The zeal of the Pharisees for the Law appears in the allusions of the New Testament. They were meticulous about paying tithes, even of the small seeds and spices that grew in their gardens (Matt. 23:23). They studied the Law assiduously to determine the duties that they owed to God and often drew unnecessarily fine distinctions in their interpretation (vv. 16–21). They were excessively conscious of their virtues and paraded them before God when they prayed (Luke 18:11–12). Because their ideals exceeded