The exegetical and translational comments of this verse are similar to those of verse 17; see comments there. Here an example can be “You people are blind. Surely the altar is more important that the gift itself. It is because it is there on the altar as an offering to God that the gift becomes something for him. Can’t you see that?”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .