According to the Bible, farmers and herdsmen paid tithes. The biblical tithe consisted of crops and livestock. Because of this, the farmers and herdsmen who lived off the land were responsible for paying tithes.
Many preachers insist that their church members should tithe (i.e., give 10% of their income to the church). Why is this the case? Mainly, there’s a common belief in the Christian church that everyone in ancient Israel paid tithes. In our study of the Bible, we learn that this is a false belief. Although the Lord commanded 11 tribes of Israel to give tithes to the tribe of Levi, there were only two groups in Israel who paid tithes. These individuals were the farmers and herdsmen.
Table of Contents
- Listen to the Podcast
- The Farmers Paid Tithes
- The Herdsmen Paid Tithes
- An Argument for Money
- Wage Earners Didn’t Tithe
- Summary
- Find Out More
Listen to the Podcast
The Farmers Paid Tithes
The biblical tithe consisted of crops (or agricultural produce). Keep in mind that the Lord only wanted what was grown from the ground of the Holy Land of ancient Israel. Since the farmers raised crops for a living, they were responsible for paying a tithe for their crops.
The Herdsmen Paid Tithes
Aside from crops, the biblical tithe also consisted of livestock such as goats, sheep, oxen, lambs, bulls, cows, etc. Therefore, the herdsmen were the other group who paid tithes because they raised livestock in the Holy Land of ancient Israel.
The farmers and herdsmen who paid tithes were members of these 11 tribes of ancient Israel:
• Reuben
• Judah
• Issachar
• Zebulun
• Benjamin
• Dan
• Naphtali
• Gad
• Asher
• Ephraim
• Manasseh
An Argument for Money
Some people in the Christian church argue the Lord wanted a tithe of crops and livestock because ancient Israel was an agricultural-based economy. They also assert the ancient Israelites didn’t use money as a currency. Otherwise, it’s okay to tithe money because we live in a money-based society.
The Bible is clear that money did exist in ancient Israel. The money was used for buying goods and services. Ancient Israelites who made their living from occupations other than farming and raising livestock received wages in the form of money.
Wage Earners Didn’t Tithe
Another common misconception is that ancient Israel was strictly an agricultural-based society, and everyone raised crops and/or livestock. However, this is not the case. In addition to being farmers and herdsmen, ancient Israelites earned a living working in various skilled trades. These occupations included craftsmen, art designers, engravers, house servants, carpenters, tent makers, etc.
Exodus 28:11
You are to engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel with the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a seal; you are to have them set in gold filigree settings (Engravers).
Exodus 35:25
Every woman who was skilled spun with her hands and brought what she had spun, blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen (artisans).
Leviticus 25:6
You may have the Sabbath produce of the land to eat – you, your male servant, your female servant, your hired worker, the resident foreigner who stays with you (House Servants).
These people earned wages. They received money (e.g., shekels) in exchange for their services. However, they did not pay tithes for the money they earned. Why? Because the Lord only wanted tithes in the form of crops and livestock. Therefore, wage earners were exempt from paying tithes.
If we accept what the Bible says about tithing, then there’s no basis for any Christian to pay so-called tithes from their income. As wager-earners, they are exempt from paying tithes.
Summary
Based on the scriptures, the Lord was specific regarding who was required to pay tithes. Contrary to popular belief, all ancient Israelites did not pay tithes. Because the biblical tithe consisted of crops and livestock, the farmers and herdsmen who lived off the land were responsible for paying tithes. Specifically, it was the farmers and herdsmen from the 11 tribes of ancient Israel, excluding the tribe of Levi.
It is a common belief in the Christian church that everyone in the Bible paid tithes; or that the Lord intended for everyone to pay tithes. Biblical scripture does not support this belief. Everyone in ancient Israel did not farm the land or raise livestock. Many ancient Israelites were wage earners who earned their living from various occupations. As wage earners, they did not pay tithes in any form or fashion.
This is an important point because Christians are led to believe that the Lord commanded all of ancient Israel to pay tithes. Based on that assumption, some preachers proclaim that all Christians should pay 10% of their income to the church. But again, the Bible is clear that tithes were not paid in the form of money (i.e., wages or income). The Lord only accepted tithes in the form of crops and livestock.
Find Out More
Discover the hidden truth about tithes the church doesn’t want you to know. Click here. All verses listed are from the King James Version of the Bible unless stated otherwise.
