κύμινον
cumin
Definition
κύμινον (kyminon) refers to cumin, a small aromatic plant whose seeds were used as a spice and seasoning in the ancient world. In the New Testament, it appears only in Matthew 23:23, where Jesus criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for meticulously tithing even the smallest garden herbs like cumin, while neglecting the more important matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. The word carries no other distinct biblical senses, but its specific mention highlights a category of minor agricultural produce subject to religious tithing customs.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Matthew 23:23. It is part of a list of garden herbs (along with mint and dill) used by Jesus in a polemical context to illustrate the hypocrisy of focusing on minute legalistic observances while overlooking core ethical and spiritual principles. Its usage is entirely illustrative and comparative.
Etymology
The word κύμινον (kyminon) is a direct borrowing into Greek, likely from a Semitic source (cf. Hebrew כַּמֹּן, kammōn). It is the standard Greek term for the cumin plant and its seed, showing little semantic development within the biblical corpus.
Semantic Range
Theologically, κύμινον is significant not for its inherent meaning but for its rhetorical function in Jesus' teaching. It represents the extreme minutiae of legalistic piety that can distract from the weightier matters of God's character and will. Understanding this specific term enriches the reading of Matthew 23:23 by grounding Jesus' critique in the tangible, everyday practices of his audience, contrasting trivial ritual compliance with substantive justice and mercy.
Cumin was a common, small-seeded garden herb used both as a seasoning and, in some contexts, medicinally in the ancient Mediterranean and Near East. Its inclusion in Jesus' list reflects the Jewish practice of tithing agricultural produce, as commanded in the Law (e.g., Leviticus 27:30, Deuteronomy 14:22-23). The meticulous tithing of such inexpensive herbs underscores the Pharisees' scrupulous—and, in Jesus' view, misplaced—attention to detail.
ἡδύοσμον (hēdyosmon, G2238) — mint, another garden herb tithing in Matthew 23:23. ἄνηθον (anēthon, G432) — dill, the third herb in the same list.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
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