The noun ανηθον (anethon) describes the herb dill (Matthew 23:23 only). It's not clear where this word came from but in the classics it also appears in the variant spelling αννηθον (annethon), and a specialized μελανθιον (melanthion), i.e. μελας (melas), black + ανηθον (anethon): black dill. An obviously related noun αννησον (anneson) described anise (same word). This word is not used in the Bible, and appears to be imported from Egyptian, in which it describes the same or some other plant that was known for its medicinal properties. The Egyptian name for this plant appears to have something to do with feet (human or animal), but it's entirely unclear how a foot relates to our plant.

Also rather remarkable is the partial overlap of the nouns αννηθον (annethon) and καννη (kanne), meaning reed, which is a typically Egyptian plant (and is associated with Egypt's wisdom literature; hence Moses' basket among the reed and Israel crossing the Sea of Reeds). This noun καννη (kanne) derives from the Semitic word קנה (qana), reed, which was also used to mean spear-shaft or goad, the instrument with which shepherds and cattlemen would drive their herds. The Greek word for sheep is προβατον (probaton), which comes from the verb προβαινω (probaino), to make gradual progress with little steps at a time. And stepping is done with feet.

There is probably not a naturally evolving connection between the words קנה (qana), καννη (kanne) and αννησον (anneson), also because the Hebrew "q" does not simply drop off or gets stuck in front of a word (not like the "k" or "n" or "m" for instance), but still, somewhere on the boundaries between the clouds of languages in the antique world, there may have been some cross pollination, and these words may have helped each other formation.

And even if that were not so, a poet with a creative eye might use our word ανηθον (anethon) in wordplay, where the proverbial smallness of the dill stem reminds of a proverbially small goad, with which a mother might teach her child its very first lesson. In that case, dill relates to reed the way milk relates to meat (1 Corinthians 3:2), and signifies small baby-step corrections. Noun ηδυοσμον (heduosmon), or sweet-smelling mint, would then relate to the small pleasures of small victories in one's learning process. And כמן (kammon) (see below), would correspond to small mysteries.

The Hebrew words for dill (קצח, qetsa) and cumin (כמן, kammon) appear to have been imported and are not native to the Semitic language basin and subsequently don't resemble anything else in Hebrew. In that regard, these words are like the English noun "computer" that's been imported by most languages in the world but without the clarifying verb to compute or other "com-" words (company, companion, compete) and "-pute" words (dispute, repute, amputate). In English, the original working function and practical use of the computer can be somewhat deducted from the name by which it became known (a computer computes, it brings together and assigns values), but in any other language, a computer is a complicated device that we do our socials with and watch videos on.

Our two words קצח (qetsa) and כמן (kammon) are likewise orphan words (and that is quite rare in Hebrew). They only occur in Isaiah 28:25-27 — the Septuagint's version of these verses has μελανθιον (melanthion) for קצח (qetsa) and κυμινον (kuminon) for כמן (kammon):

"Does [the farmer] not level [the field's] surface, and sow dill (קצח, qetsa) and scatter cummin (כמן, kammon) and plant wheat in rows, barley in its place and rye within its area? For his God instructs and teaches him properly. For dill (קצח, qetsa) is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is the cartwheel driven over cummin כמן (kammon). But dill (קצח, qetsa) is beaten out with a rod, and cummin כמן (kammon) with a club" (Isaiah 28:27).

The noun κυμινον (kuminon) describes the herb cumin (Matthew 23:23 only). This word was imported from the Semitic language basin where it occurs in most languages; in Hebrew it's כמן (kammon). Where it comes from is a mystery, but from it derives a post-Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic (and Arabic) denominative verb that means to hide or be hidden. In Biblical Hebrew, the only trace of this perhaps back-formed root is the noun מכמן (mikman), hidden things or facility for hiding things. It occurs in Daniel 11:43 only, notably again in a reference to Egypt: "But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt ..."

This of course brings to mind the familiar Greek noun μυστηριον (musterion), meaning mystery, from the verb μυω (muo) to cover or hide just below the surface (hence also the noun μυς, mus, mouse), which are the opposite of the equally familiar term αποκαλυψις (apokalupsis), meaning discovery, from the verb καλυπτω (kalupto), to envelop, wrap or cover.

All this in turn brings to mind what Jesus said: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21).

And it reminds of what Paul wrote about the Christ: "... a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:2-3).