Biblical Tithing Requirements During Financial Debt

Biblical law outlines specific regulations concerning debt, lending, and tithing, but does not directly address tithing requirements while in financial debt. The Mosaic Law prohibited taking interest from a poor person or fellow Hebrew, and even enjoined relief to the poor through loans ^[1]. Creditors were forbidden from exacting usury from brethren and were sometimes required to return pledges, such as garments, before sunset ^[2]. Debts could not be exacted during the Sabbatical year ^[3].

Tithing, which involved giving a tenth of one's produce or income, was a mandatory practice under the Law ^[12]. The principle behind tithing was the acknowledgment that "carnal things are due to those who sow spiritual things," as articulated by Aquinas, referencing 1 Corinthians 9:11 ^[13]. The Pharisees were known for their meticulous tithing, even of small garden herbs, though Jesus criticized them for neglecting "justice and the love of God" ^[12].

While the Hebrew Bible does not explicitly state that debt exempts one from tithing, it does provide for reduced offerings in cases of poverty. For instance, if someone could not afford a lamb for a trespass offering, they could bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons instead ^[4]. Similarly, a woman who could not afford a lamb after childbirth could offer two turtledoves or pigeons ^[5]. For purification from a skin disease, if a person was poor, they could offer a single lamb along with a smaller measure of flour and oil ^[6]. These examples illustrate a principle of accommodation for those in financial hardship regarding offerings, though not specifically tithing.

Rabbinic tradition, as seen in the Babylonian Talmud, discusses scenarios where property seized for debt might affect tithing obligations. If a king's household seized a threshing floor as payment for a debt, the owner was still obligated to tithe the grain, as it was considered as if the debt was paid with untithed produce ^{[7, 11]}. This suggests that even when assets are used to settle debts, the underlying tithing obligation on those assets might remain. However, the Talmud also discusses "poor man's tithe" as a monetary debt owed to the poor, implying a distinction between different types of tithes and their nature ^{[8, 9, 10]}.

The biblical emphasis on caring for the poor and avoiding oppressive debt practices suggests a framework where basic needs and relief from hardship were prioritized ^{[1, 14, 15, 16, 17]}. However, the specific interaction between personal debt and the obligation to tithe is not directly legislated in the biblical texts.

Sources

Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Loan — The law strictly forbade any interest to be taken for a loan to any poor person, and at first, as it seems, even in the case of a foreigner; but this prohibition was afterward limited to Hebrews only, from whom, of whatever rank, not only was no usury on any pretence to be exacted, but relief to the poor by way of loan was enjoined, and excuses for evading this duty were forbidden. (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35,37) As commerce increased, the practice of usury, and so also of suretyship, grew up; but the exaction of it from a Hebrew appears to have been regarde”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Creditors — Defined -- Phm 1:18. Might demand Pledges. -- De 24:10,11; Pr 22:27. Security of others. -- Pr 6:1; 22:26. Mortgages on property. -- Ne 5:3. Bills or promissory notes. -- Lu 16:6,7. To return before sunset, garments taken in pledge -- Ex 22:26,27; De 24:12,13; Eze 18:7,12. Prohibited from Taking millstones in pledge. -- De 24:6. Violently selecting pledges. -- De 24:10. Exacting usury from brethren. -- Ex 22:25; Le 25:36,37. Exacting debts from brethren during sabbatical year. -- De 15:2,3. Might take interest from strangers -- De 23:20. Sometimes entirel”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Debtor — Various regulations as to the relation between debtor and creditor are laid down in the Scriptures. (1.) The debtor was to deliver up as a pledge to the creditor what he could most easily dispense with (Deut. 24:10, 11). (2.) A mill, or millstone, or upper garment, when given as a pledge, could not be kept over night (Ex. 22:26, 27). (3.) A debt could not be exacted during the Sabbatic year (Deut. 15:1-15). For other laws bearing on this relation see Lev. 25:14, 32, 39; Matt. 18:25, 34. (4.) A surety was liable in the same way as the original debtor (Prov. 1”
Leviticus ““‘If he can’t afford a lamb, then he shall bring his trespass offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, to Yahweh; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. -- Leviticus 5:7”
Leviticus “If she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons; the one for a burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.’” -- Leviticus 12:8”
Leviticus ““If he is poor, and can’t afford so much, then he shall take one male lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal offering, and a log of oil; -- Leviticus 14:21”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Chullin 131a.2: The Gemara further suggests: Come and hear another proof with regard to the statement of Rav Ḥisda from a baraita : In a case where the household of the king seized one’s threshing floor by force, if they took it as payment of his debt owed to the king, then he is obligated to tithe other grain in accordance with the amount he would have tithed before the grain was seized. Since he was already obligated to tithe the grain before it was seized, it is considered as though the grain was sold in an untithed state. If they took it without reason [ anparot ], then ”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Makkot 16b.16: Rav Yosef said: This matter is subject to a dispute between tanna’im . Rabbi Eliezer says: One need not separate by means of calling the name upon poor man’s tithe of doubtfully tithed produce [ demai ]. With regard to produce purchased from an am ha’aretz , i.e., one who is unreliable with regard to tithes, there is a rabbinic ordinance requiring one to separate first and second tithe and teruma of the tithe from it. Nevertheless, one is not required to separate poor man’s tithe from that produce, because poor man’s tithe is a monetary debt owed to the poor, ”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Makkot 49b.32:16: Rav Yosef said: This matter is subject to a dispute between tanna’im . Rabbi Eliezer says: One need not separate by means of calling the name upon poor man’s tithe of doubtfully tithed produce [ demai ]. With regard to produce purchased from an am ha’aretz , i.e., one who is unreliable with regard to tithes, there is a rabbinic ordinance requiring one to separate first and second tithe and teruma of the tithe from it. Nevertheless, one is not required to separate poor man’s tithe from that produce, because poor man’s tithe is a monetary debt owed to the poo”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Makkot 49a.32:16: Rav Yosef said: This matter is subject to a dispute between tanna’im . Rabbi Eliezer says: One need not separate by means of calling the name upon poor man’s tithe of doubtfully tithed produce [ demai ]. With regard to produce purchased from an am ha’aretz , i.e., one who is unreliable with regard to tithes, there is a rabbinic ordinance requiring one to separate first and second tithe and teruma of the tithe from it. Nevertheless, one is not required to separate poor man’s tithe from that produce, because poor man’s tithe is a monetary debt owed to the poo”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 44a.3: And the Gemara raises a contradiction based on what was taught in a baraita : With regard to a case where the household of the king seized one’s threshing floor by force, if they took it for payment of his debt to the king, then he is obligated to tithe in order to render fit for consumption the grain that they seized. The reason for this is because if he were not to tithe it, it would be considered as if he paid a debt using tithe. If they engaged in unjust seizure [ anparot ] then he is exempt from tithing. This baraita indicates that an item taken for paymen”
Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 11:42: 11:42-52 What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! Woes are the opposite of blessings (see study note on 6:24-26). Jesus pronounced six woes, three against the Pharisees (11:42, 43, 44) and three against the teachers of religious law (11:46, 47, 52). 11:42 tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens: Tithing was required by the law (Lev 27:30-33; Num 18:21-32; Deut 14:22-29; 2 Chr 31:5-12). The Pharisees were meticulous in making sure that everything was properly tithed, but they ignored the more important issues—justice and the love of God.”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Tithes, Art. 2: Article: Whether men are bound to pay tithes of all things? I answer that, In judging about a thing we should look to its principle. Now the principle of the payment of tithes is the debt whereby carnal things are due to those who sow spiritual things, according to the saying of the Apostle (1 Cor. 9:11), "If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter if we reap your carnal things?" [thus implying that on the contrary "it is no great matter if we reap your carnal things"] [*The ph”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Chagigah 54a.9:17: And Shmuel said: This verse is referring to one who provides money to a poor person as a loan during his exigent financial circumstances, but immediately after the borrower is released from the initial pressure by receiving the loan, the lender begins to demand repayment, subjecting the recipient to further pressure. Rava said that this explains the folk saying that people say: A dinar for produce is not found; for hanging it can be found. A poor person cannot find money to buy basic necessities; however, when the lenders hang on and pressure him he must c”
Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Mishneh Torah (Maimonides), Mishneh Torah%2C Marriage 12:19: If [a woman's] husband departed on a journey, and she borrowed money for her subsistence, [her husband] is required to pay [the debt] when he returns. 42 The Ramah ( Even HaEzer 70:8) states that the benefactor must lodge a claim against the wife, who in turn must lodge a claim against her husband. If a person voluntarily took the initiative of providing for her subsistence, when [her husband] returns the husband is not required to pay [that person]. The other person forfeited his money, [the rationale being] that [the husband] did n”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Chagigah 54b.9:17: And Shmuel said: This verse is referring to one who provides money to a poor person as a loan during his exigent financial circumstances, but immediately after the borrower is released from the initial pressure by receiving the loan, the lender begins to demand repayment, subjecting the recipient to further pressure. Rava said that this explains the folk saying that people say: A dinar for produce is not found; for hanging it can be found. A poor person cannot find money to buy basic necessities; however, when the lenders hang on and pressure him he must c”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Chagigah 5a.17: And Shmuel said: This verse is referring to one who provides money to a poor person as a loan during his exigent financial circumstances, but immediately after the borrower is released from the initial pressure by receiving the loan, the lender begins to demand repayment, subjecting the recipient to further pressure. Rava said that this explains the folk saying that people say: A dinar for produce is not found; for hanging it can be found. A poor person cannot find money to buy basic necessities; however, when the lenders hang on and pressure him he must come”

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