H4643 H4643
Tithe or tenth part; a sacred tenth of produce given to God or the Levites, or simply a numerical fraction.
Derived from the root for 'ten,' this noun denotes the practice of setting apart one-tenth for sacred purposes. Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe of everything (Gen 14:20), and the Mosaic law formalized the system for supporting the Levites (Num 18:21), maintaining the sanctuary, and providing for the poor (Deut 14:28). Malachi's famous rebuke — 'Bring the full tithe into the storehouse' (Mal 3:10) — shows how deeply the concept was woven into covenant faithfulness. In Ezekiel's visionary measurements (45:11, 14), the word simply means a tenth as a unit of quantity, without cultic overtones.
Senses
1. tithe, religious tenth offering — A tenth portion of produce, livestock, or income consecrated as a religious offering to God or designated for the Levites, covering 30 of 32 occurrences. From Abraham's voluntary gift to Melchizedek (Gen 14:20) through the Levitical regulations (Lev 27:30-32; Num 18:21-26) to Malachi's call to faithfulness (3:8-10). All major translations render it with dedicated cultic terms: 'diezmo' (Spa), 'dîme' (Fra), 'Zehnte' (Deu). 30×
AR["ال-عُشْرِ", "العُشْرُ", "العُشْرِ", "الْعُشْرَ", "الْعُشْرِ", "عُشْرَ", "عُشْرِ", "وَ-عُشْرَ", "وَعُشْرَ"]·ben["আর-দশমাংশ", "ও-দশমাংশ", "তোমার-ফসলের", "দশমাংশ", "দশমাংশে", "দশমাংশের"]·DE["Zehnt", "Zehnte-von", "[ומעשר]", "[מעשר]", "der-Zehnt", "der-Zehnte", "und-Zehnt"]·EN["and-the-tithe-of", "and-tithe-of", "the-tithe", "the-tithe-of", "tithe-of"]·FR["dîme", "dîme-de", "et-dîme", "le-dîme"]·heb["ה-מעשר", "ו-מעשר", "מעשר"]·HI["और-दशवाँश", "और-दशवांश", "दशमांश", "दशवाँश", "दशवाँश-का", "दशवांश", "दशवांश-के"]·ID["dan-persepuluhan", "dari-persepuluhan", "persepuluhan"]·IT["decima", "decima-di", "e-decima", "il-decima", "la-decima"]·jav["lan-persepuluhan", "lan-prasepuluh", "lan-sapersadasa", "persepuluhan", "persepuluhan-", "prasepuluh", "prasepuluhan", "prasepuluhan-punika", "prasepèn", "sapersadasa", "sapersadasa-punika", "sapersadasan", "saprasédasa"]·KO["(접)-십일조를", "그-십일조", "그-십일조-를", "그-십일조-의", "그-십일조의", "그리고-십일조", "그리고-십일조를", "십일조", "십일조-를", "십일조-와", "십일조-의", "십일조는", "십일조를"]·PT["O-dízimo", "dízimo-de", "dízimo-de-", "e-dízimo-de", "o-dízimo"]·RU["-десятины", "Десятиной", "десятина", "десятину", "десятины", "и-десятину"]·ES["El-diezmo", "diezmo-de", "el-diezmo", "el-diezmo-de", "y-diezmo-de"]·SW["mashar", "na-zaka-ya", "wa-zaka", "wּmashar", "ya-zaka", "zaka", "zaka-ya", "zaka-ya-"]·TR["on'dasını", "onağlığını", "onda-biri-", "onda-birin", "onda-birini", "onda-birinin", "ondalrığını", "ondalık", "ondalığı", "ondalığını", "ve-on'dasını", "ve-onda-birini"]·urd["اور-دسواں", "اور-دہیاکی", "اور-دہیک", "دسواں", "دسواں-حصہ", "دسویں-حصّہ", "دسویں-حصّے", "دسویں-کا", "دسویں-کے", "دہیاکی", "دہیک", "دہیکی", "عشر"]
2. tenth part, fraction — A purely quantitative fraction meaning one-tenth, used in Ezekiel's temple-vision measurements where a homer and a bath are subdivided (Ezek 45:11, 14). Spanish shifts to 'décima de,' French to 'de dix,' signaling the non-cultic, arithmetical sense distinct from the religious tithe. 2×
AR["عُشْرُ", "عُشْرِ"]·ben["দশমাংশ"]·DE["[מעשר]"]·EN["tenth-of"]·FR["de-dix"]·heb["מעשר"]·HI["दसवाँ"]·ID["sepersepuluh"]·IT["decima"]·jav["saprasedasa"]·KO["십분의-일의"]·PT["décimo-de"]·RU["десятая", "десятую"]·ES["décima-de"]·SW["sehemu-ya-kumi-ya"]·TR["onda-birini"]·urd["دسواں-حصہ"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מַעֲשֵׂר n.m. Nu 18:28 tenth part, tithe;—abs. מ׳ Nu 18:26 +; cstr. מַעְשַׂר Lv 27:30 +, מַעֲשַׂר Ne 10:39 (bef. הַמַּעֲשֵׂר); sf. מַעַשְׂרוֹ Lv 27:31; pl. abs. מַעַשְׂרוֹת Ne 12:44; sf. מַעְשְׂרֹתֵיכֶם Am 4:4 + 3 times;— 1. tenth part of ḥomer Ez 45:11, of bath v 14. 2. tithe, payment of tenth part: c. מִן rei Gn 14:20 Nu 18:26; usually cstr. bef. n. rei Dt 12:17; 14:23, 28; 26:12; Lv 27:30,…