What Does the Bible Say About What Is The Tithe Food?
Scripture reveals that the tithe was a sacred portion of crops, livestock, and produce that belonged to God and sustained both the spiritual system and God's appointed servants.
Scripture on What Is The Tithe Food
Leviticus 27:30-32
Old Testament
"A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it. Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod—will be holy to the Lord."
Deuteronomy 14:22-23
Old Testament
"Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always."
Numbers 18:21-24
Old Testament
"I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting. From now on the Israelites must not go near the tent of meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die. It is the Levites who are to do the work at the tent of meeting and bear the responsibility for any offenses they commit against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. The Levites will receive no inheritance among the Israelites."
Malachi 3:10
Old Testament
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.'"
Luke 18:12
New Testament
"The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'"
The Bottom Line
The tithe wasn't a financial transaction—it was a concrete act of worship that fed God's house and His chosen ministry.
Try Today
Read through what God provided in your life this week (meals, income, resources) and ask yourself: Am I treating what I have as a gift from God that belongs ultimately to Him, or as something completely mine to do with as I please?
Prayer
Jesus taught His disciples to pray 'Give us today our daily bread' (Matthew 6:11)—acknowledging that all provision comes from God's hand.
Father, I see in Scripture how seriously You took the tithe and the surrender it represented. You didn't need the grain or the animals—You owned it all anyway. But You wanted Your people to recognize that everything flows from Your hand. Teach me to live with an open hand, not a clenched fist. Help me see my resources not as something I've earned and own, but as gifts entrusted to me. Make me willing to give as You have given to me. In Jesus' name, Amen.
📚 Read Leviticus 27 to understand the full scope of tithes and offerings under the old covenant system
Explore any Bible topic instantly
Search what the Bible says about anything — free, fast, and faith-first.