Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 23:24

"Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel!" — Matthew 23:24 (ASV)

The OT law on tithing specifies grain, wine, and oil, though Lev 27:30 is more comprehensive. Certainly in the first century there was debate about how far the law of tithing should extend. The consensus was to include greens and garden herbs (v.23). Jesus does not condemn scrupulous observance in these things, but insists that to fuss over them while neglecting the “more important matters of the law” (cf. 22:34–40)—justice, mercy, and faithfulness—is to strain out a gnat but swallow a camel, both unclean creatures. Several points deserve notice.

(1) The “more important” (GK 987) matters do not refer to the “more difficult” but to the “more central” or “more decisive” matters versus “peripheral” ones.

(2) In essence Jesus accuses the teachers of the law and the Pharisees of a massive distortion of God’s will as revealed in Scripture. At a fundamental level, they fail to focus on the thrust of Scripture (cf. 9:9–13; 12:1–14).

(3) The chiastic structure of the “woes” centers on this fourth one, where the basic failure of the Pharisaic teachers is laid bare . Jesus holds readers of the OT responsible for discerning its purpose and recognizing its most important emphases .