bread of wisdom is the word of life. Hence some wish to adorn the word outwardly, and care nothing for the meaning. And these cleanse what is outside. "Woe to you... because you are like whitened sepulchers." Here he accuses them as regards spiritual sins. And first he sets down the likeness; second he explains it. A sepulcher is so called where a dead body rests. The dead bodies of saints are the temple of God, in which God dwells; 1 Corinthians 3:17: "The temple of God is holy, which you are." The body is the dwelling of the soul, and the soul is the throne of God: thus, just as the body is the dwelling of the soul, so the soul is the dwelling of God; Psalm 10:5: "The Lord is in his holy temple," and so on. But the body of a sinner is a sepulcher, because it contains a dead thing, since the soul dies through sin; therefore the wicked are called a sepulcher; Psalm 13:3: "Their throat is an open sepulcher." In a sepulcher there is a dead body within, though sometimes on the outside there is some image which seems to live in its face; Apocalypse 3:1: "You have a name that you live, and you are dead." And therefore he says, "which outwardly appear beautiful," because of the ornament put on outwardly, "but within are full of dead men's bones, and of all filthiness," that is, of all putrefaction and all uncleanness. After this he explains it thus, "so you also outwardly indeed appear to men just," that is, men judge you just, "but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." This comprises carnal sins, avarice and gluttony, as was said above, under which vainglory is contained; John 12:43: "For they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God." Likewise under iniquity all spiritual sins. Then, when he says, "Woe to you... who build the tombs of the prophets," he accuses them of feigning piety, and does two things. First he sets down their pretense; second their cruelty, where it says, "so you are witnesses against yourselves," and so on. Likewise they feign in two ways, in deeds and in words. Hence first he rebukes them concerning deeds; second concerning words. The second is where it says, "and you say, if we had been," and so on. He therefore says, "Woe to you who build the tombs of the prophets." But what of it? Did they not do well? Do not we do well, who place the bodies of saints in silver and golden shrines? Some say that they are not reproved for the deed, but for the intention, because their intention was evil; for they did it so that the memory of the crime of their fathers might be brought back into the memory of men: hence it was the custom that when something new happened, something was made to commemorate it. Hence they wanted the audacity of their ancestors, since they had dared to kill the prophets, to be in the memory of all. But this explanation does not agree with the letter. Therefore it must be said otherwise, that they are not blamed for this, but because they did this only to show outwardly the signs of piety, just as it is said above that they tithed mint and cumin. Likewise, "you adorn the tombs of the just." They adorned the tombs, and yet they had in mind to kill, out of pretense. Likewise, Chrysostom says, it is so in our own times, that if someone does many good deeds, adorns tombs, has a generous hand, and things of this sort; if he builds in stones, and intends vainglory, and does not walk in the ways of the Lord, it profits him nothing. Likewise they showed piety in word: "and you say, if we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets." It is common that in the deeds of others everyone is a severe judge; hence if we see someone sinning, we judge it a great sin, but we make light of our own sin; therefore these sons recognized the malice of their fathers, but not their own; above, 7:5: "Cast out first the beam out of your own eye, and then shall you see to cast out the mote out of your brother's eye." Then he sets down their cruelty. And first in general; second in particular. And he sets down temporal punishment, where it says, "Behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes." Concerning the first he first describes the origin; second the imitation of evil; third he threatens punishment. He says therefore, "So you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets." But what fault was it to them, since it was not in their power? Therefore it seems that it ought not to be imputed to them. Note: sometimes a son does not imitate the sins of his father, sometimes he imitates his father's malice. If he does not follow his father's malice, it is not imputed to him. Sometimes it happens that one has a good father and a bad mother, and conversely, and he follows the goodness of the father, or of the mother. But if both are bad, it rarely happens that he does not imitate their malice. And the reason is that the children of the wicked grow accustomed to evils from the beginning; and to what they grow accustomed in youth, they cling more firmly, and therefore are more inclined toward evil. Likewise wicked parents, when they see their children doing something evil, do not chastise them; wherefore their sin is aggravated, so that the sins of the parents redound upon the children; Exodus 20:5: "I am the Lord your God, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children." Therefore he says, "you are the sons of them," who have their malice; Wisdom 3:12: "their children are wicked." Hence you are sons by imitation: and this is what follows, "fill up then the measure of your fathers." It is not imperative, but declarative: "fill up," that is, you will fill up, as if a man were speaking, that is, you will kill me; John 13:27: "That which you do, do quickly." Or it can be permissive, that is, "you shall not be hindered by me," that is, "sometimes you wished it but I did not permit it; henceforth I shall not hinder it." Therefore, "fill up the measure of your fathers." But what does it mean by "fill up"? It must be seen that all things that happen, happen by the certain judgment of God. But in that judgment of God the punishment is not resolved at once, until it is entirely piled up and comes to its full measure: hence as regards the judgment of God their guilt was not yet fulfilled. Hence they killed the prophets, and their guilt is not yet fulfilled, but in me it will be completed. Therefore, "fill up the measure of your fathers." Isaiah 27:8: "In measure against measure, when it shall be cast off, you shall judge it." Or "fill up": the fathers sinned, but you fill up. One then fills up, when he arrives at as much as his fathers did. Therefore your fathers killed the prophets, and you fill up. Or it can be said that they sinned by killing servants, but these by killing the Son; hence they filled up the wickedness of their fathers. But the Lord offered himself willingly, and did not resist. Likewise he does not reproach them with their own sin, but only with that of their forefathers, because it belongs to a good shepherd to reckon the injury done to his own as his own. Then he adds concerning the punishment, "serpents, brood of vipers," and so on. And it seems that he speaks quite fittingly of their guilt. The serpent is a venomous animal, and kills by its venom: thus these men are called serpents, because they killed the prophets. Of the viper also it is said that it dies in giving birth, so that the offspring gnaws through the mother's insides: thus, although they themselves were wicked, they reviled their fathers. Hence, you being such, "how will you flee from the judgment of hell"? According to the judgment of men you escape, but according to the judgment of God how will you escape? Hence it is necessary to have a clean heart. Job 19:29: "Flee from before the face of the sword."”

“Woe unto you, &c. Tithes were sanctioned by God in the law. Whence R. Achiva says in Pirke Avoth, “ Tithes are the bulwark of riches,” because they defend and preserve them. “Tradition is the bulwark of the law. A vow is the bulwark of abstinence ; silence, of wisdom.” 42 Mint, a herb of sweet smell, which is often put into broth. Anise, says Pliny, is of efficacy against flatulency and p&ins in the stomach. And ye have left , &c. . . . judgment , justice and equity, passing unjust sentences, so as to favour your own friends and those who offer you gifts. Afercy, because ye rigidly and cruelly exact tithes of widows and the poor. And fat thy i.e., fidelity in words and compacts. Or faith in God, and Christ who has been sent by Him. Therefore, ye are unbelievers, in that ye lack faith, hope, and charity, which are the things that God above all requires, according to the words in Micah vi. 8, “ I will show thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God ? ” These are the things which ye ought to have done, and not to omit the others, such as the tithing of minty which was either commanded or permitted by the law. Ye blind guides which strain out, &c. ; Gr. divTJ^ovrtg, i.e., straining , purifying, draining wine, milk, or oil from gnats or other impurities or dregs, by means of a strainer of linen, or other such material As Apuleius says of the Gymnosophists, “They know not how either to cultivate land or to strain gold.” Swallow a camel For camel, Cajetan puts wrongly asilum , a gadfly , an insect which makes a horrid noise. All the codices, Greek, Latin, Syriac, and Arabic have camel, which is properly opposed to gnat, as something very large to something very small The sentence is proverbial, and means, “Ye have exact care of trifling things, such as tithing of herbs, lest any one should defraud you in the smallest possible degree ; but you at the same time commit, without any scruple, all manner of injustice, rapine, and other wickednesses, as big, as it were, as camels, which ye may be said to swallow down.” As it is said in Job xv. 16, “Who drinketh iniquity like water.” “Christ derides the seal of the Scribes,” says Origen, “in being so scrupulous about very trifling things, and so free and bold in the commission of ON SUPERSTITION. 43 great crimes; in being superstitious about ceremonial washings, but devoid of true religion and charity.” They have those who are like them among Christians even now, who scrupulously recite the rosary, and fast in honour of the Blessed Virgin, and withal are guilty at the same time of luxury, rapine, theft, &c. Proverbs with a similar meaning are: “To draw water from a fountain to fill the sea.” “To strip one who is bare, to heap garments upon those who are clothed.” “He takes a candle to add to the sunlight.” “ To hunt a dog with a lion, a hare with an ox.” Mystically: S. Gregory understands by the gnat , Barabbas; by the camel , Christ. This is what he says (lib. i, Moral c. 6), “The gnat wounds in humming, but the camel of its own accord bends to receive its burden. The Jews, therefore, strained out the gnat, because they asked that the seditious robber might be set free. But they swallowed the camel , because by their cries they strove to destroy Him, who of His own will had come down to bear the burdens of our mortality.””

“Ye blind guides,.... As in Mat 23:16. who strain at a gnat and swallow a camel: the Syriac and Persic versions read the words in the plural number, gnats and camels. The Jews had a law, which forbid them the eating of any creeping thing, Lev 11:41 and of this they were strictly observant, and would not be guilty of the breach of it for ever so much, "One that eats a flea, or a gnat; they say (p) is "an apostate"; one that has changed his religion, and is no more to be reckoned as one of them. Hence they very carefully strained their liquors, lest they should transgress the above command, and incur the character of an apostate; and at least, the penalty of being beaten with forty stripes, save one; for, "whoever eats a whole fly, or a whole gnat, whether alive or dead, was to be beaten on account of a creeping flying thing (q). Among the accusations Haman is said to bring against them to Ahasuerus, and the instances he gives of their laws being different from the king's, this one (r); that "if a fly falls into the cup of one of them, , "he strains it, and drinks it"; but if my lord the king should touch the cup of one of them, he would throw it to the ground, and would not drink of it. Maimonides says (s), "He that strains wine, or vinegar, or strong liquor, and eats "Jabchushin" (a sort of small flies found in wine cellars (t), on account of which they strained their wine), or gnats, or worms, which he hath strained off, is to be beaten on account of the creeping things of the water, or on account of the creeping flying things, and the creeping things of the water. Moreover, it is said (u), "a man might not pour his strong liquors through a strainer, by the light (of a candle or lamp), lest he should separate and leave in the top of the strainer (some creeping thing), and it should fail again into the cup, and he should transgress the law, in Lev 11:41. To this practice Christ alluded here; and so very strict and careful were they in this matter, that to strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel, became at length a proverb, to signify much solicitude about little things, and none about greater. These men would not, on any consideration, be guilty of such a crime, as not to pay the tithe of mint, anise, and cummin, and such like herbs and seeds; and yet made no conscience of doing justice, and showing mercy to men, or of exercising faith in God, or love to him. Just as many hypocrites, like them, make a great stir, and would appear very conscientious and scrupulous, about some little trifling things, and yet stick not, at other times, to commit the grossest enormities, and most scandalous sins in life, (p) T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 26. 2. & Horaiot, fol. 11. 1. (q) Mainon. Hilch. Maacolot Asurot, c. 2. sect. 22. (r) T. Bab. Megilla, fol, 13. 2. Vid. T. Hietos. Sota, fol. 17. 1. (s) Ubi supra, (Mainon. Hilch. Maacolot Asurot, c. 2.) sect. 20. (t) Gloss. in T. Bab. Cholin, fol. 67. 1. (u) Ib.”

“You … who pay tithe, &c. The tithes of these small things are not found in the law. Nor yet doth Christ blame them so much for this, as for neglecting more weighty matters; and tells them by a proverb, that they strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel. (Witham) — The Pharisees pretended the greatest exactitude even in the smallest commands of the law, when the observance of them could impress the people with a favourable idea of their sanctity; whereas they omitted the more essential precepts of the law, when it did not procure them the praise of men. (Nicholas of Lyra.) — St. Jerome interprets this passage of receiving tithes; the Vulgate has decimare. (St. Jerome) — The Pharisees are blamed by our Lord for their avarice, in scrupulously exacting tithes of the most trifling things, whilst they lived in a constant neglect of their duty, both to God and their neighbour. (Idem. [St. Jerome])”

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise--rather, "dill," as in Margin. and cummin--In Luke (Luk 11:42) it is "and rue, and all manner of herbs." They grounded this practice on Lev 27:30, which they interpreted rigidly. Our Lord purposely names the most trifling products of the earth as examples of what they punctiliously exacted the tenth of. and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith--In Luke (Luk 11:42) it is "judgment, mercy, and the love of God"--the expression being probably varied by our Lord Himself on the two different occasions. In both His reference is to Mic 6:6-8, where the prophet makes all acceptable religion to consist of three elements--"doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God"; which third element presupposes and comprehends both the "faith" of Matthew and the "love" of Luke. See on Mar 12:29; Mar 12:32-33. The same tendency to merge greater duties in less besets even the children of God; but it is the characteristic of hypocrites. these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone--There is no need for one set of duties to jostle out another; but it is to be carefully noted that of the greater duties our Lord says, "Ye ought to have done" them, while of the lesser He merely says, "Ye ought not to leave them undone."”

“Or, because these covetous Priests, when any one did not bring his tithes of the smallest thing, made it a matter of grave reprehension; but when one injured his neighbour or sinned against God, they were at no pains to reprove him, careful only of their own profit, neglecting the glory of God, and the salvation of men. For to observe righteousness, to do mercy, and to have faith, these things God commanded for His own glory; but the payment of tithes He established for the support of the Priests, so that the Priests should minister to the people in spiritual things, and the people supply the Priests with carnal things. Thus is it at this time, when all are careful of their own honour, none of God’s honour; they jealously protect their own rights, but will not bestow any pains in the service of the Church. If the people pay not their tithes duly, they murmur; but if they see the people in sin, they utter not a word against them. But because some of the Scribes and Pharisees, to whom He is now speaking, were of the people, it is not unsuitable to make a different interpretation; and ‘to tithe’ may be used as well of him who pays, as of him who receives, tithes. The Scribes then and Pharisees offered tithes of the very best things for the purpose of displaying their righteousness; but in their judgments they were unjust, without mercy for their brethren, without faith for the truth.”