They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham, but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives. We can say that through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes,
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Hebrews 7:5-9 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best plunder. They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham, but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives. We can say that through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes, for he was yet in the body of his father when Melchizedek met him.
Parallel Translations
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They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham,
but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises.
But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.
Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives.
We can say that through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes,
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And verely those children of levy which receave the office of the prestes have a commaundement to take a cordyng to the lawe tythes of the people that is to saye of their brethren yee though they spronge out of the loynes of Abraham.
But he whose kynred is not counted amonge them receaved tythes of Abraham and blessed him that had the promyses.
And no man denyeth but that which is lesse receaveth blessinge of that which is greater.
And here men that dye receave tythes. But there he receaveth tythes of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
And to saye the trueth Levy him silfe also which receaveth tythes payed tythes in Abraham.
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For verely they which are the childre of Leui, which receiue the office of the Priesthode, haue a commandement to take, according to the Law, tithes of the people (that is, of their bethren) though they came out of ye loynes of Abraham.
But he whose kindred is not couted among them, receiued tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
And without all contradiction the lesse is blessed of the greater.
And here men that die, receiue tithes: but there he receiueth them, of whome it is witnessed, that he liueth.
And to say as the thing is, Leui also which receiueth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
Cross-references (53)
- Hebrews 6:20 (v8) where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
- Romans 4:13 (v6) For the promise to Abraham and to his offspring that he should be heir of the world wasn’t through the law, but through the righteousness…
- Hebrews 5:6 (v8) As he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
- Revelation 1:18 (v8) and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.
- Genesis 48:15-20 (v7) He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,…
Show all 53 cross-references
- Leviticus 27:30-33 (v5) “ ‘All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is Yahweh’s. It is holy to Yahweh. If a man…
- 2 Chronicles 30:27 (v7) Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people. Their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to…
- John 14:19 (v8) Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also.
- Hebrews 7:23 (v8) Many, indeed, have been made priests, because they are hindered from continuing by death.
- Genesis 13:14-17 (v6) Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and…
- Genesis 17:4-8 (v6) “As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. Your name will no more be called Abram, but…
- Genesis 27:20-40 (v7) Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He said, “Because Yahweh your God gave me success.” Isaac…
- Numbers 6:23-27 (v7) “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is how you shall bless the children of Israel.’ You shall tell them, ‘Yahweh bless you, and…
- 2 Samuel 6:20 (v7) Then David returned to bless his household. Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious the king of Israel…
- 1 Kings 8:55 (v7) He stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying,
- 2 Chronicles 31:4-6 (v5) Moreover he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves…
- Luke 24:50-51 (v7) He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. While he blessed them, he withdrew from them, and was…
- 2 Corinthians 13:14 (v7) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s love, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
- 1 Timothy 3:16 (v7) Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached…
- Hebrews 7:3-4 (v6) without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains…
- Genesis 49:28 (v7) All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them, and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to…
- Numbers 16:10-11 (v5) and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also? Therefore you and all…
- Numbers 18:21-32 (v5) “To the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve,…
- Deuteronomy 32:1 (v7) Give ear, you heavens, and I will speak. Let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
- Romans 5:12 (v9) Therefore as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; so death passed to all men, because all sinned.
- Hebrews 11:17 (v6) By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his one and only son,
- Hebrews 11:20-21 (v7) By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of…
- Genesis 12:2 (v6) I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.
- Genesis 14:19-20 (v6) He blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth. Blessed be God Most High, who has delivered…
- Genesis 14:20 (v9) Blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave him a tenth of all.
- Genesis 22:17-18 (v6) that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the…
- Genesis 47:7-10 (v7) Joseph brought in Jacob, his father, and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?” Jacob…
- Numbers 17:3-10 (v5) You shall write Aaron’s name on Levi’s rod. There shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses. You shall lay them up in the…
- Numbers 18:7 (v5) You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil. You shall serve. I give…
- 1 Kings 8:19 (v5) Nevertheless, you shall not build the house; but your son who shall come out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.’
- Nehemiah 13:10 (v5) I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them; so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had each fled…
- John 14:6 (v8) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
- Acts 3:25 (v6) You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘All the families of the…
- Romans 9:4 (v6) who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises;
- Galatians 3:16 (v6) Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. He doesn’t say, “To descendants”, as of many, but as of one, “To your…
- Hebrews 3:16 (v8) For who, when they heard, rebelled? Wasn’t it all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?
- Hebrews 6:13-15 (v6) For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless…
- Hebrews 7:1 (v6) For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
- Hebrews 7:10 (v5) for he was yet in the body of his father when Melchizedek met him.
- Hebrews 9:24-25 (v8) For Christ hasn’t entered into holy places made with hands, which are representations of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in…
- Genesis 12:13 (v6) Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”
- Genesis 28:1-4 (v7) Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the…
- Genesis 46:26 (v5) All the souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were his direct offspring, in addition to Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were…
- Exodus 28:1 (v5) “Bring Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, near to you from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to me in the priest’s…
- John 11:25-26 (v8) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever lives and believes…
- Hebrews 7:4 (v9) Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best plunder.
- Hebrews 9:27 (v8) Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,
- Hebrews 11:13 (v6) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (18 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv5–9 5. And verily they, etc. It would be more…
5. And verily they, etc. It would be more suitable to render the words thus, “because they are the sons of Levi.” The Apostle indeed does not assign it as a reason that they received tithes because they were the sons of Levi; but he is comparing the whole tribe with Melchisedec in this way. Though God granted to the Levites the right of requiring tithes from the people, and thus set them above all the Israelites, yet they have all descended from the same parent; and Abraham, the father of them all, paid tithes to a priest of another race: then all the descendants of Abraham are inferior to this priest. Thus the right conferred on the Levites was particular as to the rest of their brethren; yet Melchisedec, without exception, occupies the highest place, so that all are inferior to him. Some think that the tenths of tenths are intended, which the Levites paid to the higher priests; but there is no reason thus to confine the general declaration. The view, then, I have given is the most probable.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv5, 7, 9 Were begotten by Abraham.
Were begotten by Abraham.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv5–9 5 And verily they that are of the sons…
5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
Ver. 5. To take tithes of the people] If tithes be Jewish, saith M. Harris, and yet ministers must have a maintenance, how will men satisfy their consciences in the particular quantity they must bestow upon them? the Scripture speaks only of the tenth part. Can any show us where the old apportion is reversed, and which is that quota pars now that conscience must rest in?
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv5–9 This is a proof by instance out of the…
This is a proof by instance out of the Levitical law, that he who receiveth is greater than he who giveth.
And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood: the seed of Levi the son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, Num 1:48-50; 3:1-5, and not all of them neither, but the sons of Levi descending from Aaron, were separated and consecrated in the priesthood by God’s precept, and vindicated from those who would usurp it, Num 16:1-17:13, and confirmed in it by miracle.
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Have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law: God himself gave them a law from heaven to tithe by, and a charge to observe this law, as to all parts of tithes, such as were due to all Levites, Num 18:24, to the high priest only as God’s substitute, Num 18:8-19,25-29; to the Levites, widows, and poor together, Deu 14:22-29. These the same law obliged all the Israelites to pay to these Levites as a homage due from them to God, and so delivered to his substitutes superior unto them, as his priests and ministers, and due to them by his own constitution, being the first-fruits of his own blessing.
That is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: yet these Israelites who were to pay those tithes to these as superior to them in office, were their own brethren by nature, of the same rank, coming out of the same loins of Abraham, but subjected to these priests, who, by God’s ordinance, were set above them in their office; and their receiving tithes was an inseparable property of that superiority.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain On vv5, 8, 9 Still the apostle goes on to give Melchizedek the…
Still the apostle goes on to give Melchizedek the preference above Abraham, and from thence to infer, that Christ, whom Melchizedek typified, was much mor excellent than Abraham, and all the Levitical priests which sprang from him.
The argument lies thus: "The law allowed Aaron and the other priests to take tithes of their brethren that sprung from Abraham; but Melchizedek received tithes of Abraham, who was none of his people, yea, and blessed Abraham also, which is a demonstration that he was greater than Abraham; and consequently it is evident, that Christ is greater than the Jewich priests; to bless authoritatively is an act of superiority; Now Melchizedek blessed Abraham, he is therfore greater than Abraham: because he that blessed is greater than he whom he blesseth.
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Behold here the excellency of the office of God’s ministers, namely, to bless the people in God’s name: They bless authoritatively, they bless declaratively, they bless optatively. God help them to take heed, lest, by their miscarriages, they prove a snare and a curse unto them whom they ought to bless.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv5–9 And verily they that are of the sons of…
And verily they that are of the sons of Levi,.... Or Levites; who are of the tribe of Levi, whose descent is from him:
who receive the office of the priesthood; as some of them were priests, though not all; and the Levites therefore are sometimes called priests. R. Joshua ben Levi says, that in twenty four places the priests are called Levites; and this is one of them, Eze 44:15 "and the priests and Levites", &c. (k).
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these have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law; the ceremonial law, Num 18:20, these they took of all the people of Israel in the rest of the tribes, by the commandment of God, on account of their service in the tabernacle; and because they had no inheritance in the land; and to show that the Israelites held their land of God himself:
that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham; who are their brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh, though of different tribes; and from these they receive, notwithstanding they are the sons of Abraham: but here a difficulty arises, how the Levites that were priests can be said to receive tithes from the people, when they received the tenth part of the tithes, or the tithe of tithes from the Levites, Num 18:26, but it should be observed, that it was not necessary that the Levites should give these tithes to the priests themselves; an Israelite might do it, and so give the Levites the less; on which account the priests may be said to receive from the people; besides, Ezra in his time ordered, that the first tithe should not be given to the Levites, but to the priests, because they would not go up with him to Jerusalem (l).
(k) T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 86. 2. & Becorot, fol. 4. 1. (l) Maimon. Hilchot Maaser, c. 1. sect. 4.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv5–9 The sons of Levi take tithes of their brethren…
The sons of Levi take tithes of their brethren -- sprung from Abraham as well as themselves. The Levites therefore are greater than they; but the priests are greater than the Levites, the patriarch Abraham than the priests, and Melchisedec than him.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv5–9 Verse 5. They that are of the sons of…
Verse 5. They that are of the sons of Levi] The priests who are of the posterity of the Levites, and receive the priesthood in virtue of their descent from Aaron, have authority from the law of God to receive tithes from the people.
According to the law] That is, the Levites received a tenth from the people. The priests received a tenth of this tenth from the Levites, who are here called their brethren, because they were of the same tribe, and employed in the same sacred work. The apostle is proceeding to show that Melchisedec was greater even than Abraham, the head of the fathers, for to him Abraham gave tithes; and as the Levites were the posterity of Abraham, they are represented here as paying tithes to Melchisedec through him. Yet Melchisedec was not of this family, and therefore must be considered as having a more honourable priesthood than even Aaron himself; for he took the tenth from Abraham, not for his maintenance, for he was a king, but in virtue of his office as universal high priest of all that region.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v8 Heb 7:8-10. And here — In the Levitical priesthood;…
Heb 7:8-10. And here — In the Levitical priesthood; men that die, receive tithes, but there — In the case of Melchisedec; he of whom it is witnessed that he liveth — Who is not spoken of as one that died for another to succeed him, but is represented only as living, being mentioned in such a way as if he lived for ever. And even Levi, who received tithes — Not in person, but in his successors, as it were, paid tithes in the person of Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father — “This might justly be said of Levi, who descended from Abraham in the ordinary course of generation. But it cannot be said of Christ, who was born in a miraculous manner, without any human father. While, therefore, the apostle’s argument, taken from Abraham’s paying tithes to Melchisedec, and his receiving the blessing from him, proves that both Abraham and the Levitical priests, his natural descendants, were inferior to Melchisedec, it does not apply to Christ at all.” — Macknight.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv5–9 And verily they that are of the sons of…
And verily they that are of the sons of Levi - The meaning of this verse is, that the Levitical priests had a right to receive tithes of their brethren, but still that they were inferior to Melchizedek. The apostle admits that their superiority to the rest of the people was shown by the fact that they had a right to require of them the tenth part of the productions of the land for their maintenance, and for the support of religion. But still he says, that their inferiority to Melchizedek, and consequently to Christ as a priest, was shown by the fact that the illustrious ancestor of all the Jewish people, including the priests as well as others, had confessed his inferiority to Melchizedek by paying him tithes.
Who receive the office of the priesthood - Not all the descendants of Levi were priests. The apostle, therefore, specifies particularly those who “received this office,” as being those whom he specially designed, and as those whose inferiority to Christ as a priest it was his object to show.
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Have a commandment to take tithes - Have by the Law a commission, or a right to exact tithes of the people. Deu 14:22, Deu 14:27-29.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv5–9 sons of Levi--namely, those alone who belonged to the…
sons of Levi--namely, those alone who belonged to the family of Aaron, to whom the priesthood was restricted. Tithes originally paid to the whole tribe of Levi, became at length attached to the priesthood.
according to the law--sanctioned by Jehovah (Heb 9:19).
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of their brethren--with whom, in point of natural descent, they are on a level.
though, &c.--Though thus on a level by common descent from Abraham, they yet pay tithe to the Levites, whose brethren they are. Now the Levites are subordinate to the priests; and these again to Abraham, their common progenitor; and Abraham to Melchisedec. "How great" (Heb 7:4) then, must this Melchisedec be in respect to his priesthood, as compared with the Levitical, though the latter received tithes! and now unspeakably great must "the Son of God" be, to whom, as the sacerdotal archetype (in God's purpose), Melchisedec was made like! Thus compare the "consider," Heb 7:4, in the case of Melchisedec, the type, with the "consider" (Greek, "contemplate attentively," see on Heb 3:1, a stronger word than here) in the case of Christ, the archetype.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv5–9 5-7. First point. The lineal Levites tithe the people—even…
5-7. First point. The lineal Levites tithe the people—even though descendants of Abraham; but unlineal Melchizedek tithed and conferred blessing on Abraham himself.
5. They… of the sons of Levi—Especially Aaron’s line, to whom, within the tribe of Levi, the priesthood was limited.
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Receive—By descent recorded in the genealogical table.
A commandment—A special ordinance according to, and forming part of, the general law. Take tithes… of their brethren, of all Israelites.
Though—Exalting the Levites as tithing sons of Abraham, in order to exalt Melchizedek still higher. The Levites, indeed, tithe the Israelites, though Abraham’s sons; but Melchizedek, far greater, tithed Abraham himself.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv5–9 5. who receive the office of the priesthood] The…
5. who receive the office of the priesthood] The word used for “priesthood” is defined by Aristotle to mean “care concerning the gods.”
to take tithes of the people according to the law] Indirectly, through the agency of the Levites. Delitzsch argues that after the Exile the Priests collected the tithes themselves. It cannot however be proved that the Priests themselves tithed the people. This was done by the Levites, who gave the tithe of their tithes to the priests, Num_18:22-26, Neh_10:38. There is however no real difficulty about the expression, for the Priests might tithe the people, as Jewish tradition says that they did in the days of Ezra; and (2) Qui facit per alium facit per se. There is therefore no need to alter “the people” (laon) into Levi (Leuin). The Priests stood alone in receiving tithes and giving none.
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come out of the loins] A Hebrew expression, Gen_35:11.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv5–9 (5) They that are of the sons.—Rather, those of…
(5) They that are of the sons.—Rather, those of the sons of Levi that receive, &c. There is an apparent difficulty here. The priests, it is urged, did not receive tithes from the people; the tithe was paid to the Levites, and but the tenth part of this tithe fell to the lot of the priests. Two considerations seem entirely to remove this difficulty. (1) The question is not one of emolument, but of position. The authority to exact tithes was in strictness vested in the priests, the supreme guardians of the laws relating to all religious duties and observances, and the Levites were but their assistants. That the priests received for their own use but a part of the tribute paid by the nation is a matter of no moment here. (2) The Levites themselves paid tithes to the priests, who therefore stood alone in receiving tithes but paying none. It is the positive ordinance of the law, and nothing but this, that raises brethren above brethren, and gives to the priest this claim upon men who would otherwise be on an equality with himself through common descent from Abraham.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv5, 8, 9 Vers. 5-7. And they indeed of the song of…
Vers. 5-7. And they indeed of the song of Levi who receive the office of priesthood have commandment to receive tithes of the people according to the Law, that is, of their brethren, though these have come out of the loins of Abraham: but he whose genealogy is not counted from them hath received tithes of Abraham. As much as to say, "Let it not be said that the tithing of Abraham by Melchizedek implies no higher priestly prerogative than the tithing of Abraham"s descendants by the sons of Aaron; for there is this difference: They, in virtue only of a special ordinance of the Law, not of original right, were allowed to tithe their brethren, though descended from the same great ancestor; he, though not of them or of the race at all, in virtue of his own inherent dignity, tithes the whole race as represented in its patriarch." (We observe how, in place of the aorist edwke , used when the mere historical incident was referred to, we have here the perfect dedekatwke (as also euloghke in what follows, and dedekatwtai in ver. 9), denoting a completed act, of which the effects and significance remain; Melchizedek, who represents the priesthood after his order, being viewed in permanent relation to Abraham, who represents the chosen race.) And hath blessed him that hath (i.e. the holder of) the promises. But, without all controversy, the less is blessed of the better. The superiority evidenced by bestowal of blessing no less than by receiving of tithe having been thus noticed, the contrast with the Levitical priesthood is continued in the following verses.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain On vv5–9 5. The sons of Levi. The Aaronic priesthood, all…
5. The sons of Levi. The Aaronic priesthood, all of them of the tribe of Levi. Take tithes of the people according to the law. They require the enactment of the law in order to collect tithes of the people, their own brethren. The tithes are paid, not because of their great spiritual dignity, but because the law compels it.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v7 the lesser person is blessed by the greater person
the lesser person is blessed by the greater person
This can be stated in active form. AT: "the more important person blesses the less important person" (See: Active or Passive)
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In this case ... in that case
These phrases are used to compare the Levite priests with Melchizedek. Your language may have a way to emphasize that the author is making a comparison.
is testified that he lives on
It is never explicitly written in scripture that Melchizedek dies. The author of Hebrews speaks of this absence of information about Melchizedek's death in scripture as if it were a positive statement that he is still alive. This can be stated in active form. AT: "scripture shows that he lives on" (See: Metaphor and Active or Passive)
Levi ... was in the body of his ancestor
Since Levi had not been born yet, the author speaks of him as still being in Abraham's body. In this way, the author argues that Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek through Abraham. (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
bless
tenth
testimony
Levi
Abraham
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv5, 6, 8, 9 7:5-6a Collecting the tithe was a requirement and an…
7:5-6a Collecting the tithe was a requirement and an honor for the priests under the law of Moses (Num 18:21-32). • from the rest of the people of Israel: The reference is to the people of Israel as a whole. • Although Melchizedek was not a descendant of Levi, he collected a tenth from Abraham, the ancestor of the Levites. This demonstrates Melchizedek’s eminence over both Abraham and his descendants, including the priests (Heb 7:8-10).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.