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Tuesday, April 29th, 2025
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Hebrews 7:4

But see how great he must be, if Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of his plunder.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abraham;   Melchizedek;   Priest;   Succession;   Tithes;   Types;   Scofield Reference Index - Sacrifice;   Thompson Chain Reference - Patriarchs;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Types of Christ;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Melchizedek;   Priest;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abraham;   Melchizedek;   Tithes;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Fulfillment;   Priest, Christ as;   Tithe, Tithing;   Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Covenant;   Offices of Christ;   Patriarchs;   Preaching;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Patriarch;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Heaven;   Hebrews, the Epistle to the;   Patriarchs;   Tithes;   Zechariah, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Christ, Christology;   Hebrews;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hebrews, Epistle to;   Melchizedek;   Quotations;   Tithes;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Family;   Hebrews Epistle to the;   Mediator;   Patriarch ;   Priest (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Melchisedec, Melchizedek ;   Patriarch;   Tithes;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Paul;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Melchizedek;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Great;   Hebrews, Epistle to the;   Patriarch;   Priest, High;   Priesthood in the New Testament;   Tithe;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Now consider how great this man was: even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the plunder to him.
King James Version (1611)
Now consider how great this man was, vnto who euen the patriarch Abraham gaue the tenth of the spoiles.
King James Version
Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
English Standard Version
See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils!
New American Standard Bible
Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.
New Century Version
You can see how great Melchizedek was. Abraham, the great father, gave him a tenth of everything that he won in battle.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the spoils.
Berean Standard Bible
Consider how great Melchizedek was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him the first tenth of the plunder.
Contemporary English Version
Notice how great Melchizedek is! Our famous ancestor Abraham gave him a tenth of what he had taken from his enemies.
Complete Jewish Bible
Just think how great he was! Even the Patriarch Avraham gave him a tenth of the choicest spoils.
Darby Translation
Now consider how great this [personage] was, to whom [even] the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth out of the spoils.
Easy-to-Read Version
You can see that Melchizedek was very great. Abraham, our great ancestor, gave him a tenth of everything he won in battle.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe consider how great this man was, vnto whome euen the Patriarke Abraham gaue the tithe of the spoyles.
George Lamsa Translation
Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave tithes and paid head tax.
Good News Translation
You see, then, how great he was. Abraham, our famous ancestor, gave him one tenth of all he got in the battle.
Lexham English Bible
But see how great this man was, to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth from the spoils!
Literal Translation
Now behold how great this one was , to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils;
Amplified Bible
Now pause and consider how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the spoils.
American Standard Version
Now consider how great this man was, unto whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the chief spoils.
Bible in Basic English
Now see how great this man was, to whom our father Abraham gave a tenth part of what he had got in the fight.
Hebrew Names Version
Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Avraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best spoils.
International Standard Version
Just look at how great this man was! Even Abraham - the patriarch himself - gave him a tenth of what he had captured!Genesis 14:20;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
But see how great this (person was,) that Abraham, head of the fathers, gave to him the tenths and the choicest things.
Murdock Translation
And consider ye, how great he was; to whom the patriarch Abraham gave tithes and first-fruits.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Nowe consider howe great this [man] was, vnto whom also the patriarche Abraham gaue tythe of the spoyles.
English Revised Version
Now consider how great this man was, unto whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the chief spoils.
World English Bible
Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best spoils.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils,
Weymouth's New Testament
Now think how great this priest-king must have been to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth part of the best of the spoil.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But biholde ye how greet is this, to whom Abraham the patriark yaf tithis of the beste thingis.
Update Bible Version
Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the chief spoils.
Webster's Bible Translation
Now consider how great this man [was], to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
New King James Version
Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils.
New 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.
New Life Bible
We can see how great Melchizedek was. Abraham gave him one-tenth part of all he had taken in the war.
New Revised Standard
See how great he is! Even Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth of the spoils.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now consider, how great, this man was, to whom, a tenth, Abraham gave out of the choicest spoils, Yea Abraham the Patriarch.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now consider how great this man is, to whom also Abraham the patriarch gave tithes out of the principal things.
Revised Standard Version
See how great he is! Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of the spoils.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Consyder what a man this was vnto who the patriarke Abraham gave tythes of the spoyles.
Young's Literal Translation
And see how great this one [is], to whom also a tenth Abraham the patriarch did give out of the best of the spoils,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But cosider how greate a man this was, to whom the Patriarke Abraham gaue tithes of the spoyles.
Mace New Testament (1729)
Now consider the dignity of this person, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
THE MESSAGE
You realize just how great Melchizedek is when you see that Father Abraham gave him a tenth of the captured treasure. Priests descended from Levi are commanded by law to collect tithes from the people, even though they are all more or less equals, priests and people, having a common father in Abraham. But this man, a complete outsider, collected tithes from Abraham and blessed him, the one to whom the promises had been given. In acts of blessing, the lesser is blessed by the greater.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Now, old Mel was a great cowboy and y'all need to chew on this for a minute. Even Abraham, God's chosen man to be the first of his people, saw how great Mel was and showed his respect by giving him ten percent of the plunder he'd won.

Contextual Overview

1 Now this Melchizedek , king of Salem , priest of the most high God , met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him . 2 To him also Abraham apportioned a tithe of everything . His name first means king of righteousness, then king of Salem , that is, king of peace. 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, he has neither beginning of days nor end of life but is like the son of God, and he remains a priest for all time. 4 But see how great he must be, if Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of his plunder. 5 And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have authorization according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen, although they too are descendants of Abraham. 6 But Melchizedek who does not share their ancestry collected a tithe from Abraham and blessed the one who possessed the promise. 7 Now without dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior, 8 and in one case tithes are received by mortal men, while in the other by him who is affirmed to be alive. 9 And it could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid a tithe through Abraham. 10 For he was still in his ancestor Abraham's loins when Melchizedek met him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the patriarch: Acts 2:29, Acts 7:8, Acts 7:9

Abraham: Genesis 12:2, Genesis 17:5, Genesis 17:6, Romans 4:11-13, Romans 4:17, Romans 4:18, Galatians 3:28, Galatians 3:29, James 2:23

gave: Genesis 14:20

Reciprocal: Numbers 31:41 - Eleazar Zechariah 6:12 - behold 2 Timothy 2:7 - Consider Hebrews 7:6 - received Hebrews 7:9 - payed

Cross-References

Genesis 2:5
Now no shrub of the field had yet grown on the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground.
Genesis 6:3
So the Lord said, "My spirit will not remain in humankind indefinitely, since they are mortal. They will remain for 120 more years."
Genesis 6:7
So the Lord said, "I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—everything from humankind to animals, including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them."
Genesis 6:13
So God said to Noah, "I have decided that all living creatures must die, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Now I am about to destroy them and the earth.
Genesis 6:17
I am about to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy from under the sky all the living creatures that have the breath of life in them. Everything that is on the earth will die,
Genesis 7:10
And after seven days the floodwaters engulfed the earth.
Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month—on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.
Genesis 7:12
And the rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.
Genesis 7:17
The flood engulfed the earth for forty days. As the waters increased, they lifted the ark and raised it above the earth.
Genesis 7:21
And all living things that moved on the earth died, including the birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all humankind.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now consider how great this man was,.... Melchizedek, of whom so many great and wonderful things are said in the preceding verses: and as follows,

unto whom the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils; of Abraham's giving tithes to him, :- and Melchizedek's greatness is aggravated, not only from this act of Abraham's, but from Abraham's being a "patriarch", who did it; he was the patriarch of patriarchs, as the sons of Jacob are called, Acts 7:8 he is the patriarch of the whole Jewish nation, and of many nations, and of all believers, the friend of God, and heir of the world; how great then must Melchizedek be, to whom he paid tithes? and how much greater must Christ, the antitype of Melchizedek, be?

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Now consider how great this man was - The object of the apostle was to exalt the rank and dignity of Melchizedek. The Jews had a profound veneration for Abraham, and if it could be shown that Melchizedek was superior to Abraham, then it would be easy to demonstrate the superiority of Christ as a priest to all who descended from Abraham. Accordingly he argues, that he to whom even the patriarch Abraham showed so much respect, must have had an exalted rank. Abraham, according to the views of the East, the illustrious ancestor of the Jewish nation, was regarded as superior to any of his posterity, and of course was to be considered as of higher rank and dignity than the Levitical priests who were descended from him.

Even the patriarch Abraham - One so great as he is acknowledged to have been. On the word “patriarch,” see the notes on Acts 2:29. It occurs only in Acts 2:29; Acts 7:8-9, and in this place.

Gave the tenth of the spoils - see the notes, Hebrews 7:2. The argument here is, that Abraham acknowledged the superiority of Melchizedek by thus devoting the usual part of the spoils of war, or of what was possessed, to God by his hands, as the priest of the Most High. Instead of making a direct consecration by himself, he brought them to him as a minister of religion, and recognized in him one who had a higher official standing in the matter of religion than himself. The Greek word rendered here “spoils” - ἀκροθίνιον akrothinion - means literally, “the top of the heap,” from ἄκρον akron, “top,” and θίν thin, “heap.” The Greeks were accustomed, after a battle, to collect the spoils together, and throw them into a pile, and then, before they were distributed, to take off a portion from the top, and devote it to the gods; Xen. Cyro. 7, 5, 35; Herod. i. 86, 90; 8:121, 122; Dion. Hal. ii. In like manner it was customary to place the harvest in a heap, and as the first thing to take off a portion from the top to consecrate as a thank-offering to God. The word then came to denote the “first-fruits” which were offered to God, and then the best of the spoils of battle. It has that sense here, and denotes the spoils or plunder which Abraham had taken of the discomfited kings.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Hebrews 7:4. Consider how great this man was — There is something exceedingly mysterious in the person and character of this king of Salem; and to find out the whole is impossible. He seems to have been a sort of universal priest, having none superior to him in all that region; and confessedly superior even to Abraham himself, the father of the faithful, and the source of the Jewish race. See Hebrews 7:7.

The patriarch Abraham — ο πατριαρχης. Either from πατηρ, a father, and αρχη, a chief or head; or from πατριας αρχη, the head of a family.' But the title is here applied, by way of eminence, to him who was the head or chief of all the fathers-or patriarch of the patriarchs, and father of the faithful. The Syriac translates it [Syriac] Rish Abahatha, "head of the fathers." The character and conduct of Abraham place him, as a man, deservedly at the head of the human race.


 
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