Hebrews 7:9

Amplified Bible

A person might even say that Levi [the father of the priestly tribe] himself, who received tithes, paid tithes through Abraham [the father of all Israel and of all who believe],

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And in a sense Levi himself, who receives a tenth, has paid a tenth through Abraham,

King James Version (1611)
And as I may so say, Leui also who receiueth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

King James Version
And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

English Standard Version
One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham,

New American Standard Bible
And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, has paid tithes,

New Century Version
We might even say that Levi, who receives a tenth, also paid it when Abraham paid Melchizedek a tenth.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes,

Legacy Standard Bible
And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes,

Berean Standard Bible
And so to speak, Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham.

Contemporary English Version
Levi's descendants are now the ones who receive a tenth from people. We could even say that when Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth, Levi also gave him a tenth.

Complete Jewish Bible
One might go even further and say that Levi, who himself receives tenths, paid a tenth through Avraham;

Darby Translation
and, so to speak, through Abraham, Levi also, who received tithes, has been made to pay tithes.

Easy-to-Read Version
Now those from the family of Levi are the ones who get a tenth from the people. But we can say that when Abraham paid Melchizedek a tenth, then Levi also paid it.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And to say as the thing is, Leui also which receiueth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

George Lamsa Translation
Speaking as a man, through A''bra-ham, even Levi who received tithes, also gave tithes.

Good News Translation
And, so to speak, when Abraham paid the tenth, Levi (whose descendants collect the tenth) also paid it.

Lexham English Bible
And, so to speak, even Levi, the one who receives tithes, has paid tithes through Abraham.

Literal Translation
and as a word to say, through Abraham Levi also, the one receiving tithes, has been tithed.

American Standard Version
And, so to say, through Abraham even Levi, who receiveth tithes, hath paid tithes;

Bible in Basic English
And we may say that in Abraham, even Levi, who has a right to take the tenth part, gave it;

Hebrew Names Version
So to say, through Avraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes,

International Standard Version
One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham,

Etheridge Translation
And as one may say, by the hand of Abraham, even Levi, he who taketh tithes, himself also is tithed.

Murdock Translation
And through Abraham, as one may say, even Levi who receiveth tithes, was himself tithed.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And to say the trueth, Leuie also whiche receaueth tythes, payed tythes in Abraham.

English Revised Version
And, so to say, through Abraham even Levi, who receiveth tithes, hath paid tithes;

World English Bible
So to say, through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And even Levi, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes (so to speak) thro' Abraham.

Weymouth's New Testament
And Levi too--if I may so speak--pays tithes through Abraham:

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And that it be seid so, bi Abraham also Leuy, that took tithis, was tithid; and yit he was in his fadris leendis,

Update Bible Version
And, so to say, through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes;

Webster's Bible Translation
And as I may say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

New English Translation
And it could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid a tithe through Abraham.

New King James Version
Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak,

New Living Translation
In addition, we might even say that these Levites—the ones who collect the tithe—paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him.

New Life Bible
We might say that Levi, who receives one-tenth part, paid one-tenth part through Abraham.

New Revised Standard
One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And - so to say a word - through Abraham, even Levi who taketh tithes hath paid tithes;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And (as it may be said) even Levi who received tithes paid tithes in Abraham:

Revised Standard Version
One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And to saye the trueth Levy him silfe also which receaveth tythes payed tythes in Abraham.

Young's Literal Translation
and so to speak, through Abraham even Levi who is receiving tithes, hath paid tithes,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And to saye the trueth, Leui himselfe also which receaueth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham:

Mace New Testament (1729)
and even Levi who received tithes, pay'd tithes, if I may so say, in the person of Abraham.

Simplified Cowboy Version
You could even say those Levites who collected the tithes were kind of paying Mel a tithe because Abraham did.

Contextual Overview

¹For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ²and Abraham gave him a tenth of all [the spoil]. He is, first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, which means king of peace. ³Without [any record of] father or mother, nor ancestral line, without [any record of] beginning of days (birth) nor ending of life (death), but having been made like the Son of God, he remains a priest without interruption and without successor. ⁴Now pause and consider how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the spoils. ⁵It is true that those descendants of Levi who are charged with the priestly office are commanded in the Law to collect tithes from the people—which means, from their kinsmen—though these have descended from Abraham. ⁶But this person [Melchizedek] who is not from their Levitical ancestry received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who possessed the promises [of God]. ⁷Yet it is beyond all dispute that the lesser person is always blessed by the greater one. ⁸Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood] tithes are received by men who are subject to death; but in that case [concerning Melchizedek], they are received by one of whom it is testified that he lives on [perpetually]. ⁹A person might even say that Levi [the father of the priestly tribe] himself, who received tithes, paid tithes through Abraham [the father of all Israel and of all who believe],¹⁰for Levi was still in the loins (unborn) of his forefather [Abraham] when Melchizedek met him (Abraham).

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

payed: Hebrews 7:4, Genesis 14:20, Romans 5:12, *marg.

Reciprocal: Numbers 31:41 - Eleazar

Cross-References

Genesis 2:19
So the LORD God formed out of the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.

Genesis 7:6
Noah was six hundred years old when the flood (deluge) of water came on the earth [covering all of the land].

Genesis 7:9
they came [motivated by God] into the ark with Noah two by two, the male and the female, just as God had commanded Noah.

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, on that same day all the fountains of the great deep [subterranean waters] burst open, and the windows and floodgates of the heavens were opened.

Genesis 7:12
It rained on the earth for forty days and forty nights.

Genesis 7:16
Those which entered, male and female of all flesh (creatures), entered as God had commanded Noah; and the LORD closed the door behind him.

Isaiah 65:25
"The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox [there will no longer be predator and prey]; and dust will be the serpent's food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain (Zion)," says the LORD.

Jeremiah 8:7
"Even the stork in the sky Knows her seasons [of migration], And the turtledove, the swallow and the crane Observe the time of their return. But My people do not know The law of the LORD.

Galatians 3:28
There is [now no distinction in regard to salvation] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you [who believe] are all one in Christ Jesus [no one can claim a spiritual superiority].

Colossians 3:11
a renewal in which there is no [distinction between] Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, [nor between nations whether] barbarian or Scythian, [nor in status whether] slave or free, but Christ is all, and in all [so believers are equal in Christ, without distinction].

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And as l may so say,.... With truth, and with great propriety and pertinence:

Levi also who receiveth tithes; or the Levites, who receive tithes according to the law of Moses from the people of Israel:

paid tithes in Abraham; that is, to Melchizedek; and therefore Melchizedek must be greater than they, and his priesthood a more excellent one than theirs; since they who receive tithes from others gave tithes to him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And as I may so say - So to speak - ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν hōs epos eipein. For numerous examples in the classic writers of this expression, see Wetstein in loc. It is used precisely as it is with us when we say “so to speak,” or “if I may be allowed the expression.” It is employed when what is said is not strictly and literally true, but when it amounts to the same thing, or when about the same idea is conveyed. “It is a “softening down” of an expression which a writer supposes his readers may deem too strong, or which may have the appearance of excess or severity. It amounts to an indirect apology for employing an unusual or unexpected assertion or phrase.” “Prof. Stuart.” Here Paul could not mean that Levi had actually paid tithes in Abraham - for he had not then an existence; or that Abraham was his representative - for there had been no appointment of Abraham to act in that capacity by Levi; or that the act of Abraham was imputed or reckoned to Levi, for that was not true, and would not have been pertinent to the case if it were so. But it means, that in the circumstances of the case, the same thing occurred in regard to the superiority of Melchizedek, and the inferiority of the Levitical priesthood, as if Levi had been present with Abraham, and had himself actually paid tithes on that occasion. This was so because Abraham was the distinguished ancestor of Levi, and when an ancestor has done an act implying inferiority of rank to another, we feel as if the whole family or all the descendants, by that act recognized the inferiority, unless something occurs to change the relative rank of the persons. Here nothing indicating any such change had occurred. Melchizedek had no descendants of which mention is made, and the act of Abraham, as the head of the Hebrew race, stood therefore as if it were the act of all who descended from him.

Levi - The ancestor of the whole Levitical priesthood, and from whom they received their name. He was the third son of Jacob and Leah, and was born in Mesopotamia. On account of the conduct of Simeon and Levi toward Shechem, for the manner in which he had treated their sister Dinah Genesis 34:25, and which Jacob characterized as “cruelty” Genesis 49:5-6, Jacob said that they should be “scattered in Israel.” Genesis 49:7. Afterward the whole tribe of Levi was chosen by God to execute the various functions of the priesthood, and were “scattered” over the land, having no inheritance of their own, but deriving their subsistence from the offerings of the people; Numbers 3:6 ff. Levi is here spoken of as the ancestor of the tribe, or collectively to denote the entire Jewish priesthood.

Who receiveth tithes - That is, his descendants, the priests and Levites, receive tithes.

Payed tithes in Abraham - It is the same as if he had payed tithes in or by Abraham.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Hebrews 7:9. And as I may so say — και ως επος ειπειν. And so to speak a word. This form of speech, which is very frequent among the purest Greek writers, is generally used to soften some harsh expression, or to limit the meaning when the proposition might otherwise appear to be too general. It answers fully to our so to speak - as one would say - I had almost said - in a certain sense. Many examples of its use by Aristotle, Philo, Lucian, Josephus, Demosthenes, AEschines, and Plutarch, may be seen in Raphelius and Kypke.

Payed tithes in Abraham. — The Levites, who were descendants of Abraham, paid tithes to Melchisedec δια through, Abraham, their progenitor and representative.