Hebrews 7:5

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:
• 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;
• New Living Translation (NLT)Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham.

Context of Hebrews 7:5

3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. 4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 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. 6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater.

Hebrews 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 no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.
• Exodus 28:1“Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests.
• Numbers 16:10He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too.
• Numbers 17:3On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe.
• Numbers 18:7But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”
• Leviticus 27:30“ ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.
• Numbers 18:26“Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.
• 2 Chronicles 31:4He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the Lord.
• Nehemiah 13:10I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields.
• Hebrews 7:10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
• Genesis 35:11And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.
• Genesis 46:26All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons.
• Exodus 1:5The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt.
• 1 Kings 8:19Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’

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

• Abraham
• Melchizedek
• Priest
• Succession
• Tithes
• Types

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Levi
• Abraham, Abram
• Levi, Levite
• Matthew, Levi
• Attendance
• Brother
• Harmless
• Melchizedek
• Separate

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