but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises.
Parallel translations
- KJV But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
- BSB But Melchizedek, who did not trace his descent from Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
- NKJV but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
- NASB But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.
- NLT 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.
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
Melchizedek, though not descended from Levi, received tithes from Abraham and blessed the man who held God's promises. He stands above even the bearer of the promises.
Overview
Unlike the Levites who tithe within their own lineage, Melchizedek, an outsider to that line, received Abraham's tithe and pronounced blessing on him. Since Abraham held God's covenant promises, Melchizedek's blessing of him signals his superior standing. This advances the argument that Melchizedek's order surpasses the Levitical priesthood.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Rom 4:13For the promise to Abraham and to his offspring that he should be heir of the world wasn’t through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
- Gen 17:4–8“As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.
- Gen 13:14–17Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,
- Heb 7:3–4without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains a priest continually.
- Heb 11:17By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his one and only son,
- Rom 9:4who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises;
- Gen 22:17–18that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies.
- Gen 12:2I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.
- Gen 14:19–20He blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth:
- Gal 3:16Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. He doesn’t say, “To descendants ”, as of many, but as of one, “To your offspring ”, which is Christ.
- Heb 6:13–15For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself,
- Acts 3:25You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘In your offspring will all the families of the earth be blessed.’
- Heb 7:1For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
- Gen 12:13Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”
- Heb 11:13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 7:6 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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