Tithing is explicitly commanded within Israel’s covenant economy and appears before Sinai in narratives about Abraham and Jacob. The New Testament teaches generous, willing, proportionate giving but never gives the church a simple command, “Every Christian must give exactly ten percent.”
This study distinguishes Old Testament tithes from New Testament giving rather than treating every mention of a tenth as the same legal obligation.
1. What do the English translations actually say?
The five translations below are stored locally on Born Again Daily, so you can see the wording before anyone tells you what to think about it.
Israel is accused of robbing God in tithes and offerings.
KJV
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of 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].
BSB
8 Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure.
WEB
8 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says Yahweh of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough for.
ASV
8 Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with the curse; for ye rob me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of 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.
YLT
8 Doth man deceive God? but ye are deceiving Me, And ye have said: ‘In what have we deceived Thee?’ The tithe and the heave-offering! 9 With a curse ye are cursed! And Me ye are deceiving—this nation—all of it. 10 Bring in all the tithe unto the treasure-house, And there is food in My house; When ye have tried Me, now, with this, Said Jehovah of Hosts, Do not I open to you the windows of heaven? Yea, I have emptied on you a blessing till there is no space.
Jesus speaks to people under the law about tithing while emphasizing justice, mercy and faithfulness.
KJV
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
BSB
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
WEB
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
ASV
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone.
YLT
Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law—the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved you to do, and those not to neglect.
Believers set aside gifts in keeping with prosperity.
KJV
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first [day] of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as [God] hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
BSB
1 Now about the collection for the saints, you are to do as I directed the churches of Galatia: 2 On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be needed.
WEB
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I commanded the assemblies of Galatia, you do likewise. 2 On the first day of the week, let each one of you save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come.
ASV
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I gave order to the churches of Galatia, so also do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come.
YLT
1 And concerning the collection that is for the saints, as I directed to the assemblies of Galatia, so also ye—do ye; 2 on every first day of the week, let each one of you lay by him, treasuring up whatever he may have prospered, that when I may come then collections may not be made;
Giving is voluntary and cheerful, not under compulsion.
KJV
6 But this [I say], He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all [things], may abound to every good work:
BSB
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
WEB
6 Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work.
ASV
6 But this I say, He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound unto you; that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work:
YLT
6 And this: He who is sowing sparingly, sparingly also shall reap; and he who is sowing in blessings, in blessings also shall reap; 7 each one, according as he doth purpose in heart, not out of sorrow or out of necessity, for a cheerful giver doth God love, 8 and God is able all grace to cause to abound to you, that in every thing always all sufficiency having, ye may abound to every good work,
2. What do the Hebrew and Greek words say?
Important: a lexicon gives a word’s possible senses and usage; it does not magically choose the correct sense without context. “The true meaning” of a biblical word is the meaning it carries in its actual sentence and historical usage.
δεκάτη, -ης, ἡ prop. fem. (sc. μέρος) of δέκατος, -η, -ον, [in LXX for מַעֲשֵׂר: Gen.14:20, Neh.12:44, and al. ;] a tenth part, a tithe: Heb.7:2, 4; 8, 9 (for a curious inversion of the Biblical use, see MM, see word).† (AS)
3. Where interpretation begins
Ten-percent minimum
Some churches teach the tithe as an enduring baseline for Christian giving, with offerings beyond it.
New-covenant generosity
Many Christians see the Mosaic tithe as covenant-specific and understand the New Testament standard as generous, planned, sacrificial and willing rather than fixed at ten percent.
Historical nuance
Israel’s tithing system involved agricultural produce and several covenant purposes, so equating it mechanically with a modern salary percentage requires interpretation.
4. A careful conclusion
Ten percent is a biblical giving measure, but the New Testament does not plainly legislate a universal ten-percent church tax. It does plainly command generous, deliberate and willing support of ministry and people in need.