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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Hebrews 7:7

Now without dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Melchizedek;   Priest;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Blessing;   Tithes;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Blessing;   Fulfillment;   Priest, Christ as;   Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Covenant;   Offices of Christ;   Preaching;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Blessing;   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;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Hebrews Epistle to the;   Mediator;   Priest (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Blessing;   Melchisedec, Melchizedek ;   Tithes;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Paul;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Contradiction;   Hebrews, Epistle to the;   Priest, High;   Priesthood in the New Testament;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Without a doubt, the inferior is blessed by the superior.
King James Version (1611)
And without all contradiction, the lesse is blessed of the better.
King James Version
And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
English Standard Version
It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
New American Standard Bible
But without any dispute the lesser person is blessed by the greater.
New Century Version
Now everyone knows that the more important person blesses the less important person.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.
Legacy Standard Bible
But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.
Berean Standard Bible
And indisputably, the lesser is blessed by the greater.
Contemporary English Version
Everyone agrees that a person who gives a blessing is greater than the one who receives the blessing.
Complete Jewish Bible
and it is beyond all dispute that the one who blesses has higher status than the one who receives the blessing.
Darby Translation
But beyond all gainsaying, the inferior is blessed by the better.
Easy-to-Read Version
And everyone knows that the more important person always blesses the less important person.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And without all contradiction the lesse is blessed of the greater.
George Lamsa Translation
Beyond dispute: he who was less was blessed by him who was greater than himself.
Good News Translation
There is no doubt that the one who blesses is greater than the one who is blessed.
Lexham English Bible
Now without any dispute the inferior is blessed by the more prominent.
Literal Translation
But without contradiction, the lesser is blessed by the better.
Amplified Bible
Yet it is beyond all dispute that the lesser person is always blessed by the greater one.
American Standard Version
But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.
Bible in Basic English
But there is no doubt that the less gets his blessing from the greater.
Hebrew Names Version
But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.
International Standard Version
It is beyond dispute that the less important person is blessed by the more important person.
Etheridge Translation
But, without controversy, he who is less is blessed by one who is Greater than himself.
Murdock Translation
But it is beyond controversy, that the inferior is blessed by his superior.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And without all controuersie, the lesse is blessed of the better.
English Revised Version
But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.
World English Bible
But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And without all contradiction, the less is blessed of the greater.
Weymouth's New Testament
And beyond all dispute it is always the inferior who is blessed by the superior.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
With outen ony ayenseiyng, that that is lesse, is blessid of the betere.
Update Bible Version
But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.
Webster's Bible Translation
And without all contradiction the less is blessed by the better.
New King James Version
Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.
New Living Translation
And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed.
New Life Bible
The one who shows respect is always greater than the one who receives it.
New Revised Standard
It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, apart from all gainsaying, the less, by the greater, is blessed.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And without all contradiction, that which is less is blessed by the better.
Revised Standard Version
It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And no man denyeth but that which is lesse receaveth blessinge of yt which is greater.
Young's Literal Translation
and apart from all controversy, the less by the better is blessed --
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now is it so without all naysayenge, that the lesse receaueth blessynge of ye better.
Mace New Testament (1729)
now 'tis past dispute, he that is blessed is inferior to him that blesses:
Simplified Cowboy Version
So if you're following along, consider this, the one who does the blessing is greater than the one who gets the blessing.

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

without: 1 Timothy 3:16

the less: Hebrews 11:20, Hebrews 11:21, Genesis 27:20-40, Genesis 28:1-4, Genesis 47:7-10, Genesis 48:15-20, Genesis 49:28, Numbers 6:23-27, Deuteronomy 32:1, 2 Samuel 6:20, 1 Kings 8:55, 2 Chronicles 30:27, Luke 24:50, Luke 24:51, 2 Corinthians 13:14

Reciprocal: Genesis 14:19 - he blessed Genesis 47:10 - General Exodus 40:15 - everlasting Leviticus 9:22 - his hand Joshua 22:6 - General 1 Chronicles 16:2 - he blessed Isaiah 9:16 - led of them Luke 2:34 - blessed

Cross-References

Genesis 6:18
but I will confirm my covenant with you. You will enter the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you.
Genesis 7:1
The Lord said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, for I consider you godly among this generation.
Genesis 7:13
On that very day Noah entered the ark, accompanied by his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, along with his wife and his sons' three wives.
Genesis 7:15
Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life came into the ark to Noah.
Proverbs 22:3
A shrewd person sees danger and hides himself, but the naive keep right on going and suffer for it.
Matthew 24:38
For in those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark.
Luke 17:27
People were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage—right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
Hebrews 6:18
so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie.
Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
1 Peter 3:20
after they were disobedient long ago when God patiently waited in the days of Noah as an ark was being constructed. In the ark a few, that is eight souls, were delivered through water.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the greater. This is a self-evident truth, and is undeniable; it admits of no controversy, and cannot be gainsaid, that he that blesseth is greater in that respect than he that is blessed by him; as the priests were greater in their office than the people who were blessed by them; and so Melchizedek, as a priest of the most high God, and as blessing Abraham, was greater than he; and so must be greater than the Levites, who sprung from him; and his priesthood be more excellent than theirs; and consequently Christ, his antitype, and who was of his order, must be greater too; which is the design of the apostle throughout the whole of his reasoning.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And without all contradiction - It is an admitted principle; a point about which there can be no dispute.

The less is blessed of the better - The act of pronouncing a blessing is understood to imply superiority of rank, age, or station. So when a father lays his hand on his children and blesses them, it is understood to be the act of one superior in age, venerableness, and authority; when a prophet pronounced a blessing on the people, the same thing was understood, and the same is true also when a minister of religion pronounces a blessing on a congregation. It is the act of one who is understood to sustain an office above the people on whom the blessing is pronounced. This was understood of the Saviour when parents brought their children to him to lay his hands on them and bless them Matthew 19:13; and the same was true of Jacob when dying he blessed the sons of Joseph; Hebrews 11:21; Genesis 48:5-20. The word “less” here means the one of inferior rank; who is less in office, honor, or age. It does not imply inferiority of moral or religious character, for this is not the point under consideration. The word “better” means one who is of superior office or rank, not one who has necessarily a purer or holier character. That Melchizedek was thus superior to Abraham, Paul says, is implied by the very declaration that he “blessed him.” It is also seen to be true by the whole comparison. Abraham was a petty prince; an “Emir” - the head of a company of Nomades, or migratory shepherds, having, it is true, a large number of dependants, but still not having the rank here given to Melchizedek. Though called “a prophet” Genesis 20:7, yet he is nowhere called either a priest or a king. In these respects, it was undoubted that he was inferior to Melchizedek.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Hebrews 7:7. The less is blessed of the better. — That the superior blesses the inferior is a general proposition; but Abraham was blessed of Melchisedec, therefore Melchisedec was greater than Abraham. "The blessing here spoken of," says Dr. Macknight, "is not the simple wishing of good to others, which may be done by inferiors to superiors; but it is the action of a person authorized to declare God's intention to bestow good things on another. In this manner Isaac and Jacob blessed their children under a prophetic impulse; in this manner the priests under the law blessed the people; in this manner, likewise, Melchisedec, the priest of the most high God, blessed Abraham."


 
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