"You tithe mint and dill (anethon) and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness" (Matthew 23:23). The Pharisees meticulously applied the tithe even to the smallest garden herbs — a practice that showed extraordinary attention to legal detail. Jesus does not condemn the tithing itself ("these you ought to have done") but the inversion of priorities. Precision in small rituals is no substitute for justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Anethon represents the minutiae that can become an idol when major commandments are neglected.
Anethon refers to the dill plant (Anethum graveolens), an aromatic herb used in cooking and medicine. It appears in Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees for their meticulous tithing of garden herbs while neglecting weightier matters.