Nehemiah 10:32

32 And we have appointed for ourselves commands, to put on ourselves the third of a shekel in a year, 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.

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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 give not our daughters to the peoples of the land, and their daughters we take not to our sons;

31 and the peoples of the land who are bringing in the wares and any corn on the sabbath-day to sell, we receive not of them on the sabbath, and on a holy day, and we leave the seventh year, and usury on every hand.

32 And we have appointed for ourselves commands, to put on ourselves the third of a shekel in a year, for the service of the house of our God,

33 for bread of the arrangement, and the continual present, and the continual burnt-offering of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for appointed seasons, and for holy things, and for sin-offerings, to make atonement for Israel, even all the work of the house of our God.

34 And the lots we have caused to fall for the offering of wood, [among] the priests, the Levites, and the people, to bring in to the house of our God, by the house of our fathers, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of Jehovah our God, as it is written in the law,