Deuteronomy 14:29 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 14:29 Commentary: Triennial Tithe and Blessing
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine the triennial tithe for Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The triennial tithe was to be given to landless and vulnerable people (Levite, foreigner, orphan, widow) as an act of obedience that brings God’s blessing on all the giver’s labor.
- Key words: “eat and be satisfied” (v.29), “Yahweh your God may bless you,” “work of your hand.”
- Main debate: Whether this is a third (additional) tithe or the second tithe repurposed in the third year. Commentators lean toward the latter, but rabbinic tradition calls it the “poor tithe” (ma’aser ani).
- Theological theme: Providence and social justice, God’s blessing flows through systematic care for the economically marginal.
- Best use: As a model for regular, local charity directed at those without economic security, with faith that generosity opens the door to divine increase.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then the Levite (because he has no portion or inheritance among you), the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow within your gates may come and eat and be satisfied. And the LORD your God will bless you in all the work of your hands.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, as well as the foreigner living among you, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your gates shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
KJV King James Version 1769
And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and the Levite, because he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hand which thou doest.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and come in hath the Levite (for he hath no part and inheritance with thee), and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within thy gates, and they have eaten, and been satisfied, so that Jehovah thy God doth bless thee in all the work of thy hand which thou dost.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and the Levite — for he hath no portion nor inheritance with thee — and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hand which thou doest.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the Levite that hath no other part nor possession with thee, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, that are within thy gates, shall come and shall eat and be filled: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the works of thy hands that thou shalt do.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y vendrá el Levita, que no tiene parte ni heredad contigo, y el extranjero, y el huérfano, y la viuda, que hubiere en tus poblaciones, y comerán y serán saciados; para que Jehová tu Dios te bendiga en toda obra de tus manos que hicieres.
E virá o levita, que não tem parte nem herança contigo, e o estrangeiro, e o órfão, e a viúva, que houver em tuas povoações, e comerão e serão saciados; para que o SENHOR teu Deus te abençoe em toda obra de tuas mãos que fizeres.
Alors viendront le Lévite, qui n’ a ni part ni héritage avec toi, l’ étranger, l’ orphelin et la veuve, qui seront dans tes portes, et ils mangeront et se rassasieront, afin que l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, te bénisse dans tous les travaux que tu entreprendras de tes mains.
So soll kommen der Levit (der kein Teil noch Erbe mit dir hat) und der Fremdling und der Waise und die Witwe, die in deinem Tor sind, und essen und sich sättigen, auf daß dich der HERR, dein Gott, segne in allen Werken deiner Hand, die du tust.
Zo zal komen de Leviet, dewijl hij geen deel noch erve met u heeft, en de vreemdeling, en de wees en de weduwe, die in uw poorten zijn, en zullen eten en verzadigd worden; opdat u de HEERE, uw God, zegene in al het werk uwer hand, dat gij doen zult.
e il Levita, che non ha parte né eredità con te, e lo straniero e l’orfano e la vedova che saranno entro le tue porte verranno, mangeranno e si sazieranno, affinché l’Eterno, il tuo Dio, ti benedica in ogni opera a cui porrai mano.
Tedy przyjdzie Lewita, który nie ma działu i dziedzictwa z tobą, i przychodzień, i sierota, i wdowa, którzy są w bramach twoich, i będą jeść, i najedzą się, abyć błogosławił Pan, Bóg twój, w każdej sprawie rąk twoich, którą czynić będziesz.
и пусть придет левит, ибо ему нет части и удела с тобою, и пришелец, и сирота, и вдова, которые находятся в жилищах твоих, и пусть едят и насыщаются, дабы благословил тебя Господь, Бог твой, во всяком деле рук твоих, которое ты будешь делать.
在你 城裡無 分 無業 的利未人，和 你城 裡寄居的，並孤兒 寡婦，都可以來，吃 得飽足。這樣，耶和華─你的 神 必在你手 裡所 辦 的一切 事 上賜福與你。」
And the Levite, because he has no part or heritage in the land, and the man from a strange country, and the child who has no father, and the widow, who are living among you, will come and take food and have enough; and so the blessing of the Lord your God will be on you in everything you do.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 14:29
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that Deuteronomy 14:29 prescribes a triennial tithe set apart for the landless and vulnerable. Keil and Delitzsch call it the “poor tithe”, the entire tithe of the third year’s produce stored locally and used to feed Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows. Barnes notes that this tithe replaced the normal sacrificial meal at the sanctuary in the third and sixth years of the septennial cycle. The Cambridge Bible highlights the omission of “before Jehovah” and “rejoice”; this is not a festal celebration but daily sustenance for those with no land. Gill explains that the Levite partakes of the second tithe turned into poor’s tithe in that year. The shared theological core is clear: God commands systematic, local charity for the most vulnerable, and He ties obedience directly to blessing on all the work of the giver’s hands.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The core command is agreed upon: every third year, save a tithe for Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows so they can eat and be satisfied, with the promise that God will bless the giver's labor.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the third-year tithe | The tithe was designated for landless people and stored locally, not taken to the sanctuary. | Some rabbinic sources call it a separate ‘third tithe’ (additional 10%), while modern scholars like Keil and Delitzsch see it as the second tithe applied differently in the third year. Both sides agree it functioned as charity. |
| Relationship to the sabbatical year | The triennial cycle is tied to the seven-year sabbatical cycle. | Barnes specifies the third and sixth years of the septennial cycle; others see the three years specifically counting from the sabbatical year. The precise synchronization is debated but the pattern of regular provision is clear. |
| Inclusion of the Levite | Levites receive the tithe because they have no land inheritance and depend on the community’s support. | Gill notes that Jarchi understood the Levite to take the first tithe, whereas the verse likely refers to the second (poor) tithe. The broader point stands: Levites are among the landless who need systematic provision. |
| Condition for divine blessing | God’s blessing on the giver’s work is contingent on obedience to this command. | Is the blessing primarily material (agricultural increase) or broader (general prosperity and favor)? Most commentators see it as material, but they agree it is God’s active response to faithful generosity. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The verse belongs to a block of tithe legislation in Deuteronomy 14. In ancient Israel, the tribe of Levi received no territorial inheritance (Numbers 18:20); their livelihood depended on the tithes and offerings of the people. The “foreigner” (gēr, H1616) was a temporary resident lacking inherited family land, often without social standing. Orphans and widows similarly had no means of agricultural production and were especially exposed to poverty.
The triennial cycle, “at the end of three years” (Deuteronomy 14:28), coordinates with the sabbatical year. Barnes clarifies that the three years count from the sabbatical year, so in the third and sixth years the festive meal at the sanctuary was superseded by local hospitality. Keil and Delitzsch add that the civil year ended with the harvest, and the tithe was “brought forth” from the granary and stored within the city gates, that is, in each local town, not taken to the central sanctuary.
This innovation reflects the centralization of worship under Deuteronomy. The Cambridge Bible notes that Levites, having lost income from abolished local shrines, needed new provision. The phrase “within your gates” (Deuteronomy 14:28) designates the towns themselves as the gathering places. Unlike the annual tithe eaten with rejoicing before the Lord (Deuteronomy 14:23-26), this third-year tithe was “secularized,” as Cambridge puts it, for common daily sustenance, a striking embodiment of God’s concern for economic justice.
Textual Notes
None of the supplied commentaries note any significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 14:29. The verse is stable across Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions. The main interpretive questions concern the tithe system itself, not textual uncertainty.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, this triennial tithe was formalized as ma’aser ani, the poor tithe, and remained a key element of charitable practice in the Second Temple period and beyond. Early Christian writers, such as Irenaeus and Justin Martyr, cited God’s care for the orphan and widow as a model for Christian almsgiving, though they did not prescribe the triennial rhythm. In medieval scholasticism, Thomas Aquinas drew on Deuteronomy 14 to argue that tithes serve both priestly support and relief of the poor. Reformation commentators like Calvin and Matthew Henry emphasized the link between charity and divine blessing, urging believers to see their labor as part of a covenant economy where generosity invites God’s provision. Modern ecumenical teaching on stewardship and justice often returns to this passage as a biblical foundation for regular, targeted giving to the economically vulnerable.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God names the landless. The Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, the widow, each is landless and vulnerable. God does not command random charity; He commands care for specific people with no inheritance.
- Systematic, local provision. The triennial tithe is stored “within your gates,” not at the sanctuary. It flows to the place where need lives. This is not a one-time donation but a regular, planned redistribution.
- Blessing tied to obedience. The purpose clause “that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hand” conditions the people’s prosperity on their faithfulness toward the poor. Giving does not deplete, it opens the way for God’s increase.
Five-point outline
- Recipients identified: four groups without land or income (Levite, gēr, orphan, widow).
- Source: the triennial tithe, stored locally from the year’s harvest.
- Action: they “shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied”, not just receive, but be filled.
- Absence of festivity: no “before Jehovah” or “rejoice”; this is serious provision, not celebration.
- Promise: divine blessing on the entire work of the giver’s hand.
Illustration hooks
- The church food pantry: stocked with canned goods and fresh produce, organized so that families can “eat and be satisfied”, not just get enough to survive the night, but enough for the week.
- A community garden on church property: land that would otherwise produce nothing for the poor becomes a source of vegetables for immigrant families, single mothers, and retired pastors.
- Year-end offering designated for the vulnerable: congregations set aside a percentage of the annual budget specifically for those without a safety net, a modern “third-year tithe.”
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Does this mean I have to give 10% on top of my church offering every three years?” Most Christian traditions see this as a principle of systematic charity, not a binding law. The pattern matters more than the percentage.
- “Why does God tie blessing to giving to the poor? That feels transactional.” God designed a society where taking care of the vulnerable actually makes the whole community thrive, blessing is the natural result of a healthy system.
- “Who are the ‘Levites’ today?” Pastors, missionaries, and church workers who have no inheritance except the gospel. Many congregations already support them through salaries and offerings.
Leading a Discussion
Israel was commanded to set aside one tithe in every third year specifically for those who owned no land. This passage links the well-being of the vulnerable directly to God’s blessing on the whole community. As you discuss, consider how a similar rhythm of provision might shape your church today.
Discussion questions
- Observation: Who is listed as recipients in verse 29? What do they all have in common?
- Observation: Where is the tithe stored, and how does that differ from the annual tithe eaten at the sanctuary?
- Interpretation: Why does God omit the phrase “before the Lord” and “rejoice” from this tithe (compare Deuteronomy 14:23-26)? What does that tell you about its purpose?
- Interpretation: The Levite is landless by divine design. How does that change the way you think about supporting those who serve the church?
- Application: If this principle were applied in your church community, what would change about your budget or outreach?
- Application: The promise is that God will bless “all the work of your hand.” How does giving to the vulnerable actually make your own labor more fruitful?
- Reflection: Who in your town or city is landless, economically vulnerable, today? How could you “store up within your gates” to ensure they eat and are satisfied?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 22:21 | “You shall not wrong an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. |
| Exodus 22:24 | and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. |
| Leviticus 19:34 | The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God. |
| Deuteronomy 12:12 | You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God—you, and your sons, your daughters, your male servants, your female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you. |
| Deuteronomy 14:27 | You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no portion nor inheritance with you. |
| Deuteronomy 15:10 | You shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to. |
| Deuteronomy 16:11 | You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God: you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, in the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there. |
| Deuteronomy 16:14 | You shall rejoice in your feast, you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your gates. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke sees God's deliberate design in making the Levites dependent on freewill offerings. This dependence was meant to motivate ministers to work earnestly for the people's spiritual growth, so the people would in turn feel it both their duty and privilege to support them generously.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the third-year tithe for the poor was not an extra payment but replaced the usual sacred feasts held at the sanctuary. It was given in the third and sixth years of the seven-year cycle, with the sabbatical year accounting for the pattern.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that the third-year tithe was not a festive meal at the sanctuary but ordinary food for the poor and landless Levites. This practical arrangement compensated those who lost their share when local shrines were abolished, turning a religious offering into a charitable provision for daily sustenance.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes stress that the Levite, stranger, orphan, and widow must be invited to the feast precisely because they lack land and security. Including those with no inheritance is the condition for God's blessing on the work of your own hands.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill clarifies that the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow do not take the first tithe here but the second or poor's tithe. They share a plentiful meal at home, not in Jerusalem as required in other years, and God's blessing follows such obedience.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch clarifies that the tithe every third year is not a separate "third tithe" as many rabbis claim, but the poor tithe. It differed from the second tithe only in its use: instead of a sacrificial meal at the sanctuary, it provided festal meals locally for the landless.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the food laws and mourning prohibitions are not merely sanitary or arbitrary but deeply symbolic. They represent Israel's consecration to the living God and a standing protest against sin and death, pointing back to the original creation where death had no place.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry observes that the land's produce was tithed twice, so together a full fifth was given to God, leaving four-fifths for ordinary use. He calls this an easy rent, since what belonged to God was still spent for the people's own benefit and advantage.