Rue

Rue (Greek peganon) was a strongly scented Mediterranean herb (Ruta graveolens) cultivated in gardens and used medicinally, culinarily, and as a bitter flavoring. In Luke 11:42, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for tithing mint, rue, and all manner of herbs while passing over judgment and the love of God: "These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." The Matthean parallel (Matthew 23:23) lists mint, anise, and cummin rather than rue. That Pharisees tithed garden herbs including rue reflects the strict tithing practice that extended even to kitchen herbs, a meticulousness that became a substitute for, rather than an expression of, genuine covenant faithfulness.