And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD.

LEVITICUS 27:30KJV
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Leviticus 27:30 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 27:30 mean?

Leviticus 27:30 says that a tenth of the produce grown from the land belongs to the LORD. For the Israelites receiving this instruction, that share was not ordinary property to use as they pleased; it was set apart for him.

The verse names both crops grown from seed and fruit picked from trees. In this part of Leviticus, the LORD is giving Moses instructions for the Israelites about things set apart for him.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 27:30

  • “tithe” — מַעֲשֵׂר (maʿaser): This word means a tenth. It identifies the share of the harvest the verse is talking about.
  • “holy” — קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh): This word carries the sense of something set apart. Here, the tenth has a special status because it belongs to the LORD.

Why Leviticus 27:30 matters

  • The verse covers more than grain alone. “The seed of the land” and “the fruit of the tree” together make clear that the instruction includes different kinds of produce.
  • The surrounding passage gives further instructions about this tenth. Verse 31 allows a person to buy back some of it by adding a fifth to its value, while verse 32 addresses a tenth of herds and flocks.

Where else these words appear

“tithe” Hebrew H4643 · used in 27 verses

  • Genesis 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
  • Deuteronomy 12:11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:
  • Nehemiah 10:38 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house.

“fruit” Hebrew H6529 · used in 107 verses

  • Genesis 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
  • Nehemiah 10:37 And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.
  • Isaiah 37:31 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward: