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.

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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 would not give our daughters to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;

31 and if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain on the day of Shabbat to sell, that we would not buy of them on the Shabbat, or on a holy day; and that we would forego the seventh year, and the exaction of 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 show bread, and for the continual meal-offering, and for the continual burnt-offering, for the Shabbatot, for the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin-offerings to make atonement for Yisra'el, and for all the work of the house of our God.

34 We cast lots, the Kohanim, the Levites, and the people, for the wood-offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law;