Exactions refer to the practice of demanding or levying payments, often in the form of taxes, tributes, or other compulsory contributions. In the biblical context, exactions are frequently associated with the burdens placed upon the people by rulers or authorities, and they often carry a negative connotation, especially when they are excessive or unjust.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, exactions are often linked to the oppressive practices of foreign rulers or corrupt leaders within Israel. For instance, during the reign of Solomon, the people of Israel experienced heavy burdens due to the king's extensive building projects and the maintenance of his lavish court. Although Solomon's wisdom and wealth were renowned, the exactions placed upon the people eventually led to discontent and division within the kingdom. This is reflected in the people's plea to Rehoboam, Solomon's son, to lighten the heavy yoke his father had placed upon them (1 Kings 12:4).

The prophets frequently condemned unjust exactions as part of their broader critique of social injustice and corruption. In Isaiah 58:6, the prophet calls for the breaking of every yoke and the release of those oppressed by unjust demands: "Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" . This passage highlights the moral imperative to oppose oppressive practices and to seek justice and mercy.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the issue of exactions is addressed in the context of Roman taxation and the broader socio-economic conditions of the time. Tax collectors, or publicans, were often viewed with disdain by the Jewish populace due to their association with the Roman occupiers and their reputation for extortion. Despite this, Jesus' interactions with tax collectors, such as Zacchaeus, demonstrate a call to repentance and transformation. In Luke 19:8, Zacchaeus responds to Jesus' presence by declaring, "Look, Lord! Half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold" . This act of restitution underscores the biblical principle of justice and the importance of rectifying wrongs.

The Apostle Paul also addresses the issue of exactions in his epistles, urging believers to fulfill their obligations to governing authorities while maintaining a spirit of integrity and fairness. In Romans 13:7, Paul writes, "Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due" . This instruction emphasizes the Christian duty to comply with lawful demands while upholding ethical standards.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, the concept of exactions in the Bible serves as a reminder of the potential for human authority to become corrupt and oppressive. The biblical narrative consistently advocates for justice, mercy, and the protection of the vulnerable against exploitation. The call to oppose unjust exactions aligns with the broader biblical themes of righteousness and the establishment of God's kingdom, where justice and peace prevail.

In summary, exactions in the biblical context highlight the tension between authority and justice, calling believers to advocate for fairness and to resist practices that exploit or oppress others. The biblical witness encourages a commitment to justice and mercy, reflecting the character of God and His desire for a just society.

What Yokes are For
... For generations we have had homilies on "The Yoke of Christ," some delighting in
portraying its narrow exactions; some seeking in these exactions the marks of ...
/.../the greatest thing in the world and other addresses/what yokes are for.htm

The Fourth vial.
... French monarchy under the second vial, there arose new rulers in France, who usurped
despotic powers, and subjected the governed to most oppressive exactions. ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the fourth vial.htm

Epistle Xlvi. To Rusticiana, Patrician.
... But we are pressed by such great straits that we cannot excuse even ourselves from
exactions (angariis) [1569] and burdens at this present time. Footnotes: ...
/.../epistle xlvi to rusticiana patrician.htm

The Fifth Book
... this, how savage, how rooted in the same impiety we deplore, how alien to barbarians
and familiar to Romans, that they proscribe one another by mutual exactions ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the fifth book.htm

"The House of Israel"
... Not content with the ordinances which God Himself had appointed, they encumbered
the divine commands with countless exactions of their own devising. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 59 the house of.htm

Aims of the Papacy.
... trampled upon every principle of the law of God, they were outwardly rigorous in
the observance of its precepts, loading it down with exactions and traditions ...
/.../white/the great controversy between christ and satan /35 aims of the papacy.htm

Liberty of Conscience Threatened
... trampled upon every principle of the law of God, they were outwardly rigorous in
the observance of its precepts, loading it down with exactions and traditions ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 35 liberty of conscience.htm

Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House ...
... he went, he encountered in city or country the well-known foreign tax-gatherer,
and was met by his insolence, by his vexatious intrusion, and by his exactions. ...
/.../sketches of jewish social life/chapter 4 travelling in palestineroads.htm

The Call of Matthew - the Saviour's Welcome to Sinners - Rabbinic ...
... Yet the endless vexatious interferences, the unjust and cruel exactions, the petty
tyranny, and the extortionate avarice, from which there was neither defense ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xvii the call of.htm

The Apostasy.
... which he designed to accomplish, Satan had led the Jews, before the advent of Christ,
to load down the Sabbath with the most rigorous exactions, making its ...
/.../white/the great controversy between christ and satan /3 the apostasy.htm

Exactions (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Exactions (2 Occurrences). Ezekiel 45:9 Thus saith
the Lord GOD; Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel ...
/e/exactions.htm - 7k

Exaction (2 Occurrences)
... 10:31), a demand for money lent on pledge, which the Jews agreed to forego in the
seventh year; (2) gerushah (Ezekiel 45:9, "your exactions," the Revised ...
/e/exaction.htm - 7k

Taxing (3 Occurrences)
... In the early custom of making presents to the powerful and in the exactions laid
upon conquered peoples, with the necessary public expense of community life as ...
/t/taxing.htm - 35k

Tax (43 Occurrences)
... In the early custom of making presents to the powerful and in the exactions laid
upon conquered peoples, with the necessary public expense of community life as ...
/t/tax.htm - 47k

Usury (17 Occurrences)
... Nehemiah forced the people after the return to-give back exactions of "one hundredth,"
or 1 percent monthly which they took from their brethren (Nehemiah 5:10 ...
/u/usury.htm - 15k

Oppressive (6 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Unreasonably burdensome; unjustly severe, rigorous, or harsh; as, oppressive
taxes; oppressive exactions of service; an oppressive game law. ...
/o/oppressive.htm - 8k

Grind (12 Occurrences)
... another, as teeth, etc. 3. (vt) To oppress by severe exactions; to harass.
4. (vt) To study hard for examination. 5. (vi) To perform ...
/g/grind.htm - 11k

Fleece (6 Occurrences)
... 5. (vt) To strip of money or other property unjustly, especially by trickery
or fraud; to bring to straits by oppressions and exactions. ...
/f/fleece.htm - 9k

Righteousness (442 Occurrences)
... feeling in the beginning. If a social group was to survive it must lay upon
its individual members the heaviest exactions. Back of the ...
/r/righteousness.htm - 56k

Exactitude (1 Occurrence)

/e/exactitude.htm - 6k

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