Nehemiah 10:32-33
“We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse highlights something unexpected: the people voluntarily took on a financial obligation for God's house, even though it was a smaller amount than the traditional half-shekel commanded in the Law. This shows their earnest desire to see God's service properly supported, adapting the requirement to their current circumstances rather than letting hardship become an excuse.
Fresh from reaffirming their covenant with God, the people, led by Nehemiah and Ezra, are now establishing concrete ways to live out their commitment. This verse marks a significant practical step: they are creating a system for ongoing financial support for the Temple, a duty that seems to have fallen by the wayside. This commitment to giving a specific amount annually for the Temple's service is a direct response to rebuilding both the physical walls and the spiritual life of Jerusalem.
The people just renewed their covenant with God. What's the very next practical step they commit to? It’s about funding God's house!
After solemnly recommitting to obey God's law, the people of Israel recognized a crucial need: consistent financial support for the Temple's ongoing service. The verse states, 'Also we made ordinances for us...' This wasn't a command from a king or a priest, but a self-imposed commitment – an 'ordinance' they created for themselves. They understood that the Temple wasn't just a building, but the active center of their worship, requiring daily sacrifices, maintenance, and supplies. Since the king's treasury (under Persian rule) was unreliable for this purpose, they established a new, regular system of giving. This demonstrates that faithfulness to God involves practical, ongoing support for His work in the world.
Why 'a third part of a shekel' and not the half shekel mentioned elsewhere in the Law? This detail reveals a lot about their circumstances.
The text specifies 'a third part of a shekel.' This is interesting because the Law, in Exodus 30, required a half shekel for the sanctuary. Commentators suggest that the people, having recently returned from exile and likely facing poverty, found it difficult to meet the full half-shekel requirement. Instead of failing to give altogether, they committed to a smaller amount they could manage – a third of a shekel. This wasn't about lowering God's standard of worship, but about faithfully contributing given their difficult economic situation. It shows that sincere devotion isn't always about the amount given, but the willingness to give what is within one's means, even when those means are limited.
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Understand the original words
bayit · Hebrew Noun
A place where God dwells among His people. In the Old Testament, it refers to the Tabernacle or Temple, representing the center of Israel's worship, presence, and atonement.
lechem hapanim · Hebrew Noun phrase
The twelve loaves of bread kept before the presence of God in the sanctuary, symbolizing the constant presence of God and the recognition of His provision for the twelve tribes of Israel.
chattat · Hebrew Noun
An offering intended to make expiation for sin, restoring the broken relationship between a person and God through the shedding of blood and the substitution of the sacrifice.
kaphar · Hebrew Verb
The act of covering sin to satisfy God’s righteous demands, symbolically removing the guilt and restoring fellowship between God and His people.
This verse reveals a community facing economic hardship after exile, voluntarily assessing themselves a lower Temple tax than the Mosaic Law prescribed, highlighting their commitment to God's service despite their limitations.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, destroyed Solomon's Temple, and exiled many of the Jewish people. This event left a deep wound and a longing for restoration.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Conquest of Babylon
The Persian Empire, under Cyrus, conquered Babylon. This led to the famous decree allowing Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
c. 516 BC
Dedication of the Second Temple
After a lengthy and challenging rebuilding process, the Second Temple was finally dedicated. However, it was a shadow of Solomon's original temple.
c. 458 BC
Ezra's Return to Jerusalem
Ezra, a scribe, led a group of exiles back to Jerusalem, focusing on religious reform and re-establishing the Law among the people.
c. 445 BC— this verse
Nehemiah's Commission and Return
King Artaxerxes I of Persia appointed Nehemiah as governor of Judah. Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem with the mission to rebuild the city walls.
c. 445 BC
The Jerusalem Covenant
Following the rebuilding of the walls, the people, led by Nehemiah and Ezra, gathered to renew their covenant with God, committing to obey His Law and undertake specific religious and social reforms, including establishing a regular Temple tax.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus and the Temple Tax
By Jesus' time, the annual Temple tax had become half a shekel, reflecting increased prosperity or a different interpretation of the law's intent for Temple upkeep.
This passage lays out the original law for the half-shekel tax, which was intended as a ransom for souls and for the service of the tabernacle, providing a foundational comparison to Nehemiah's ordinance.
This New Testament account references the half-shekel tax ('didrachma') being collected, showing how this religious obligation evolved and was understood even in Jesus' time, highlighting the eventual return to the half-shekel standard.
This passage describes a collection made for the Temple in an earlier period, illustrating how the provision for the Temple's service was a recurring concern throughout Israel's history, not just in Nehemiah's era.
Ezra 7:11-26This chapter details King Artaxerxes' decree to support the Temple, showing the background of royal provision for the sanctuary, which appears to have diminished, necessitating the people's self-imposed tax in Nehemiah.
clarkeNehemiah 10:32: "Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;"
Charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel - According to the law, every one above twenty years of age was to give half a shekel to the sanctuary, which was called a ransom for their souls. See Exodus 30:11-16 . But why is one third of a shekel now promised instead of the half shekel, which the law required? To this question no better…
cambridgeNehemiah 10:32: "Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;"
32 . A poll-tax of ⅓ of a shekel imposed for the maintenance of the service of the Temple 32 . we made ordinances for us ] The verse shows that Ezra and his colleagues, although establishing the authority of the written law, were ready to expand or modify it according to the requirements of the time—a significant indication of the way in which the…
This verse highlights something unexpected: the people voluntarily took on a financial obligation for God's house, even though it was a smaller amount than the traditional half-shekel commanded in the Law. This shows their earnest desire to see God's service properly supported, adapting the requirement to their current circumstances rather than letting hardship become an excuse.
Fresh from reaffirming their covenant with God, the people, led by Nehemiah and Ezra, are now establishing concrete ways to live out their commitment. This verse marks a significant practical step: they are creating a system for ongoing financial support for the Temple, a duty that seems to have fallen by the wayside. This commitment to giving a specific amount annually for the Temple's service is a direct response to rebuilding both the physical walls and the spiritual life of Jerusalem.
Fresh from reaffirming their covenant with God, the people, led by Nehemiah and Ezra, are now establishing concrete ways to live out their commitment. This verse marks a significant practical step: they are creating a system for ongoing financial support for the Temple, a duty that seems to have fallen by the wayside. This commitment to giving a specific amount annually for the Temple's service is a direct response to rebuilding both the physical walls and the spiritual life of Jerusalem.
"“We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointe…" — This verse highlights something unexpected: the people voluntarily took on a financial obligation for God's house, even though it was a smaller amount than the traditional half-shekel commanded i…
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