מֶ֫כֶס (me.khes)
me.khes
tribute
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun mekhes refers to a computed payment, specifically a tax or tribute imposed by an authority. Its core meaning centers on the idea of calculation; it is not a voluntary gift but a proportion determined and owed. This word appears six times in the Hebrew Bible, with a notable concentration in the book of Numbers.
In these texts, mekhes describes the financial obligations extracted from conquered peoples or subject populations. It highlights the administrative reality of ancient governance, where resources were systematically gathered through assessed levies. The term underscores the burden of submission to foreign rule, marking the economic cost of political subjugation.
Translators typically render mekhes as "tribute" or "tax," reflecting its nature as a mandatory contribution rather than a free-will offering. This distinction is important for understanding the historical context of Israel’s interactions with surrounding empires, where such payments were often signs of vassalage. The word serves as a concrete reminder of the material consequences of political power dynamics in the ancient Near East.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mekhes describes a calculated payment or tribute owed to an authority. It is not a voluntary gift but a proportion determined and required by law. In Numbers 31, this term highlights the specific financial obligations extracted from conquered peoples. These texts show how resources were systematically gathered through assessed levies, marking the economic cost of political subjugation.
For your faith, this word reminds us that God cares about the details of daily life, including justice and fairness in governance. While tribute often signaled submission to foreign empires, the biblical narrative shows God establishing order even within those structures. It invites us to consider how we honor authority while remaining faithful to our higher calling.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ tax/ their3×
- the/ tax1×
- a tax1×
- [the] tax of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/מִכְסָ֥/ם2×
- מֶ֜כֶס1×
- מֶ֙כֶס֙1×
- וּ/מִכְסָ/ם֙1×
- הַ/מֶּ֥כֶס1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 31:28
Levy a tribute to Yahweh of the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred; of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks.
This verse establishes the baseline rule for calculating the tribute, specifying one soul of five hundred as the required portion for Yahweh.
-
Numbers 31:41
Moses gave the tribute, which was Yahweh’s wave offering, to Eleazar the priest, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
Here the word appears in its final administrative act, where Moses gives the calculated tribute to Eleazar as a wave offering, fulfilling the command.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does mekhes mean in the Hebrew Bible?
How is mekhes different from a voluntary offering?
Every Occurrence (6 verses across 1 books)
Numbers 6 verses
Levy a tribute to Yahweh of the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred; of the persons, of the…
Numbers 31:37and Yahweh’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five.
Numbers 31:38The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which Yahweh’s tribute was seventy-two.
Numbers 31:39The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which Yahweh’s tribute was sixty-one.
Numbers 31:40The persons were sixteen thousand, of whom Yahweh’s tribute was thirty-two persons.
Numbers 31:41Moses gave the tribute, which was Yahweh’s wave offering, to Eleazar the priest, as Yahweh commanded Moses.