Hebrews 7:4-9

7:4 But see how great he must be, if ¹  Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe ²  of his plunder. 7:5 And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office ³  have authorization according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen, ⁴  although they too are descendants of Abraham. ⁵  7:6 But Melchizedek ⁶  who does not share their ancestry ⁷  collected a tithe ⁸  from Abraham and blessed ⁹  the one who possessed the promise. 7:7 Now without dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior, 7:8 and in one case tithes are received by mortal men, while in the other by him who is affirmed to be alive. 7:9 And it could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid a tithe through Abraham.

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¹ tn Grk “to whom.”

² tn Or “a tenth part.”

³ tn Or “the priesthood.”

⁴ tn Grk “from their brothers.” See BDAG 18-19 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.b.

⁵ tn Grk “have come from the loins of Abraham.”

⁶ tn Grk “the one”; in the translation the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified for clarity.

⁷ tn Grk “is not descended from them.”

⁸ tn Or “a tenth part.”

⁹ sn The verbs “collected…and blessed” emphasize the continuing effect of the past actions, i.e., Melchizedek’s importance.