Bible Dictionary
Anise
Anise, mentioned by Jesus in His rebuke of the Pharisees, was probably dill or a closely related aromatic plant. The Pharisees carefully tithed it while neglecting the weightier matters of the Law.
Definition
Anise is an aromatic plant mentioned in the discussion of tithing. The term may refer to anise proper or, more probably according to the supplied material, to dill, a related aromatic plant used in cooking and medicine.
Biblical Usage
Jesus referred to anise or dill when rebuking the Pharisees. They carefully paid tithes of such small garden produce while neglecting the weightier matters of the Law.
Historical Background
Dill and anise were annual plants with aromatic seeds and leaves. Dill was used in soups and pickles, while anise was valued for aromatic and carminative properties and grew in regions including Syria, Palestine, and the Levant.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
This word is found only in Matt. 23:23. It is the plant commonly known by the name of dill, the Peucedanum graveolens of the botanist. This name dill is derived from a Norse word which means to soothe, the plant having the carminative property of allaying pain. The common dill, the Anethum graveolens, is an annual growing wild in the cornfields of Spain and Portugal and the south of Europe generally. There is also a species of dill cultivated in Eastern countries known by the name of shubit. It was this species of garden plant of which the Pharisees were in the habit of paying tithes. The Talmud requires that the seeds, leaves, and stem of dill shall pay tithes. It is an umbelliferous plant, very like the caraway, its leaves, which are aromatic, being used in soups and pickles. The proper anise is the Pimpinella anisum.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
This word occurs only in (Matthew 23:23) It is by no means a matter of certainty whether the anise (Pimpinella anisum, Lin.) or the dill (Anethum graveolens) is here intended though the probability is more in favor of the latter plant. “Anise is an annual plant growing to the height of one foot, carries a white flower, and blooms from June till August. The seeds are imported and used in large quantities on account of their aromatic and carminative properties. It grows wild in Egypt, in Syria, Palestine and all parts of the Levant. Among the ancients anise seems to have been a common pot-herb in every garden. Although it is less used in medicine by the moderns than by the ancients, it still retains its former reputation as an excellent stomachic, particularly for delicate women and young children. The Romans chewed it in order to keep up an agreeable moisture in the mouth and to sweeten the breath, while some Orientals still do the same.” Dill, a somewhat similar plant, is an annual, bearing small aromatic seeds, used also for cookery and medicine.