What is "tithe"

Tithe \Tithe\, n. [OE. tithe, tethe, properly an adj., tenth, AS. te['o]?a the tenth; akin to ti['e]n, t?n, t[=e]n, ten, G. zehnte, adj., tenth, n., a tithe, Icel. t[=i]und the tenth; tithe, Goth. ta['i]hunda tenth. See Ten, and cf. Tenth, Teind.]

1. A tenth; the tenth part of anything; specifically, the tenthpart of the increase arising from the profits of land and stock, allotted to the clergy for their support, as in England, or devoted to religious or charitable uses. Almost all the tithes of England and Wales are commuted by law into rent charges.

   The tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil.
   --Neh. xiii. 5.

   Note: Tithes are called personal when accuring from labor, art, trade, and navigation; predial, when issuing from the earth, as hay, wood, and fruit; and mixed, when accuring from beaste fed from the ground.
   --Blackstone.

2. Hence, a small part or proportion.
   --Bacon.

   Great tithes, tithes of corn, hay, and wood.

   Mixed tithes, tithes of wool, milk, pigs, etc.

   Small tithes, personal and mixed tithes.

   Tithe commissioner, one of a board of officers appointed by the government for arranging propositions for commuting, or compounding for, tithes. [Eng.]
   --Simmonds.

Tithe \Tithe\, a. Tenth. [Obs.]

Every tithe soul, 'mongst many thousand.
--Shak.

Tithe \Tithe\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tithed; p. pr. & vb. n. Tithing.] [As. te['o]?ian.] To levy a tenth part on; to tax to the amount of a tenth; to pay tithes on.

Ye tithe mint and rue.
--Luke xi. 42.

Tithe \Tithe\, v. i. Tp pay tithes. [R.]
--Tusser.

a tenth part (originally of produce) due as support of the clergy, c.1200, from Old English teogoþa (Anglian), teoþa (West Saxon) "tenth," from Proto-Germanic *teguntha, from PIE *dekmto-, from *dekm "ten" (see ten). Retained in ecclesiastical sense while the form was replaced in ordinal use by tenth.

Old English teoþian "to pay one-tenth," from the root of tithe (n.). As "to impose a payment of a tenth," late 14c. Related: Tithed; tithing.

1. (context archaic English) tenth. n. 1 (context archaic English) A tenth. 2 The tenth part of the increase arising from the profits of land and stock, allotted to the clergy for their support, as in England, or devoted to religious or charitable uses. Almost all the tithes of England and Wales are commuted by law into rent charges. Concept originates in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). 3 A contribution to one's religious community or congregation of worship. 4 A small part or proportion. v

2. 1 (context transitive English) To collect a tithe. 2 (context intransitive English) To pay a tithe. 3 (context transitive English) To levy a tenth part on; to tax to the amount of a tenth.

1. v. exact a tithe from; "The church was tithed"

2. levy a tithe on (produce or a crop); "The wool was thithed"

3. pay one tenth of; pay tithes on, especially to the church; "He tithed his income to the Church"

4. pay a tenth of one's income, especially to the church; "Although she left the church officially, she still tithes"

1. n. a levy of one tenth of something

2. an offering of a tenth part of some personal income

A tithe (; from Old English: teogoþa "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products. Several European countries operate a formal process linked to the tax system allowing some churches to assess tithes.

Traditional Jewish law and practice has included various forms of tithing since ancient times. Orthodox Jews commonly practice ma'aser kesafim (tithing 10% of their income to charity). In modern Israel, Jews continue to follow the laws of agricultural tithing, e.g., ma'aser rishon, terumat ma'aser, and ma'aser sheni. In Christianity, some interpretations of Biblical teachings conclude that although tithing was practiced extensively in the Old Testament, it was never practiced or taught within the first-century Church. Instead, the New Testament scriptures are seen as teaching the concept of "freewill offerings" as a means of supporting the church: , . Also, some of the earliest groups sold everything they had and held the proceeds in common to be used for the furtherance of the Gospel: , . Further, contains the account of a man and wife ( Ananias and Sapphira) who were living in one of these groups. They sold a piece of property and donated only part of the selling price to the church but claimed to have given the whole amount and immediately fell down and died when confronted by the apostle Peter over their dishonesty.

Tithes were mentioned at the Council of Tours in 567 and the Synod of Mâcon in 585. They were formally recognized under Pope Adrian I in 787.

Tithing is a commandment accepted by various churches in the Latter Day Saint movement in which adherents make willing tithe donations, usually ten percent of their income, to their church. It is based on both the biblical practice of paying tithes and modern revelation given to Joseph Smith and his accepted successors. The adoption of tithing and fast offerings as the economic foundation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) marked a shift from the earlier communal period of the law of consecration.