Nehemiah 10:32

32 Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God,

Nehemiah 10:32 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 10:32

Also we made ordinance, for us
Laws among themselves, binding them to that which the laws of God did not:

to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel, for the
service of the house of our God;
the particulars of which follow in the next verse; for the defraying of which there used to be a treasury in the temple; but now there was none, and therefore they took this method to assess themselves; and being poor, instead of the half shekel, which in some cases was required, they only charged themselves with the third part of one; though Aben Ezra thinks this was added to the half shekel, and was paid over and above that; according to Brerewood ^F1, it was of the value of ten pence of our money: Waserus ^F2 has given us the figure of one of these coins, with this inscription, a "third" part of a shekel of Israel.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F1 De Pond. & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 1.
F2 De Antiqu. Num. Heb. l. 2.

Nehemiah 10:32 In-Context

30 and that we would not give our daughters unto the peoples of the land nor take their daughters for our sons.

31 Likewise that if the peoples of the land bring merchandise or any food on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not take anything from them on the sabbath or on the holy day, and that we would leave the seventh year and remit every debt.

32 Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God,

33 for the showbread and for the continual present and for the continual burnt offering, and of the sabbaths and of the new moons, for the appointed feasts and for the holy things and for the atonement for sin to reconcile Israel and for all the work of the house of our God.

34 And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, regarding the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law.