ἡδύοσμος (hēduosmos)
hēduosmos
mint
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun hēduosmos refers to mint, a small herb known for its strong, sweet scent. Derived from roots meaning "sweet" and "smell," the word describes an aromatic plant that was familiar in first-century Jewish households. It likely denotes peppermint or a similar variety of garden mint, valued not just for flavor but for its pervasive fragrance.
Its biblical appearance is brief but striking. Jesus mentions it twice when criticizing religious leaders for focusing on minor details while neglecting justice and mercy (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42). The sources note that Jews often scattered this herb on floors and synagogues to freshen the air. By including mint in their tithes, these leaders showed meticulous care for ritual purity, yet Jesus pointed out that such attention to scent was empty without moral integrity.
Although the word appears only twice, it serves as a concrete symbol of misplaced priority. The herb’s pleasant aroma contrasts with the spiritual decay Jesus condemns. Translators consistently render it as "mint," preserving the specific cultural reference to a common household item used for cleansing and fragrance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word hēduosmos, translated as mint, appears in Jesus’ sharp warnings against religious hypocrisy. In Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42, He criticizes leaders who meticulously tithe even the smallest garden herbs while ignoring justice and mercy. Mint was a common household plant, valued for its fresh scent and flavor. Its inclusion here highlights how easily we can focus on visible, manageable duties while neglecting the heavier demands of love and fairness.
This image invites us to examine our own priorities. It is natural to take pride in small acts of obedience or ritual correctness. Yet Jesus reminds us that God looks at the heart’s orientation toward others. True faithfulness balances attention to detail with a genuine commitment to justice. When we serve, let our actions reflect both care for the details and a deep concern for people.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- mint2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἡδύοσμον2×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 23:23
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
This verse lists mint alongside dill and cumin to show how religious leaders extended tithing rules to minor garden herbs, exposing their misplaced focus on ritual precision over moral weight.
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Luke 11:42
But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and God’s love. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
Luke’s account pairs the tithe of mint with the failure to practice God’s love, directly linking external religious observance with the internal neglect of compassion.