^7:4But see how great he must be, if⁶ Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe⁷ of his plunder. ^7:5And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office⁸ have authorization according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen,⁹ although they too are descendants of Abraham.¹⁰^7:6But Melchizedek¹¹ who does not share their ancestry¹² collected a tithe¹³ from Abraham and blessed¹⁴ the one who possessed the promise.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

6 Grk “to whom.”
7 Or “a tenth part.”
8 Or “the priesthood.”
9 Grk “from their brothers.” See ἀδελφός 2.b.
10 Grk “have come from the loins of Abraham.”
11 Grk “the one”; in the translation the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified for clarity.
12 Grk “is not descended from them.”
13 Or “a tenth part.”
14 The verbs “collected … and blessed” emphasize the continuing effect of the past actions, i.e., Melchizedek’s importance.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 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. But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Just 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. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Now consider how great this man was: even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the plunder to him. The sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have a command according to the law to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers and sisters—though they have also descended from Abraham. But one without this lineage collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.

NLTNew Living Translation

Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle. 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. But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

But see how great this man was, to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth from the spoils! And indeed those of the sons of Levi who receive the priesthood have a commandment to collect a tenth from the people according to the law, that is, from their brothers, although they are descended from Abraham. But the one who did not trace his descent from them collected tithes from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.

KJV 1900King James Version

Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. 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: But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

Public Domain