Amplified Bible
Hebrews 7:5
5It is true that those descendants of Levi who are charged with the priestly office are commanded in the Law to collect tithes from the people—which means, from their kinsmen—though these have descended from Abraham.
Hebrews 7:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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:
- New International Version (NIV)Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham;
Context of Hebrews 7:5
3Without [any record of] father or mother, nor ancestral line, without [any record of] beginning of days (birth) nor ending of life (death), but having been made like the Son of God, he remains a priest without interruption and without successor. 4Now pause and consider how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the spoils. It is true that those descendants of Levi who are charged with the priestly office are commanded in the Law to collect tithes from the people—which means, from their kinsmen—though these have descended from Abraham. 6But this person [Melchizedek] who is not from their Levitical ancestry received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who possessed the promises [of God]. 7Yet it is beyond all dispute that the lesser person is always blessed by the greater one.
Read all of Hebrews 7Hebrews 7:5 word by word
καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Λευὶ τὴν ἱερατείαν λαμβάνοντες ἐντολὴν ἔχουσιν ἀποδεκατοῦν τὸν λαὸν κατὰ τὸν νόμον, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν, καίπερ ἐξεληλυθότας ἐκ τῆς ὀσφύος Ἀβραάμ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- verilyμένmen · on the other handG3303
- they that areλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- the sonsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the sonsυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- of LeviΛευΐLeui · LeviG3017
- the office of the priesthoodἱερατείαhierateia · priesthoodG2405
- haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- a commandmentἐντολήentolē · commandmentG1785
- to take tithes ofἀποδεκατόωapodekatoō · to titheG586
- the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
- according toκατάkata · according toG2596
- the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
- thatοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- ofἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- thoughκαίπερkaiper · althoughG2539
- they come outἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
- the loinsὀσφῦςosphus · loinsG3751
- of AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
Cross-references for Hebrews 7:5
- Hebrews 5:4And besides, one does not appropriate for himself the honor [of being high priest], but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.
- Exodus 28:1“Now bring your brother Aaron near, and his sons with him from among the sons of Israel, so that he may serve as priest to Me—Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
- Numbers 16:10and that He has brought you near [to Him], Korah and all your brothers, sons of Levi with you? Would you seek the priesthood also?
- Numbers 17:3and write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi [his ancestor]; for there is one rod for the head of each of their fathers’ households.
- Numbers 18:7Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar [of burnt offering and the altar of incense] and [of the Holy of Holies] within the veil, and you are to serve. I am giving you the priesthood as a bestowed service, but the stranger (outsider, layman) who approaches shall be put to death.”
- Leviticus 27:30‘And all the tithe (tenth part) of the land, whether the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.
- Numbers 18:26“Moreover, you shall speak to the Levites and say to them, ‘When you take from the Israelites the tithe which I have given to you from them as your inheritance, then you shall present an offering from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe [paid by the people].
- 2 Chronicles 31:4He also told (ordered) the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion that was due to the priests and Levites, so that they might [be free to] devote themselves to the Law of the Lord.
- Nehemiah 13:10I also discovered that the portions due the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone away, each one back to his own field.
- Hebrews 7:10for Levi was still in the loins (unborn) of his forefather [Abraham] when Melchizedek met him (Abraham).
- Genesis 35:11And God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall be born of your loins.
- Genesis 46:26All the persons who came with Jacob into Egypt—who were his direct descendants, not counting the wives of [Jacob or] Jacob’s sons, were sixty-six persons in all,
- Exodus 1:5All the descendants of Jacob were seventy people; Joseph was [already] in Egypt.
- 1 Kings 8:19Nevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son, who shall be born to you, it is he who shall build it for My Name [and My Presence].’
Commentaries on Hebrews 7:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5They 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…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-10Verses 4-10 That High Priest who should afterward appear, of whom Melchizedec was a type, must be much superior to the Levitical priests. Observe Abraham's great dignity and happiness; that he had the promises. That man is rich and happy indeed, who has the promises, both of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This honour have all those who receive the Lord Jesus. Let us go forth in our spiritual conflicts, trusting in his word and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-6Collecting the tithe was both a duty and an honor for the priests under the law of Moses (Numbers 18:21–32). from the people: This refers to all the people of Israel. Although Melchizedek was not a descendant of Levi, he collected a tenth from Abraham, the ancestor of the Levites. This shows Melchizedek’s greater status over both Abraham and his descendants, including the priests (Hebrews 7:8–10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. 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 (He 9:19). 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Hebrews 7:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hebrews 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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