for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
Parallel translations
- WEB for he was yet in the body of his father when Melchizedek met him.
- KJV For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
- BSB For when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the loin of his ancestor.
- NASB for he was still in the loins of his forefather when Melchizedek met him.
- NLT For although Levi wasn’t born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham’s body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Levi was still 'in the body' of his ancestor Abraham when Melchizedek met him. As an unborn descendant, Levi was included in Abraham's act of tithing.
Overview
The writer explains how Levi tithed through Abraham: he was yet unborn, present in his forefather's loins. This solidarity of descendant with ancestor was a familiar mode of biblical reasoning. The point stands that the Levitical priesthood, through Abraham, acknowledged the greater priesthood of Melchizedek, which Christ fulfills.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Gen 35:11God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body.
- Gen 46:26All the souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were his direct offspring, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were sixty-six.
- Heb 7:5They 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,
- 1 Kgs 8:19Nevertheless, you shall not build the house; but your son who shall come out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.’
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Christ at the center
Hebrews is sustained worship of Christ: better than angels, Moses, and the priests; the great High Priest after Melchizedek who by one sacrifice perfects forever those he saves.
How Hebrews 7:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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