Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is an herb of the parsley family that produces tiny oblong seeds with a warm, aromatic flavor. In biblical Palestine it was sown in late winter, harvested in early summer, and threshed by light beating with a rod (see Isaiah 28:25 – 27 for a parallel description of threshing practices). Because the seeds were both light in weight and high in value, they symbolized meticulous attention to detail.

Old Testament Parallels

Although the Greek word κύμινον appears only in Matthew 23:23, the plant is known in Hebrew Scripture under the related term “kammûn.” Isaiah uses cumin to illustrate the Lord’s wise instruction in agriculture (Isaiah 28:25 – 27). There, the prophet notes that God teaches farmers not only when to sow but also how to harvest each crop appropriately, underscoring divine involvement in everyday labor and the fitting treatment of each kind of produce.

New Testament Usage

Matthew 23:23 records Jesus’ lone New Testament mention:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin, but you have neglected the weightier matters of the Law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

Here cumin epitomizes the smallest items that the religious leaders tithed with scrupulous precision. Christ does not condemn tithing such spices; rather, He contrasts their microscopic focus with their disregard for foundational virtues. The single occurrence therefore serves as a pivotal illustration of misplaced priorities.

Rabbinic and Historical Context

Rabbinic tradition extended the Mosaic tithe to garden herbs. Mishnah Ma‘aserot 4:5 lists cumin as liable for tithing, reflecting an oral-law rigor that ensured even the tiniest household produce was counted. This background clarifies why Pharisees considered the practice a badge of piety, and why Jesus’ audience would immediately grasp the force of His rebuke.

Theological and Ethical Significance

1. Proportional Weight of Commandments
• Cumin represents lesser commands that are nonetheless legitimate (“You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former”).
• Justice, mercy, and faithfulness form the “weightier matters,” revealing that God evaluates obedience by moral gravity, not merely numerical completeness.

2. Integrity of Worship
• True worship unites external acts and internal attitudes. God is not impressed by punctilious giving that masks moral deficiency (Micah 6:6 – 8).
• Tithing cumin while ignoring compassion exposes hypocrisy, the sin Jesus targets repeatedly in Matthew 23.

3. Stewardship of Small Things
• Cumin’s tiny seeds remind believers that God notices the minutest actions (Luke 16:10).
• Yet small deeds gain significance only when integrated with the overarching principles of love for God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37 – 40).

Lessons for Contemporary Ministry

• Guard against majoring on minors—church life can drift toward procedural precision while overlooking relational righteousness.
• Teach proportional obedience: encourage faithful giving and meticulous integrity, but never sever these from justice and mercy.
• Use agricultural metaphors, as Scripture does, to illustrate spiritual truths in accessible, everyday terms.

Typological Insight

Just as cumin must be lightly beaten so that its fragrance is released, so the Lord may employ gentle discipline to draw out the pleasing aroma of righteousness in His people (Hebrews 12:10 – 11; 2 Corinthians 2:14 – 15).

Summary

Cumin in Scripture is more than a culinary detail. Its solitary appearance in the Greek New Testament crystallizes Jesus’ call to holistic obedience—honoring God in the smallest offerings while pursuing the grand virtues of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.