What's a Tithe?

Photo by Kate Hliznitsova on Unsplash

The Tithe

Before the Law, offerings of an unspecified amount were given to the Lord out of one's own free will and reverence. The offerings were a portion of crops, fruits, and cattle just as it was later commanded in the Law, and it was to be collected from the land of Israel. The offerings were burned up in fire and were a soothing aroma to the Lord, and it is in this way that people gave offerings to God. These offerings go all the way back to Cain, Abel, and Noah, all of whom brought offerings to the Lord without compulsion and of an unspecified amount. Later, Abraham would be seen tithing as he divided 10 percent of the spoils of war with an individual called "Melchizedek." Abraham's son Isaac had a son named Jacob, and Jacob promised to dedicate a tithe of all he owned to God. Whether he did so or not is not recorded; in both cases of tithing seen above, they are mentioned as one-time offerings. All of the above can be found in Genesis 4:2-5, Genesis 8:20-21, and Leviticus 27:30, 32.

After the Law was written, the tithe became an institutional mandate among the people to support the Levitical tribe that served within the House of God. The “tithe” (meaning tenth) was a portion of all that one possessed which was then given back to God and to his servants, the Levites, who received it as part of their inheritance in place of agricultural lands. The tithe itself was to begin after Israel entered the land of promise, and they were given rest by God; that is to say that the tithe would begin sometime after the book of Deuteronomy. The tithe was to occur once a year which involved bringing a meal for yourself and your family to God's house (the tithe). If it's too far to carry with you to the House of God where it is to be brought, you can exchange it for money and buy whatever kind of food or drink (i.e., includes alcoholic wine) that you would want for you and your family, and then you and your family are to eat it in the presence of the Lord.

Fun Fact: During the tithe, it is mentioned that one could bring or buy alcohol as well. Jews drank then and still drink alcohol to this day. One surprising example of this is when God invites the Rechabites to His house for drinks to prove a point to Israel. This happens in Jeremiah 35:1-19. The wine mentioned here is through the word Yayin, 3196. A fermented, alcoholic, intoxicating wine.

There are three groups of people that benefited from the tithe. The first group of people to benefit from the tithe is the family that grew the tithe, that is to say, the family that sows the tithe is to take part in the tithe itself. The next four groups of people mentioned are the Levites, the widows, the fatherless, and the foreigners. They were not to forget to give some to the Levites who had no agricultural inheritance, and at the end of three years, they brought that year's tithe into the storehouse for the Levites, the widows, the fatherless, and the foreigner so that they may come and eat.

God invites Israel to His house, and also provided the meal. When they presented the tithe, they had to say, I have not eaten any of the sacred portions, even if I was in mourning, nor have I eaten it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any to the dead. I did not eat it when times were hard because you are my Provider. If there were any doubt that the tithe is food, that declaration should hopefully put it to rest.

The Levites would then give 10% of the tithe to the sons of Aaron who would then give a tithe to God by fire. The tithe had to come specifically from within the land of Israel, as stated in Leviticus 27:30, 32, and the tithe was based on how God blessed His people and it was their response to God’s blessing; that is to say, that the tithe was evidence of God’s faithfulness. The people would not have anything to give unless God had given first. The tithe was given to the Levites because God was the inheritance of the Levites, as stated in Deuteronomy 18:1-2.

Now, scripture says that the tithe dedicated to the Lord can be redeemed at a certain price, as stated in Leviticus 27:30-34. In other words, you can spend money to avoid tithing. Here the tithe is also defined as grain, fruits, vegetables, the animals present in the land, whatever the soil produces. But the tithe itself is not money.

Here are all of the verses utilized in regards to the tithe. Leviticus 27:30-34, Number 18:20-32, Deuteronomy 12:1-12, Deuteronomy 12:13-14, Deuteronomy 14:22-29, Deuteronomy 26:1-15, 2 Chronicles 31:2-10, Nehemiah 10:32-39, Malachi 3:10, Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42.

Malachi 3:10 probably makes a bit more sense now. Bring in the whole tithe so that there will be food in my house. And according to the above, He is talking about food.

I included Matthew and Luke because they also show that the tithe was an agricultural arrangement, “mint, dill, cummin.” The tithe does continue into the beginning of the new testament where we see Jesus, a Jew, and his family living according to the Mosaic laws; however, Jesus was of the tribe of Judah, and this means that he could not ask for tithes because that would have broken Biblical law. According to that same Biblical law, Paul, who was of the tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1/Philippians 3:5), would also have been forbidden from collecting tithes. The sacred portion was for God and the designated groups only.

A thought worth exploring: Luke 21:1-4, Mark 12:41-44. The lady who gave the last of her money as an offering. Because we know what a tithe is, we could deduce that this was likely not a tithe she had given because it does not fit the description of a tithe mentioned in Leviticus 27:30-34. What is described here could be a freewill offering, and she may have voluntarily given all that she had without compulsion. This is just a theory as the kind of offering made here is not specified.

So, what is the principle of the tithe? God Provides a meal and invites His people to eat it with Him. Trust God because He is my provider, the Breadwinner of His house, Deuteronomy (12:/18:/22:/26:). As a believer, He provides for me, and I am tasked with making sure that those around me are also provided for and can partake in God's providence. I must trust that what God gives me is enough for me and for those in need around me. If I decide to give, I believe I'll discover that He has already supplied me with the ability to do so. It is God who gives me my bread and my wine. Through the tithe's beauty, those who are struggling can taste the goodness of God for themselves through the selflessness of observant believers.

P.S. Edited by my friend Midnight Philosopher. Once again, thank you so much! Please be sure to check him out over at
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