SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:5
Que ciertamente los que de los hijos de Leví toman el sacerdocio, tienen mandamiento de tomar del pueblo los diezmos segn la Ley, es a saber, de sus hermanos aunque tambin ellos hayan salido de los lomos de Abraham.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hebrew 7:5
Verse 5. They that are of the sons of Levi] The priests who are of the posterity of the Levites, and receive the priesthood in virtue of their descent from Aaron, have authority from the law of God to receive tithes from the people. According to the law] That is, the Levites received a tenth from the people. The priests received a tenth of this tenth from the Levites, who are here called their brethren, because they were of the same tribe, and employed in the same sacred work. The apostle is proceeding to show that Melchisedec was greater even than Abraham, the head of the fathers, for to him Abraham gave tithes; and as the Levites were the posterity of Abraham, they are represented here as paying tithes to Melchisedec through him. Yet Melchisedec was not of this family, and therefore must be considered as having a more honourable priesthood than even Aaron himself; for he took the tenth from Abraham, not for his maintenance, for he was a king, but in virtue of his office as universal high priest of all that region.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. And verily they that are of the sons of Levi , etc..] Or Levites; who are of the tribe of Levi, whose descent is from him: who receive the office of the priesthood ; as some of them were priests, though not all; and the Levites therefore are sometimes called priests. R.
Joshua ben Levi says, that in twenty four places the priests are called Levites; and this is one of them, ( Ezekiel 44:15) and the priests and Levites, etc.. f106 these have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law ; the ceremonial law, ( Numbers 18:20-26), these they took of all the people of Israel in the rest of the tribes, by the commandment of God, on account of their service in the tabernacle; and because they had no inheritance in the land; and to show that the Israelites held their land of God himself: that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham ; who are their brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh, though of different tribes; and from these they receive, notwithstanding they are the sons of Abraham: but here a difficulty arises, how the Levites that were priests can be said to receive tithes from the people, when they received the tenth part of the tithes, or the tithe of tithes from the Levites, ( Numbers 18:26 Nehemiah 10:38), but it should be observed, that it was not necessary that the Levites should give these tithes to the priests themselves; an Israelite might do it, and so give the Levites the less; on which account the priests may be said to receive from the people; besides, Ezra in his time ordered, that the first tithe should not be given to the Levites, but to the priests, because they would not go up with him to Jerusalem f107 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 4-10 - That High Priest who should afterward appear, of whom Melchizedec was type, must be much superior to the Levitical priests. Observe Abraham' great dignity and happiness; that he had the promises. That man is ric and happy indeed, who has the promises, both of the life that now is and of that which is to come. This honour have all those who receiv the Lord Jesus. Let us go forth in our spiritual conflicts, trusting in his word and strength, ascribing our victories to his grace, an desiring to be met and blessed by him in all our ways.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 οι 3588 μεν 3303 εκ 1537 των 3588 υιων 5207 λευι 3017 την 3588 ιερατειαν 2405 λαμβανοντες 2983 5723 εντολην 1785 εχουσιν 2192 5719 αποδεκατουν 586 5721 τον 3588 λαον 2992 κατα 2596 τον 3588 νομον 3551 τουτ 5124 εστιν 2076 5748 τους 3588 αδελφους 80 αυτων 846 καιπερ 2539 εξεληλυθοτας 1831 5761 εκ 1537 της 3588 οσφυος 3751 αβρααμ 11
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. 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. (oi ek twn uiwn Leuei lambanontev). Those out of the sons of Levi who become priests. Not those who receive the priesthood from the sons of Levi. Not all Levites were priests, but only those of the house of Aaron.
The office of the priesthood (thn ieratian). Only here and Luke i. 9. A commandment (entolhn). A special injunction, See on Jas. ii. 8; Eph. ii. 15.
To take tithes (apodekatoin). See on ver. 4.
That is of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham. The people, the brethren of the Levites, are descended from their common ancestor, Abraham, yet the Levites exact tithes from them.
