Reference: Tithe
American
A tenth, the proportion of a man's income devoted to sacred purposes from time immemorial, Ge 14:20; 28:22. This was prescribed in the Mosaic law, Nu 31:31. A twofold tithe was required of each Jewish citizen. The first consisted of one-tenth of the produce of his fields, trees, flocks, and herds, to be given to God as the sovereign Proprietor of all things and as the king of the Jews, Le 27:30-32; 1Sa 8:15,17. The proceeds of this tax were devoted to the maintenance of the Levites in their respective cities, Nu 18:21-24. A person might pay this tax in money, adding one-fifth to its estimated value. The Levites paid a tenth part of what they received to the priests, Nu 18:26-28. The second tithe required of each landholder was one-tenth of the nine parts of his produce remaining after the first tithe, to be expended at the tabernacle or temple in entertaining the Levites, his own family, etc., changing it first into money, if on account of his remoteness he chose to do so, De 12:17-19,22-29; 14:22-27. Every third year a special provision was made for the poor, either out of this second tithe or in addition to it, De 14:28-29. These tithes were not burdensome; but the pious Israelite found himself the richer for their payment, though it does not seem to have been enforced by any legal penalties. The system of tithes was renewed both before and after the captivity, 2Ch 31:5-6,12; Ne 10:37; 12:44; 13:5; but they were not always regularly paid, and hence the divine blessing was withheld, Mal 3:8-12. The Pharisees were scrupulously exemplary in paying their tithes, but neglected the more important duties of love to God and man, Mt 23:23.
The principle of the ancient tithes, namely, that ministers of the gospel and objects of benevolence should be provided for by the whole people of God, according to their means, is fully recognized in Scripture as applicable to the followers of Christ. He sent his servants forth, two and two, without provisions or purses, to receive their support from the people, since "the laborer is worthy of his hire," Mt 10:9-14; Lu 10:4-8,16. Paul also reasons in the same way, 1Co 9:13-14; Ga 6:6. For purpose of piety and beneficence, he directed the Corinthians, and virtually all Christians, to lay aside from their income, on the first day of the week, as the Lord had prospered them, 1Co 16:2. There is no reason to doubt that the early Christians gave more freely of their substance than did the ancient Jews, Ac 4:34-36; 2Co 8:1-4.
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and blessed be the most high God, who has delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And Abram gave him tithes of all.
and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth part unto thee.
And all the tithes of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's; it is holiness unto the LORD. And if anyone desires to redeem anything of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. read more. And concerning the tithe of the cows or of the sheep, even of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holiness unto the LORD.
And, behold, I have given the sons of Levi all the tithes in Israel for an inheritance, for their ministry because they serve in the ministry of the tabernacle of the testimony. Neither must the sons of Israel from now on come near the tabernacle of the testimony lest they bear sin and die because of it. read more. But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the testimony, and they shall bear their iniquity by a perpetual statute throughout your ages, and they shall not possess an inheritance among the sons of Israel. For unto the Levites I have given the tithes of the sons of Israel as inheritance, which they shall offer unto the LORD as offerings; therefore, I have said unto them, Among the sons of Israel they shall possess no inheritance.
Thus shalt thou speak unto the Levites and say unto them, When ye take the tithes from the sons of Israel which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall present a tithe of the tithes as an offering unto the LORD. And ye shall count your offering as though it were the grain of the threshingfloor and as the fullness of the winepress. read more. Thus ye also shall offer an offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye shall have received of the sons of Israel; and ye shall give of them an offering unto the LORD, to Aaron the priest.
Thou may not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy grain or of thy wine or of thy oil or the firstborn of thy cows or of thy sheep nor any of thy vows which thou hast promised nor thy freewill offerings or the heave offerings of thy hands. But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall have chosen, thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy manslave and thy maidslave and the Levite that is within thy gates; and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all the work of thy hands. read more. Keep thyself that thou not forsake the Levite in all thy days upon thy land.
Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them; the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike. Only be sure not to eat the blood; for the blood is the soul (or the life), and thou art not to eat the soul with its flesh. read more. Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water. Thou shalt not eat it that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD. But the things which thou hast consecrated and thy vows, thou shalt take and go unto the place which the LORD shall have chosen, and thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh. Keep and hear all these words which I command thee that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God. When the LORD thy God shall have cut off the Gentiles from before thee, in the place where thou goest to inherit of them, and thou dost inherit of them and dost dwell in their land,
Thou shalt without fail tithe all the increase of thy seed that thy field brings forth each year. And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose for his name to dwell, the tithe of thy grain, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstborn of thy cows and of thy sheep, that thou may learn to fear the LORD thy God always. read more. And if the way is too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, or if the place is too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God has blessed thee, then shalt thou sell it for money and bind up the money in thy hand and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose; and thou shalt give that money for whatever thy soul desires, for cows or for sheep or for wine or for strong drink or for whatever thy soul desires; and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thine household. And thou shalt not forsake the Levite that dwells within thy gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with thee. At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year and shalt lay it up within thy gates. And the Levite, who has no part nor inheritance with thee, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within thy gates, shall come and shall eat and be satisfied, that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hands which thou doest.
And as soon as the commandment burst forth and multiplied, an abundance of firstfruits of grain, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field was multiplied unto the sons of Israel; and likewise, they brought in the tithe, of all things in abundance. Also the sons of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, gave in the same manner the tithe of the cows and the sheep, and the tithe of that which was sanctified of the things which had been promised unto the LORD their God, and laid them in heaps.
and brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully, over which Cononiah, the Levite, was ruler and Shimei, his brother, was second.
And that we would also bring the firstfruits of our dough and of our offerings and the fruit of every tree, of the wine and of the oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithe of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tenths of our labours in all the cities.
And at that time men were appointed over the chambers of the treasures, of the offerings, of the firstfruits, and of the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the legal portions for the priests and the Levites; for the joy of Judah was upon the priests and the Levites that served.
and he had prepared for him a great chamber, where before they had kept the present, the frankincense, the vessels, the tithe of the grain, of the new wine, and of the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, to the singers and the porters and the offerings of the priests.
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, In what have we robbed thee? In the tithes and the offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye, even this whole nation, have robbed me. read more. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, and there shall be food in my house, and prove me now in this, said the LORD of the hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will reprehend the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of the ground; neither shall the vine in the field abort, said the LORD of the hosts. And all the Gentiles shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, said the LORD of the hosts.
Provide neither gold nor silver nor money in your girdles, nor bag for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes nor a staff, for the workman is worthy of his food. read more. And into whatever city or town ye shall enter, search out with diligence who in it is worthy; and there abide until ye go from there. And entering into the house, salute it. And if the house is worthy, your peace shall come upon it; but if it is not worthy, your peace shall return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words, depart out of that house or city and shake off the dust of your feet.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and have omitted that which is more important of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith; these were expedient for ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Carry neither purse nor provision bag nor shoes, and greet no one on the way. And into whatever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. read more. And if indeed there is a son of peace there, your peace shall rest upon it; if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. And into whatever city ye enter and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you
He that hears you hears me, and he that despises you despises me, and he that despises me despises him that sent me.
Neither was there any among them that lacked, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them down at the apostles' feet; and distribution was made unto each one according to their need. read more. Then Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation), a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
Do ye not know that those who work with sacred things live of the things of the sanctuary? and those who serve at the altar partake of the altar? Even so the Lord has ordained that those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
Each first sabbath let each one of you set aside in store, as God has prospered him, that there be no collections when I come.
Let the one that is taught in the word communicate unto the one that teaches in all good things.
Easton
a tenth of the produce of the earth consecrated and set apart for special purposes. The dedication of a tenth to God was recognized as a duty before the time of Moses. Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Ge 14:20; Heb 7:6); and Jacob vowed unto the Lord and said, "Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee."
The first Mosaic law on this subject is recorded in Le 27:30-32. Subsequent legislation regulated the destination of the tithes (Nu 18:21-24,26-28; De 12:5-6,11,17; 14:22-23). The paying of the tithes was an important part of the Jewish religious worship. In the days of Hezekiah one of the first results of the reformation of religion was the eagerness with which the people brought in their tithes (2Ch 31:5-6). The neglect of this duty was sternly rebuked by the prophets (Am 4:4; Mal 3:8-10). It cannot be affirmed that the Old Testament law of tithes is binding on the Christian Church, nevertheless the principle of this law remains, and is incorporated in the gospel (1Co 9:13-14); and if, as is the case, the motive that ought to prompt to liberality in the cause of religion and of the service of God be greater now than in Old Testament times, then Christians outght to go beyond the ancient Hebrew in consecrating both themselves and their substance to God.
Every Jew was required by the Levitical law to pay three tithes of his property (1) one tithe for the Levites; (2) one for the use of the temple and the great feasts; and (3) one for the poor of the land.
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and blessed be the most high God, who has delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And Abram gave him tithes of all.
And all the tithes of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's; it is holiness unto the LORD. And if anyone desires to redeem anything of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. read more. And concerning the tithe of the cows or of the sheep, even of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holiness unto the LORD.
And, behold, I have given the sons of Levi all the tithes in Israel for an inheritance, for their ministry because they serve in the ministry of the tabernacle of the testimony. Neither must the sons of Israel from now on come near the tabernacle of the testimony lest they bear sin and die because of it. read more. But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the testimony, and they shall bear their iniquity by a perpetual statute throughout your ages, and they shall not possess an inheritance among the sons of Israel. For unto the Levites I have given the tithes of the sons of Israel as inheritance, which they shall offer unto the LORD as offerings; therefore, I have said unto them, Among the sons of Israel they shall possess no inheritance.
Thus shalt thou speak unto the Levites and say unto them, When ye take the tithes from the sons of Israel which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall present a tithe of the tithes as an offering unto the LORD. And ye shall count your offering as though it were the grain of the threshingfloor and as the fullness of the winepress. read more. Thus ye also shall offer an offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye shall have received of the sons of Israel; and ye shall give of them an offering unto the LORD, to Aaron the priest.
But ye shall seek the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there for his habitation, and thou shalt go there. And there ye shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices and your tithes and the offerings of your hand and your vows and your freewill offerings and the firstborn of your cows and of your sheep;
then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; there shall ye bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the offerings of your hand and all your choice of vows which ye vow unto the LORD;
Thou may not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy grain or of thy wine or of thy oil or the firstborn of thy cows or of thy sheep nor any of thy vows which thou hast promised nor thy freewill offerings or the heave offerings of thy hands.
Thou shalt without fail tithe all the increase of thy seed that thy field brings forth each year. And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose for his name to dwell, the tithe of thy grain, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstborn of thy cows and of thy sheep, that thou may learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
And as soon as the commandment burst forth and multiplied, an abundance of firstfruits of grain, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field was multiplied unto the sons of Israel; and likewise, they brought in the tithe, of all things in abundance. Also the sons of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, gave in the same manner the tithe of the cows and the sheep, and the tithe of that which was sanctified of the things which had been promised unto the LORD their God, and laid them in heaps.
Go to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal increase the rebellion; and bring your sacrifices early in the morning and your tithes every three years:
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, In what have we robbed thee? In the tithes and the offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye, even this whole nation, have robbed me. read more. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, and there shall be food in my house, and prove me now in this, said the LORD of the hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Do ye not know that those who work with sacred things live of the things of the sanctuary? and those who serve at the altar partake of the altar? Even so the Lord has ordained that those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
but he whose descent is not counted in those took tithes from Abraham and blessed him that had the promises.