What is a tithe?

What Is a Tithe?

A tithe is giving the first tenth of our income back to God (Leviticus 27:30). The word itself means “a tenth,” and the practice goes back to Abraham, long before the Law was given (Genesis 14:20). It’s an act of worship that recognizes everything we have belongs to the Lord (Psalm 24:1). It carries God’s own promise of blessing (Malachi 3:10), and Jesus affirmed it rather than abolishing it (Matthew 23:23). When we tithe, we’re putting our trust in Him.

The Tithe Is the First Tenth

The Hebrew word for tithe, ma’aser, literally means “a tenth.” Scripture first records it when Abram met Melchizedek, the priest of God Most High. After God gave Abram victory, Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything (Genesis 14:18-20). Jacob made the same commitment at Bethel (Genesis 28:22). Later, God gave Israel specific instructions for tithing:

“Every tenth of the land’s produce, grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.”
-Leviticus 27:30 CSB

The tenth belongs to the LORD. The tithe was never ours in the first place, it was always His. That’s why Scripture calls for the first part of our income and not the leftovers (Proverbs 3:9). The tithe supported the priests who served God and ministered to the people (Numbers 18:21) and the tithe provided for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow (Deuteronomy 14:28-29). The same is true today. The tithe supports the ministry of the local church to its members, the proclamation of the gospel, and care for those in need (1 Corinthians 9:13-14).

The Tithe Carries God’s Blessing

By the time of the prophet Malachi, God’s people had grown careless in their worship, and their giving showed it. God’s response is direct:

"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me! ‘How do we rob you?’ you ask. By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions. You are suffering under a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing me. Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the LORD of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.”
-Malachi 3:8-10 CSB

This is the only place in Scripture where God invites His people to test Him. Holding back the tithe is robbing God, but bringing “the full tenth” opens the floodgates of heaven. God goes on to promise that He would rebuke the devourer, protect the harvest, and make His people a land the nations would call fortunate (Malachi 3:11-12). That doesn’t make the tithe a transaction or a guarantee of wealth. God isn’t a vending machine. But He is a faithful Father who provides for His children (Philippians 4:19), and He honors those who honor Him (1 Samuel 2:30). The blessing associated with the tithe is spiritual, and an assurance that God will provide.

Jesus Confirmed the Tithe

Some say the tithe was only for the Old Testament. But Jesus spoke to the tithe directly. While rebuking the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, He said:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These things should have been done without neglecting the others.”
-Matthew 23:23 CSB

Jesus isn’t rebuke the Pharisees for tithing. He is rebuking them for tithing while ignoring justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Then He said both “should have been done” (Matthew 23:23). In other words, keep tithing, and pursue the bigger matters of the heart along with it. Luke records the same teaching (Luke 11:42).

Jesus also calls His followers to something greater than a tenth. In Luke 14, He told the crowds to count the cost of following Him (Luke 14:28), and then He said:

“In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
-Luke 14:33 CSB

If Jesus is Lord over everything we have, the tithe is the floor of our generosity, not the ceiling. It’s the starting place where we learn to trust Him with all of it.

How to Apply This to Your Life

Start with the first, not the leftovers. Decide ahead of time to give the first tenth of every paycheck back to God through your local church, before the bills and the spending take over (1 Corinthians 16:2). If ten percent feels out of reach right now, take a real step toward it and ask God to grow your faith along the way (Luke 16:10). And give with joy, not guilt:

“Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.”
-2 Corinthians 9:7 CSB

Tithing can feel risky when money is tight, but God is always faithful and He will provide (Deuteronomy 7:9). Jesus told us not to worry about what we will eat, drink, or wear (Matthew 6:25), and He pointed to the birds as proof of God's provision:

“Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?”
-Matthew 6:26 CSB

If God feeds the birds, He will take care of us. When we honor Him with the first part of our income, we can trust Him to provide what we need (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19).

In Conclusion

The tithe is the tenth that belongs to God. Abraham practiced it, the Law commanded it, God attached a promise to it in Malachi, and Jesus affirmed it. God doesn’t need our money, but He does want our hearts, and what we do with our money shows where our hearts are:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
-Matthew 6:21 CSB

A tithe is giving the first tenth back to God, and when we do, we’re putting our trust in Him, and we can expect abundant spiritual blessing and confidence that the Lord will provide.