TITHING VERSES IN THE BIBLE: 41 BIBLE VERSES ON TITHING IN ONE ARTICLE

There are well over forty-one bible verses about tithing.

Tithing is one of the most divisive subjects in the Church. There are a few different “tithing teams” across the Body of Christ.

There are more than two but I will only mention two of the primary views:

• Tithing is Before the Law, During the Law, and After the Law and Still Applies to the Church
• Jesus fulfilled the Law and Tithing is No Longer Required for the Church

To promote unity I will simply list the tithing scriptures that are in the Bible.

Be a good Berean and see if what is taught at your church is Biblical.

I will keep my commentary to a minimum — I promise — (kind of).

Tithing Verses In The Bible — Genesis

The word “tithe” simply means a tenth.

Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” And he gave him a tithe of all.

Abram graciously gave a tenth of war spoils to Melchizedek. He also gave the other 90% away as well. For some reason, that part is excluded by most preachers.

Genesis 28:22 And this stone, which I have set up as a memorial stone, will be God’s house, and of everything that You give me I will assuredly give a tenth to You.”

You might want to read from verse 20 where Jacob is playing “Let’s Make a Deal” with God.

Abram tithed before the law. Well, kind of.

Tithing Verses In The Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 27:30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.

Seed and fruit.

Leviticus 27:31 If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it.

Let’s ensure we know what “redeem” means and not make any assumptions.

Leviticus 27:32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman’s staff, shall be holy to the Lord.

What would a person with only nine sheep do? Interesting.

Tithing Verses in the Book of Numbers

Numbers 18:21-22 “To the Levites, I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting, so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die.

The tithe was given, in this instance, to the Levites for an inheritance. The Levites did not get land.

Numbers 18:24 For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel.”

Numbers 18:26 “Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe.

The Levites gave 10% of the 10%. I wonder where the tithe of the tithe was stored?

Numbers 18:28 So you shall also present a contribution to the Lord from all your tithes, which you receive from the people of Israel. And from it, you shall give the Lord’s contribution to Aaron the priest.

Tithing Verses in Deuteronomy 12 & 14

Deuteronomy 12:5-6 But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

Deuteronomy 12:11 Then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord.

Deuteronomy 12:17 You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present,

Eat the Tithe?

Interesting. Why would God command the Israelites to “eat the tithe”?

Deuteronomy 14:22 “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year.

Tithing the seed that comes from the field.

Deuteronomy 14:23 And before the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.

Once again, God instructs His people to eat the tithe.

Deuteronomy 14:24-26 And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the Lord your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the Lord your God chooses, to set his name there, then you shall exchange it for money, and bind the money in your hand and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses. And you may spend the money on whatever your heart desires: on oxen, sheep, wine, other strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household.

Wait, what? I thought the tithe was money.

So they were to take the tithe and exchange it for money, and then use the money to buy something that could be consumed?

Deuteronomy 14:28 “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns.

How many tithes are there? Spoiler alert: There are three tithes in the Old Covenant.

Tithing Verses In Deuteronomy 26

Deuteronomy 26:12 When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled

Deuteronomy 26:14 I have not eaten of the tithe while I was mourning, or removed any of it while I was unclean, or offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God. I have done according to all that you have commanded me.

Tithing Verses in the Book of 2 Chronicles

II Chronicles 31:5 As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.

II Chronicles 31:6 And the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the Lord their God, and laid them in heaps.

II Chronicles 31:12 And they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the dedicated things. The chief officer in charge of them was Conaniah the Levite, with Shimei his brother as second.

Tithing Scriptures in the Book of Nehemiah

The tithing scriptures in Nehemiah answer a ton of questions — especially about verses from Malachi.

Nehemiah 10:37 We will bring the first of our grain, our gifts, the fruit of every tree, the new wine and the oil to the religious leaders in the rooms of the house of our God. And we will bring a tenth part of what we get from our ground to the Levites. For the Levites are the ones who receive a tenth part from all the farming towns.

The tithe, according to the author of Nehemiah (Ezra?) originated from farming towns.

Nehemiah 10:38 And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse.

Hmmm…so there is a literal storehouse? What could possibly be stored in a storehouse? Money or food?

Nehemiah 12:44 On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered.

Nehemiah 13:5 …prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.

The tithes of grain, wine, and oil. Interesting.

Nehemiah 13:12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses.

So it appears that grain, wine, and oil were kept in the storehouse.

Tithing Verses Found in the Minor Prophets

Amos 4:4 Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years.

There’s that pesky “every three years” mention once again.

Malachi 3:8 Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings.

Malachi 3:10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Storehouses once again. No fear, storehouses have been magically transformed into “churches” after Calvary. Don’t ask how. Just shut up and do what you’re told.

Tithing Scriptures Mentioned by Jesus

Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

I find it quite interesting that Jesus mentions tithing things that are considered food.

Luke 11:42 But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Luke 18:12-13 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’

Jesus discussed tithing in the Gospels.

Tithing Verses in the Book of Hebrews

I find the verses in the Epistle to the Hebrews complex and confusing.

Hebrews 7:5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham.

Levites and law.

Hebrews 7:6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

Hebrews 7:8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.

Make sense?

Hebrews 7:9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham,

Clear as mud, right?

---

I day you to profit!

PS – if you would like to take a tithing deep-dive click here for AN ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TITHING.