And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a crucial point often missed: even though the priests were Levites, and thus technically "brethren" descended from Abraham like everyone else, the Law commanded people to give them tithes. This shows that God's law itself established a hierarchy, setting some apart for special service, which makes Melchizedek's receiving tithes from Abraham—who stood at the very head of this lineage—even more significant.
And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The author is building a case that Jesus' priesthood is superior to the Levitical priesthood. He first establishes Melchizedek's superiority over Abraham by highlighting that Abraham paid him tithes, even though the Levitical priests, who descended from Abraham, had the right to receive tithes from their fellow Israelites. This shows that even within Abraham's lineage, there was a hierarchy that pointed to someone even greater.
The Old Testament Law had a clear system for who received tithes. But did the priests themselves collect them directly from everyone?
The text here points to a specific aspect of the Levitical system: the priests' right to receive tithes. While it's true that the Levites (who were descendants of Levi) were the ones primarily tasked with collecting tithes from the people, the priests (who were a subset of the Levites, specifically from Aaron's line) also held a recognized position in this system.
The verse highlights that the Levites received tithes from 'their brothers' who were also descendants of Abraham. What does this 'brotherhood' reveal about the argument being made?
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The phrase 'from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham' is crucial. It emphasizes that even within the same extended family of Abraham, there was a divinely appointed hierarchy. The Levites, blessed by their special priestly role, were set above their kinsmen who weren't priests.
Understand the original words
Leui · Greek Proper Noun
The tribe of Israel set apart by God for temple service and sacrificial duties. They functioned as mediators between God and the people under the Mosaic Law.
nomos · Greek Noun
The divine directive given through Moses regarding the worship, sacrifices, and behavioral conduct of Israel. It established the requirements for the Levitical priesthood.
The New Testament author uses the established Old Testament practice of tithes, given by the people and Levites to the Aaronic priests, to highlight a key point: even this divinely ordained system, with its built-in hierarchy, ultimately points to someone even greater.
c. 1446 BC
Mosaic Law Given at Sinai
God establishes the Law through Moses, including specific instructions for the Levitical priesthood and the practice of tithing to support them and the tabernacle.
c. 1446 BC
Establishment of Levitical Priesthood
Aaron and his descendants are consecrated as priests, with the rest of the tribe of Levi serving them. The Law dictates that the people, including other Levites, are to give tithes to the priests and Levites.
c. 1000 BC
Davidic Kingdom and Temple Priesthood
Under King David, the worship system is further organized, solidifying the roles and duties of the priests and Levites serving in the tabernacle and later the Jerusalem Temple.
c. 722 BC
Northern Kingdom Exiled
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, leading to the exile of many Israelites and the disruption of their religious practices and support for the priesthood.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Levitical priesthood in its established form and leading to the exile of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 538 BC
Return from Exile
Following the Babylonian exile, some Jewish people return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding the Temple, but the specific structures and full functioning of the Levitical priesthood are gradually re-established over decades.
1st Century AD— this verse
New Testament Period
During the time of Jesus and the early church, the Levitical priesthood and Temple system are still functioning, but the Book of Hebrews argues for their obsolescence and the superiority of Christ's eternal priesthood.
This passage directly establishes the Old Testament law for the Levites to receive tithes from the people of Israel, which is the practice the author of Hebrews is referencing in verse 5.
Deuteronomy 14:22-29This text further details the command to tithe, explaining its purpose for the Levites and the poor, providing additional context to the system described in Hebrews 7:5.
Genesis 14:18-20This is the foundational story where Abraham gives tithes to Melchizedek, highlighting the ancient precedent of tithing and blessing that the author of Hebrews uses to argue for Melchizedek's superiority over Abraham and the Levitical priesthood.
Malachi 3:8-10This prophetic passage speaks about the people failing to tithe and the consequences, showing the enduring importance and divine command behind tithing throughout Israel's history, underscoring the significance of the practice mentioned in Hebrews.
Matthew 23:23Jesus himself criticizes the Pharisees for neglecting 'the more weighty matters of the law' like justice and mercy, while still tithing their herbs, showing that tithing was a recognized and expected practice, even if sometimes performed with the wrong heart.
ellicottHebrews 7:5: "And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:"
(5) They that are of the sons. —Rather, those of the sons of Levi that receive, &c. There is an apparent difficulty here. The priests, it is urged, did not receive tithes from the people; the tithe was paid to the Levites, and but the tenth part of thi…
vincentHebrews 7:5: "And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:"
If Melchisedec was greater than Abraham, he was greater than Abraham's descendants, including the tribe of Levi.They that are of the sons of Levi who receive, etc. (οἱ ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Λευεὶ λαμβάνοντες)Those out of the sons of Levi who become priest…
The verse highlights a crucial point often missed: even though the priests were Levites, and thus technically "brethren" descended from Abraham like everyone else, the Law commanded people to give them tithes. This shows that God's law itself established a hierarchy, setting some apart for special service, which makes Melchizedek's receiving tithes from Abraham—who stood at the very head of this lineage—even more significant.
The author is building a case that Jesus' priesthood is superior to the Levitical priesthood. He first establishes Melchizedek's superiority over Abraham by highlighting that Abraham paid him tithes, even though the Levitical priests, who descended from Abraham, had the right to receive tithes from their fellow Israelites. This shows that even within Abraham's lineage, there was a hierarchy that pointed to someone even greater.
The author is building a case that Jesus' priesthood is superior to the Levitical priesthood. He first establishes Melchizedek's superiority over Abraham by highlighting that Abraham paid him tithes, even though the Levitical priests, who descended from Abraham, had the right to receive tithes from their fellow Israelites. This shows that even within Abraham's lineage, there was a hierarchy that pointed to someone even greater.
"And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham." — The verse highlights a crucial point often missed: even though the priests were Levites, and thus technically "brethren" descended from Abraham like everyone else, the Law commanded people to give…
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Last reviewed October 2026