Hebrews 7:5

KJV1611 – Modern English

And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brothers, though they come from the loins of Abraham:

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Λευῒ, τὴν ἱερατείαν λαμβάνοντες, ἐντολὴν ἔχουσιν ἀποδεκατοῦν τὸν λαὸν κατὰ τὸν νόμον, τοῦτʼ ἔστιν, τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς, αὐτῶν καίπερ ἐξεληλυθότας ἐκ τῆς ὀσφύος Ἀβραάμ:

Transliteration

And those men from the hyiōn Leui, the hierateian lambanontes, entolēn echousin apodekatoun the laon according to the nomon, that estin, the adelphous of them kaiper exelēlythotas from the osphyos Abraam:

Grammar Details

• *men*: postpositive particle marking first element in contrast - indeed/on one hand
• *hyiōn*: noun, genitive, masculine, plural - sons
• *Leui*: proper noun, genitive, masculine, singular
• *hierateian*: noun, accusative, feminine, singular - priesthood/priestly office
• *lambanontes*: present active participle, nominative, masculine, plural - receiving/taking
• *entolēn*: noun, accusative, feminine, singular - commandment
• *echousin*: present active indicative, 3rd person plural - they have
• *apodekatoun*: present active infinitive - to collect tithes
• *laon*: noun, accusative, masculine, singular - people
• *nomon*: noun, accusative, masculine, singular - law
• *estin*: present active indicative, 3rd person singular - is
• *adelphous*: noun, accusative, masculine, plural - brothers
• *kaiper*: concessive conjunction - although/even though
• *exelēlythotas*: perfect active participle, accusative, masculine, plural - having come out
• *osphyos*: noun, genitive, feminine, singular - loins/body
• *Abraam*: proper noun, genitive, masculine, singular

Word Meanings

• *hierateian*: priesthood/priestly office/priestly service
• *lambanontes*: receiving/taking/accepting
• *entolēn*: commandment/instruction/order
• *echousin*: have/possess/hold
• *apodekatoun*: to collect tithes/to take a tenth
• *laon*: people/nation/populace
• *adelphous*: brothers/fellow countrymen/kinsmen
• *exelēlythotas*: having come out/descended/originated
• *osphyos*: loins/body/reproductive organs

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Now the sons of Levi who receive the priesthood are commanded by the law to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers—even though they too are descendants of Abraham.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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:

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And{G2532} they indeed{G3303} {G2983} of{G1537} the sons{G5207} of Levi{G3017} that receive{G2983} the priest's office{G2405} have{G2192} commandment{G1785} to take tithes of{G586} the people{G2992} according to{G2596} the law,{G3551} that{G5124} is,{G2076} of{G80} their{G846} brethren,{G80} though{G2539} these have come out{G1831} of{G1537} the loins{G3751} of Abraham:{G11}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And{G2532} verily{G3303} they that are of{G1537} the sons{G5207} of Levi{G3017}, who{G3588} receive{G2983}{(G5723)} the office of the priesthood{G2405}, have{G2192}{(G5719)} a commandment{G1785} to take tithes{G586}{(G5721)} of the people{G2992} according to{G2596} the law{G3551}, that is{G5123}{(G5748)}, of their{G846} brethren{G80}, though{G2539} they come{G1831}{(G5761)} out of{G1537} the loins{G3751} of Abraham{G11}:

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And verely those children of levy which receave the office of the prestes have a commaundement to take a cordyng to the lawe tythes of the people that is to saye of their brethren yee though they spronge out of the loynes of Abraham.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And verely the children of Leui, whan they receaue the presthode, haue a commaundement acordynge to the lawe, to take the tithes of the people, that is to saye, of their brethre, though they also came out of the loynes of Abraham.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  For verely they which are the childre of Leui, which receiue the office of the Priesthode, haue a commaundement to take, according to the Law, tithes of the people (that is, of their bethren) though they came out of ye loynes of Abraham.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And veryly they which are of the children of Leuie, which receaue the office of the priesthood, haue a commaundement to take tythe of the people accordyng to the lawe, that is, of their brethren, though they came out of ye loynes of Abraham.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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:

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the loins of Abraham,

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and those, indeed, out of the sons of Levi receiving the priesthood, a command have to take tithes from the people according to the law, that is, their brethren, even though they came forth out of the loins of Abraham;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And they indeed of the sons of Levi that receive the priest's office have commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though these have come out of the loins of Abraham:

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And they indeed of the sons of Levi that receive the priest's office have commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though these have come out of the loins of Abraham:

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And it is true that by the law, those of the sons of Levi who have the position of priests may take a tenth part of the people's goods; that is to say, they take it from their brothers though these are the sons of Abraham.

• World English Bible (2000)

  They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham,

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  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.

Referenced Verses

• Gen 35:11 : 11 And God said to him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be from you, and kings shall come from your body;
• Gen 46:26 : 26 All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, who came from his body, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were sixty-six.
• Exod 1:5 : 5 And all the people that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was already in Egypt.
• Exod 28:1 : 1 Take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may serve Me as priest, along with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
• Lev 27:30-33 : 30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy to the LORD. 31 And if a man will at all redeem anything of his tithes, he shall add to it the fifth part thereof. 32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy to the LORD. 33 He shall not search whether it is good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he changes it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
• Num 16:10-11 : 10 And He has brought you near to Him, and all your brethren the sons of Levi with you: and do you seek the priesthood also? 11 For this cause, both you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that you complain against him?
• Num 17:3-9 : 3 And you shall write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of each ancestral house. 4 And you shall lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. 5 And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod whom I choose shall blossom: and I will put an end to the murmurings of the children of Israel against you. 6 And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a rod, one for each leader, according to their ancestral houses, twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. 7 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness. 8 And it happened that on the next day Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had budded, brought forth buds, bloomed blossoms, and produced almonds. 9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel: and they looked, and each man took his rod. 10 And the LORD said to Moses, Bring Aaron's rod back before the testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels; and you shall completely remove their murmurings from me, that they do not die.
• Num 18:7 : 7 Therefore you and your sons with you shall keep your priest's office for everything of the altar, and within the veil; and you shall serve: I have given your priest's office to you as a service of gift: and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
• Num 18:21-32 : 21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come near the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die. 23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said to them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 25 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 26 Thus speak to the Levites, and say to them, When you take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe. 27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned to you, as though it were the corn of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress. 28 Thus you also shall offer a heave offering to the LORD of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and you shall give thereof the LORD'S heave offering to Aaron the priest. 29 Out of all your gifts you shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it. 30 Therefore you shall say to them, When you have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the winepress. 31 And you shall eat it in every place, you and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation. 32 And you shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall you pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest you die.
• 1 Kgs 8:19 : 19 Nevertheless, you shall not build the house; but your son who shall come from your body, he shall build the house for my name.
• 2 Chr 31:4-6 : 4 Moreover, he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD. 5 And as soon as the commandment was spread abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things they brought in abundantly. 6 And concerning the children of Israel and Judah who dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated to the LORD their God, and laid them in heaps.
• Neh 13:10 : 10 I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, so the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had each fled to his field.
• Heb 5:4 : 4 And no man takes this honor unto himself, but only he who is called by God, as was Aaron.
• Heb 7:10 : 10 For he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.