The Meaning of Nehemiah 10:37 Explained

Nehemiah 10:37

KJV: And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.

YLT: And the beginning of our dough, and our heave-offerings, and the fruit of every tree, of new wine, and of oil, we bring in to the priests, unto the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithe of our ground to the Levites; and they -- the Levites -- have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage;

Darby: and that we should bring the first-fruits of our coarse meal and our heave-offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, new wine and oil, to the priests, into the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithes of our ground to the Levites, that they, the Levites, should take the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.

ASV: and that we should bring the first-fruits of our dough, and our heave-offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, the new wine and the oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites; for they, the Levites, take the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And [that] we should bring  the firstfruits  of our dough,  and our offerings,  and the fruit  of all manner of trees,  of wine  and of oil,  unto the priests,  to the chambers  of the house  of our God;  and the tithes  of our ground  unto the Levites,  that the same Levites  might have the tithes  in all the cities  of our tillage. 

What does Nehemiah 10:37 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 10:28-39 - A Pledge Of Better Service
The chapter opens with a list of the signers of the covenant, which was signed on behalf of the people. The consecration covenant involved-first, obedience; then, the purity of the holy seed from intermarriage with heathen peoples; next, the observance of the Sabbath, and of the Sabbatic year. In addition there was the yearly charge for the maintenance of divine worship. The great lack among Christian people is system in the apportioning of their incomes. They leave their giving to impulse, and thus often give the merest fraction of their possessions to the cause of God. We should at least give a tenth, and as much more as we can afford. If only all who read these words would resolve to imitate these impoverished exiles, and to set aside the tithe of all they earn or receive, they would discover the luxury of giving, and a new zest in receiving. The first-fruits of increased wages and revenue should also be given to God, as a tribute of thanksgiving. Let the first produce of hen-roost, orchard, and field be His. Do not neglect or forsake God's house, Nehemiah 10:39. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 10

1  The names of those who sealed the covenant
29  The points of the covenant

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 10:37 mean?

And the firstfruits of our dough and our offerings and the fruit from all kinds of trees the new wine and oil to bring to the priests to the storerooms of the house of our God and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites for they the Levites the should receive tithes in all communities our farming
וְאֶת־ רֵאשִׁ֣ית עֲרִיסֹתֵ֣ינוּ וּ֠תְרוּמֹתֵינוּ וּפְרִ֨י כָל־ עֵ֜ץ תִּיר֣וֹשׁ וְיִצְהָ֗ר נָבִ֤יא לַכֹּהֲנִים֙ אֶל־ לִשְׁכ֣וֹת בֵּית־ אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ וּמַעְשַׂ֥ר אַדְמָתֵ֖נוּ לַלְוִיִּ֑ם וְהֵם֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם הַֽמְעַשְּׂרִ֔ים בְּכֹ֖ל עָרֵ֥י עֲבֹדָתֵֽנוּ

רֵאשִׁ֣ית  the  firstfruits 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: רֵאשִׁית  
Sense: first, beginning, best, chief.
עֲרִיסֹתֵ֣ינוּ  of  our  dough 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: עֲרִיסָה  
Sense: dough, meal, coarse meal, kneading trough.
וּ֠תְרוּמֹתֵינוּ  and  our  offerings 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: תְּרוּמָה  
Sense: contribution, offering.
וּפְרִ֨י  and  the  fruit  from 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.
כָל־  all  kinds 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֵ֜ץ  of  trees 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
תִּיר֣וֹשׁ  the  new  wine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ 
Sense: wine, fresh or new wine, must, freshly pressed wine.
וְיִצְהָ֗ר  and  oil 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִצְהָר  
Sense: fresh oil, shining (pure) oil.
נָבִ֤יא  to  bring 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
לַכֹּהֲנִים֙  to  the  priests 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
לִשְׁכ֣וֹת  the  storerooms 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: לִשְׁכָּה  
Sense: room, chamber, hall, cell.
בֵּית־  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ  of  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וּמַעְשַׂ֥ר  and  to  bring  the  tithes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲשֵׂר  
Sense: tithe, tenth part.
אַדְמָתֵ֖נוּ  of  our  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
לַלְוִיִּ֑ם  to  the  Levites 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
וְהֵם֙  for  they 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
הַלְוִיִּ֔ם  the  Levites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
הַֽמְעַשְּׂרִ֔ים  the  should  receive  tithes 
Parse: Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָשַׂר  
Sense: to tithe, take the tenth part of, give a tithe, take a tithe.
בְּכֹ֖ל  in  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עָרֵ֥י  communities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
עֲבֹדָתֵֽנוּ  our  farming 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: עֲבֹדָה  
Sense: labour, service.