In the Bible, “tribute” often refers to a payment made by one sovereign state to another as a sign of submission or acknowledgment of authority, commonly seen in the context of taxes or offerings given to rulers (e.g., 1 Kings 10:25). It can also denote offerings made to God as an expression of gratitude and worship.
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15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words.
16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.
17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?
19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.
20 And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”
21 They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
Tribute in the Bible: Definition and Meaning
In the Bible, the term “tribute” encapsulates both the socio-political dynamics of power relations and the religious practices of gratitude and worship. In a political context, tribute represents the payments made by vassal states to a more powerful ruler, emphasizing the latter’s authority over the former. This is evident in 1 Kings 10:25, where the wealth of nations is brought before the king, indicating both respect and dependency on his kingship. Such tributes are not only a means of economic transaction but also serve as a formal declaration of loyalty, showcasing how nations honored their rulers and acknowledged their supremacy in ancient geopolitical arrangements.
On the spiritual side, “tribute” also signifies offerings made to God, reflecting one’s devotion and acknowledgment of divine authority. This duality is mirrored in the instruction found in Deuteronomy 16:17, which says, “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that He has given you.” Here, tribute to God is an act of worship, rooted in recognition of His providence. Therefore, the broader meaning of tribute in the Bible extends beyond mere financial transactions; it encapsulates themes of submission, authority, and reverence, whether in human governance or in relationship with the divine. Through these tributes, individuals and nations alike convey their acknowledgment of power and grace, resonating with the biblical call to honor both earthly authorities and heavenly sovereignty.
In addition to its political and spiritual dimension, the concept of tribute can also be connected with themes of justice and equity within biblical narratives. For example, the relationship between tribute and fairness in taxation is illustrated in the discussions surrounding the collection of taxes by rulers. When tribute was collected, it was expected to be applied towards the welfare of the people and the community’s needs. This understanding is emphasized throughout the prophetic writings where social justice advocates that tribute should not exploit but rather uplift citizens. Righteous kings are portrayed as those who ensure that tributes are used for the common good, maintaining a balance between authority and the welfare of the populace.
Furthermore, the theme of tribute permeates the narrative of Israel’s covenant relationship with God. The people of Israel were called to offer tributes not merely as obligations, but as manifestations of their covenantal loyalty. These offerings, whether in the form of first fruits, tithes, or other forms of tribute, signify their continued relationship with God and their understanding of His blessings in their lives. The dedication involved in giving tribute reflects a deeper reverence for God’s provision, fostering an intimate connection between the giver and the divine. By presenting their tributes, they reaffirmed their commitment to a life that aligns with God’s values, creating a rich tapestry of community, responsibility, and devotion that illustrates the multifaceted nature of tribute in both socio-political and spiritual contexts.
The Concept of Tribute as a Form of Acknowledgment
In biblical contexts, tribute often signifies a form of acknowledgment or recognition of authority. It serves as a means for subjects to express loyalty and submission to a ruling power, whether that be a king, an empire, or God Himself. This acknowledgment is not merely a financial transaction but a demonstration of allegiance and respect, reinforcing the social and political hierarchies established in ancient societies.
Tribute as a Means of Worship and Gratitude
Tribute can also be understood as an expression of worship and gratitude towards God. In various instances, offerings and tributes are presented as acts of devotion, symbolizing the giver’s recognition of God’s sovereignty and provision. This form of tribute reflects a deeper spiritual relationship, where the act of giving is intertwined with the acknowledgment of divine blessings and the desire to honor God through tangible expressions of faith.
The Role of Tribute in Social Justice and Community Support
Another broader meaning of tribute in the Bible relates to social justice and community support. Tributes often included provisions for the poor, the widowed, and the orphaned, highlighting the communal responsibility to care for the vulnerable. This aspect of tribute underscores the biblical principle of stewardship, where resources are not only seen as personal wealth but as tools for fostering community well-being and ensuring that all members of society are cared for.
How to Honor God Through Financial Stewardship
Honoring God through financial stewardship is a deeply personal journey that invites us to reflect on our values and priorities. It begins with recognizing that everything we have—our income, possessions, and resources—ultimately belongs to Him. To be a better Christian in this area, consider setting aside a portion of your income for tithing, which not only supports your church but also cultivates a spirit of generosity. Beyond tithing, practice mindful spending by aligning your purchases with your faith; ask yourself if your choices reflect your commitment to God’s teachings. Additionally, seek to be a blessing to others through acts of kindness, whether that’s helping those in need or supporting charitable causes. Remember, financial stewardship is not just about managing money wisely; it’s about using your resources to further God’s kingdom and demonstrate His love in tangible ways. As you navigate your financial decisions, pray for guidance and wisdom, trusting that God will lead you to honor Him in every aspect of your life.
Bible References to Tribute in Scripture:
Romans 13:1-7: 1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,
4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
1 Peter 2:13-17: 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,
14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Luke 20:20-26: 20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.
21 So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.
22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them,
24 “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.”
25 He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
26 So they were unable to catch him in what he said before the people, and marveling at his answer, they became silent.
Mark 12:13-17: 13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.
14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?
15 But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”
16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
Nehemiah 5:1-13: 1 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.
2 For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.”
3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.”
4 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.
5 Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.
6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them.
8 and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say.
9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?
10 I also said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?
11 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.”
12 Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.
13 I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
Ezra 4:11-16: 11 (now this is the copy of the letter that they sent) “To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now
12 be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.
13 Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired.
14 Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king,
15 in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste.
16 We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.”
1 Kings 4:21-28: 21 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22 The food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her.
23 ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.
24 For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him.
25 And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon.
26 Solomon also had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen.
27 And those officers supplied provisions for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon’s table, each one in his month. They let nothing be lacking.
28 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty.
2 Kings 23:33-35: 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there.
35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco.
2 Chronicles 17:10-19: 10 And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat.
11 And some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver for tribute, and the Arabians also brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats.
12 And Jehoshaphat grew steadily greater. He built in Judah fortresses and store cities.
13 He had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab.
14 This was their muster according to their fathers’ houses: Of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, with 300,000 mighty men of valor,
15 And next to him Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000;
16 and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, a volunteer for the service of the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor.
17 And of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield;
18 and next to him Jehozabad, and with him 180000 mighty men of valor.
19 These were in the service of the king, besides those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.
2 Chronicles 36:1-4: 1 The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem.
2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
3 Then the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
4 Then the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt.
Genesis 49:1-12: 2 “Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel your father.
2 “Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob,
listen to Israel your father.
3 Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, and the firstfruits of my strength,
preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.
4 Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence,
because you went up to your father’s bed;
then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!
5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords.
6 Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,
and their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them in Jacob
and scatter them in Israel.
8 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
your father’s sons shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
11 Binding his foal to the vine
and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,
he has washed his garments in wine
and his vesture in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine,
and his teeth whiter than milk.
Joshua 16:10: 10 However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have been made to do forced labor.
Judges 1:28-35: 28 When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.
29 And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.
30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but became subject to forced labor.
31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, or of Achzib, or of Helbah, or of Aphik, or of Rehob,
32 So the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.
33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land.
34 The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain.
35 But the Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain.
1 Samuel 8:10-18: 10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him.
11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.
12 He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.
15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.
16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.
18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
Reverend Ogunlade is a seasoned Church Minister with over three decades of experience in guiding and nurturing congregations. With profound wisdom and a serene approach, Reverend Ogunlade has carried out various pastoral duties, including delivering uplifting sermons, conducting religious ceremonies, and offering sage counsel to individuals seeking spiritual guidance. Their commitment to fostering harmony and righteousness within their community is exemplified through their compassionate nature, making them a beloved and trusted figure among the congregation.