Lexical Summary nedabah: Freewill offering, voluntary offering, willing gift Original Word: נְדָבָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance freewill offering, freely, plentiful, voluntary, offering, willingly, offering From nadab; properly (abstractly) spontaneity, or (adjectively) spontaneous; also (concretely) a spontaneous or (by inference, in plural) abundant gift -- free(-will) offering, freely, plentiful, voluntary(-ily, offering), willing(-ly), offering). see HEBREW nadab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom nadab Definition voluntariness, freewill offering NASB Translation freely (1), freewill offering (12), freewill offerings (9), plentiful (1), voluntarily (1), volunteer freely (1), willingly (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs נְדָבָה noun feminine voluntariness, freewill-offering; — absolute ׳נ Exodus 35:29 14t.; construct נִדְבַת Deuteronomy 16:10; plural נְדָבוֺת Amos 4:5; Psalm 68:10; נְדָבֹת Psalm 110:3; construct נִדְבוֺת Psalm 119:108; 2Chronicles 31:14; suffix נִדְבֹתֶ֫יךָ Deuteronomy 12:7 4t. suffixes; — 1voluntariness אֹהֲבֵם נְדָבָה Hosea 14:5 I (׳י) will love them freely; עַמְּךָ נְדָבֹת בְּיוֺם חֵילֶ֑ךָ Psalm 110:3 thy people will be (all) voluntariness in the day of thy host (be ready to volunteer, see BrMP 133); גֶּשֶׁם נדבות Psalm 68:10 generous (copious) rain; בנדבה Psalm 54:8 voluntarily, and adverb. accusative נדבה Deuteronomy 23:24 (see Dr.). 2 freewill, voluntary, offering: a. including gifts used in erection and furnishing of tabernacle Exodus 35:29; Exodus 36:3 (P); for first temple 2 Chronicles 31:14, second Ezra 1:6; Ezra 8:28. b. including עולה and שׁלמים Ezekiel 46:42; probably also Amos 4:5, נדבות פִי Psalm 119:108. c. usually a זֶבַח for festival meals at Passover 2 Chronicles 35:8, Pentecost Deuteronomy 16:10, Tabernacles Ezra 3:5 (besides the ritual offerings); distinguished from נֶדֶר votive offering Leviticus 7:16; Numbers 15:3; Numbers 29:39 (P), Leviticus 22:18,21,23; Leviticus 23:38 (H), Deuteronomy 12:6,17. — (Verbs used are ׳הביא נ Exodus 35:29; Exodus 36:3; ׳הקריב נLeviticus 22:18; ׳עשׂה נ Numbers 15:3; Ezekiel 46:12; ׳נתן נ Leviticus 23:38; Deuteronomy 16:10.) Topical Lexicon Central Idea: Free and Willing DevotionStrong’s 5071, נְדָבָה (nedavah), gathers every Old Testament reference where gifts, sacrifices, or even personal service are brought to the LORD freely, without external compulsion or legal requirement. The word consistently highlights an uncoerced, glad-hearted response to God’s grace. Cultic Regulations in the Law of Moses • Leviticus 22:18–23 and Numbers 15:3 distinguish “freewill offerings” from votive offerings. A vow bound the giver by oath; a nedavah arose solely from gratitude. Yet the same holiness standards applied: “it must be without blemish to be acceptable” (Leviticus 22:21). Voluntariness never excused carelessness. • Freewill offerings could take the form of burnt, peace, grain, or drink offerings (Numbers 29:39). They were brought to the central sanctuary only (Deuteronomy 12:6, 12:17), safeguarding worship from Canaanite influence. Building and Maintaining the Sanctuary • Exodus 35:29 records Israel’s first national nedavah: “all the men and women whose hearts prompted them to give brought a freewill offering to the LORD.” Gold, linen, and precious stones erected the Tabernacle; the gifts themselves became visible evidence of inner zeal. • In the reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah, voluntary contributions replenished priestly stores and provided for great Passover celebrations (2 Chronicles 31:14; 35:8). • After the exile, the same principle rebuilt the Second Temple. Cyrus decreed, “Let every survivor... contribute to the project with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, along with freewill offerings” (Ezra 1:4). Ezra later carried “the freewill offerings given to the God of Israel” from Babylon (Ezra 7:16; 8:28). Spontaneous Acts of National Commitment • In Judges 5:2,9 the tribes that “willingly offered themselves” are praised for answering Deborah’s call against Sisera. Here nedavah extends beyond material gifts to self-sacrifice, showing that the word’s core is voluntary devotion in any form. • Psalm 54:6 personalizes the concept: “Freely I will sacrifice to You.” Psalm 119:108 pushes it further—speech itself can be a freewill offering: “Accept, O LORD, the freewill offerings of my mouth.” Prophetic and Poetic Tensions • Amos 4:5 rebukes Israel for advertising pious generosity while ignoring justice: “proudly proclaim your freewill offerings— for this is what you Israelites love to do.” Voluntariness is no shield against hypocrisy. • Ezekiel 46:12 foresees restored Temple worship where even the prince may bring a nedavah; the gate opens specially for this act, underscoring God’s delight in unforced homage. Theological Themes 1. God values the heart over the amount. “Whose hearts prompted them” (Exodus 35:29) is repeated across narratives. New Covenant Echoes Paul captures the impulse behind nedavah: “Each one should give as he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Freewill offerings under the Law anticipate Spirit-enabled generosity in Christ’s church (Philippians 4:18; Hebrews 13:15). Ministry Application • Cultivate willing hearts, not fundraising techniques. Nedavah threads through Scripture as a quiet melody of thanksgiving, inviting every generation to respond to God’s grace with joyful, wholehearted, and uncoerced devotion. Forms and Transliterations בִּנְדָבָ֥ה בִנְדָבָ֔ה בנדבה הַ֨נְּדָבָ֔ה הנדבה וְנִדְבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וְנִדְבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם וְנִדְבֹתֶ֖יךָ ונדבתיך ונדבתיכם לִנְדָבָ֔ה לִנְדָבָ֥ה לנדבה נְ֭דָבוֹת נְדָב֖וֹת נְדָבָ֑ה נְדָבָ֔ה נְדָבָ֖ה נְדָבָ֗ה נְדָבָ֜ה נְדָבָ֣ה נְדָבָה֙ נְדָבֹת֮ נִדְב֣וֹת נִדְב֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם נִדְבַ֥ת נִדְבוֹתָ֔ם נדבה נדבות נדבותיכם נדבותם נדבת bin·ḏā·ḇāh ḇin·ḏā·ḇāh binḏāḇāh ḇinḏāḇāh bindaVah han·nə·ḏā·ḇāh hannəḏāḇāh hannedaVah lin·ḏā·ḇāh linḏāḇāh lindaVah nə·ḏā·ḇāh nə·ḏā·ḇō·wṯ nə·ḏā·ḇōṯ nəḏāḇāh nəḏāḇōṯ nəḏāḇōwṯ nedaVah NedaVot niḏ·ḇaṯ niḏ·ḇō·w·ṯām niḏ·ḇō·w·ṯê·ḵem niḏ·ḇō·wṯ niḏḇaṯ niḏḇōwṯ niḏḇōwṯām niḏḇōwṯêḵem nidVat nidVot nidvoTam nidVoteiChem venidvoTeicha venidvoteiChem vindaVah wə·niḏ·ḇō·ṯe·ḵā wə·niḏ·ḇō·ṯê·ḵem wəniḏḇōṯeḵā wəniḏḇōṯêḵemLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 35:29 HEB: בְנֵי־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל נְדָבָ֖ה לַיהוָֽה׃ פ NAS: brought a freewill offering to the LORD. KJV: brought a willing offering unto the LORD, INT: the children of Israel A freewill to the LORD Exodus 36:3 Leviticus 7:16 Leviticus 22:18 Leviticus 22:21 Leviticus 22:23 Leviticus 23:38 Numbers 15:3 Numbers 29:39 Deuteronomy 12:6 Deuteronomy 12:17 Deuteronomy 16:10 Deuteronomy 23:23 2 Chronicles 31:14 2 Chronicles 35:8 Ezra 1:4 Ezra 3:5 Ezra 8:28 Psalm 54:6 Psalm 68:9 Psalm 110:3 Psalm 119:108 Ezekiel 46:12 Ezekiel 46:12 Hosea 14:4 26 Occurrences |
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