Research and written by Felicia A. Trecek / April 2, 2003

Unfortunately, there are misunderstandings and differences of belief among many concerning the word "increase". According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, there are thirteen Hebrew words that were translated into our English word "increase" within the King James translation. Apparently, not all of these thirteen Hebrew words have the exact same meaning. Perhaps this could be part of the misunderstandings in differences of belief? Nevertheless, this study is particularly concerned with the meaning of the word "increase" when it is in direct relationship with the subject of tithing. Because the focus is on tithing, there are only two Hebrew words that need explanation.

Within all the scriptural references to tithing, the tithe was to be extracted from agricultural crops and clean livestock animals. There are no laws whatsoever designating unclean animals such as horses, nor any other monetary items to which the nation of Israel were to tithe from. To begin to understand what that means for us today, we need to first understand the meaning of the word "increase" as it is joined to tithing.

SCRIPTURES THAT CONTAIN THE WORD "INCREASE"
According to Strong's, the following verses contain the Hebrew word "teb-oo-aw" which was translated increase. "Teb-oo-aw" DOES NOT mean above and beyond, to become greater or larger nor does it mean an advancement in amount. "Teb-oo-aw" (#8393) means: from #935 - to bring forth; income, i.e. produce.

Leviticus 19:25 reads, "And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the Lord your God." (The 'fruit' refers to tree fruit. Reference verse 23.)

Leviticus 25:7 reads, "And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat (food)." (This verse only mentions animals.)

Leviticus 25:12 reads, "For it is the jubilee, it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field."

Leviticus 25:20 reads, "And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase"

Deuteronomy 14:28 reads, "At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates."

Deuteronomy 14:22 reads, "Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year."

Deuteronomy 16:15 reads, "...the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands..."

For personal reference, other scriptures that contain the Hebrew word "teb-oo-aw" (#8393) are: Ge 47:24, Nu 18:30, De 16:15, De 26:12, II Ch 31:5, II Ch 32:28, Ne 9:37, Job 31:12, Ps 107:37, Pr 3:9, Pr 14:4, Ec 5:10, Is 30:23, Jer 2:3.

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According to Strong's, the following verses contain the Hebrew word "yeb-ool'" which was translated increase. "Yeb-ool" (#2981) means: produce, i.e. a crop or (fig.) wealth:- fruit, increase.

Leviticus 26:4 reads, "Then I will give you rain in due season, and thy land shall yeild her increase, and the trees of the field shall yeild their fruit."

For personal reference, other scriptures that contain the Hebrew word "yeb-ool'" (#2981) are: Le 26:20, De 32:22, J'g 6:4, Job 20:28, Ps 67:6, Ps 78:46, Ps 85:12, Ez 34:27, Zec 8:12.

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ENGLISH DEFINITION OF "INCREASE"
Unfortunately for the purspose of Biblical understanding, the modern definition of the English word "increase" is limited to:

1. to become greater or larger
2. to multiply; reproduce
3. to advance, as in power or attainment; thrive prosper

The old English definition is now archaic, but meant: crops and other produce. With this knowledge, one can better understand why the old English translators of the King James version of the Bible translated two of the Hebrew words that simply meant either crops, fruit, produce, or to bring forth as "increase". (Ref: Webster's Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1990 Edition)

YHWH IS THE ONLY ONE THAT GIVES INCREASE
1 Corinthians 3:7 reads, "So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." Paul used this statement, analogizing the crop believers in Messiah. But, it also holds true for agricultural crops. We don't make anything grow; YHWH does by His power and design.

The Israelites were not required to tithe on gold or silver used as currency. A tithe was not extracted from labor exchange. There are no scriptural references or commandments in the law. Payment for labor is an agreed upon trade, not increase. YHWH is the only one that gives increase, not one man giving to or exchanging with another. Increase comes forth from a seed (De 14:22-23, Ps 67:6) whether it is vegetation or animals. Leviticus 27:30-31 reads, "And all the tithe of the land - of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree - belongs to YHWH. It is set-apart to YHWH. (:32) And the entire tithe of the herd and of the flock, all that passes under the rod, the tenth one is set-apart to YHWH." ['The Scriptures' translation.] (According to Strong's concordance: the herd means animals of the ox kind that are used for ploughing, and flock means sheep or goats.) There are no scriptures within the law outlining any other monetary items to be tithed upon. There were townsmen and shopkeepers that did not make their living on agricultural animals and crops during the time of the Israelite nation, but there was no commandment for them to extract a tithe from their exchanged earnings.

YHWH stipulated a provision for those who lived to far away from His designated feast site (Deuteronomy 14:24-25), allowing those people to exchange their tithe for silver. However, silver was not the original item the tithe was extracted from. The silver's sum amount was figured and based upon a tenth portion of the agricultural animals and crops increased by YHWH. And, when the tithe was redeemed, one-fifth was added to it (Lev 27:31).

THE TITHE WAS AN INHERITANCE
The tribe of Levi (Levi - the son of Jacob - the son of Isaac) were not allowed to own any of the land inheritance, but they were to have a share in the inheritance by the means of receiving a tenth portion of what was produced from the land for performing the services of YHWH (Nu 18:20-21). Numbers 18:24 reads, "but the tithes of the children of Israel which they present as a contribution to YHWH, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance. That is why I have said to them, 'Among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.' "

The first born males were primarily the only ones who received a portion of the land inheritance. Therefore, they were the ones who were required to give a tithe in return to YHWH by means of providing for the Levites, the widow, the stranger, and the fatherless who did not own a portion of the land. (Num 18:20-28, Deut 14:22-29, 16:16, 18:1-8, 26:12)

YHWH is the one that made the promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to give them a land as an inheritance (Gen 15:7, 18-21, 26:1-5, 28:13-15). He then was also the one responsible to provide the increase from the land to which the land owners gave a tenth portion to the Levites. The land and the tithes were all but an inheritance.

Our incomes today - as new testament Christians - are not a promised inheritance given by YHWH within a covenant. And, we are not required to give a tenth of what we earn to a ministry. There are no scriptures to support this supposition. Some may point to the book of Hebrews, chapters seven and eight, and say: "See there it is! The tithe has been transferred to the ministry because the priesthood was changed from the Levites to Messiah!" If people really want to be honest and truthful with scripture, there is not one single scripture that reads that a physical ministry are to collect tithes.

We no longer have a Levitical priesthood. We now have one high priest who lives forever - Messiah. And, all of the called-out spiritual believers have replaced the Levitical priesthood (Peter 2:9). The priesthood is not exclusive to a ministry as some believe. And, the ministry is not exclusive to the inheritance YHWH promised. We are all waiting to receive the promise of the everlasting inheritance (Heb 9:15).

DO WE PROVIDE FOR A MINISTRY WHO IS ADMINISTERING TO US?
Paul addressed this subject in two letters: 1 Timothy 5:17-18 and 1 Corinthians 9:1-18. Within both letters, he could have easily written something like: "Don't you know the law commands you to tithe? And, the tithe has now been transferred to the ones who bring you the good news." No, Paul did not. The law Paul quoted to support his argument for providing physical goods to those bringing the good news was, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain". Simply restated in modern terms: if someone provides a service unto you, then you need to pay them for it. Paul said the same in 1 Timothy 5:18 right after he quoted the law of the ox treading out the grain: "The laborer is worthy of his wages." Wages and an inheritance (tithe) are not the same.

Hypothetically, if Paul believed members were to give tithes to the ones administering the Good News, then Paul broke the law. Paul purposefully never received any support money for the services he performed but worked with his own hands. (1 Corin 4:12, 9:17-18) Paul would have broken the law by not being a recipient. He worked for his own needs so that he would not abuse his authority.

Paul also wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14, "Do you know that those serving the Set-apart Place eat from the Set-apart Place, and those attending at the alter have their share of the offerings of the alter? (v:14) So also the Master instituted that those announcing the Good News should live from the Good News". Again, Paul did not mention tithes. Paul did write; "their share of the offerings". The children of Israel were expected to give free-will offerings to the priests in addition to the tithes. Paul placed emphasis on the offerings, not tithes. Thus, we are expected to freely give to those administering to us.

Are we always to have someone administering unto us? This depends what is being administered. In Hebrews 5:11-14, Paul wrote the Hebrews ought to have already become teachers. But, Paul also wrote they were dull of hearing and needed someone to teach them the first elements of YHWH all over again. Obviously, at some point, we all need to graduate from the education of first elements, and move onto the maturity (meat) part of the word of YHWH. Then, we (ourselves) should administer to others. If we never arrive at graduation from the first elements of YHWH, then we are not growing, but have become dull of hearing as the Hebrews did.

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For further explanatory on the subject of tithing, read the article titled: TITHING AND THE PROMISE OF YHWH. Why did Abraham and Jacob give a tenth?