Hebrews 7:8
New International Version
In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.

New Living Translation
The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on.

English Standard Version
In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.

Berean Standard Bible
In the case of the Levites, mortal men collect the tenth; but in the case of Melchizedek, it is affirmed that he lives on.

Berean Literal Bible
And indeed here, dying men receive tithes; but in that place, it is testified that he lives on;

King James Bible
And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

New King James Version
Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

New American Standard Bible
In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.

NASB 1995
In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.

NASB 1977
And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.

Legacy Standard Bible
And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.

Amplified Bible
Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood] tithes are received by men who are subject to death; but in that case [concerning Melchizedek], they are received by one of whom it is testified that he lives on [perpetually].

Christian Standard Bible
In the one case, men who will die receive a tenth, but in the other case, Scripture testifies that he lives.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
In the one case, men who will die receive tenths, but in the other case, Scripture testifies that he lives.

American Standard Version
And here men that die receive tithes; but there one, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

Contemporary English Version
Priests are given a tenth of what people earn. But all priests die, except Melchizedek, and the Scriptures teach that he is alive.

English Revised Version
And here men that die receive tithes; but there one, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Priests receive a tenth of everything, but they die. Melchizedek received a tenth of everything, but we are told that he lives.

Good News Translation
In the case of the priests the tenth is collected by men who die; but as for Melchizedek the tenth was collected by one who lives, as the scripture says.

International Standard Version
Mortal men collect tithes, but we are informed by Scripture that Melchizedek keeps on living.

Majority Standard Bible
In the case of the Levites, mortal men collect the tenth; but in the case of Melchizedek, it is affirmed that he lives on.

NET Bible
and in one case tithes are received by mortal men, while in the other by him who is affirmed to be alive.

New Heart English Bible
Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives.

Webster's Bible Translation
And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is testified that he liveth.

Weymouth New Testament
Moreover here frail mortal men receive tithes: there one receives them about whom there is evidence that he is alive.

World English Bible
Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and here, indeed, men who die receive tithes, and there [he] who is testified to that he was living,

Berean Literal Bible
And indeed here, dying men receive tithes; but in that place, it is testified that he lives on;

Young's Literal Translation
and here, indeed, men who die do receive tithes, and there he, who is testified to that he was living,

Smith's Literal Translation
And here truly dying men receive tenths; but there he, bearing witness that he lives.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And here indeed, men that die, receive thithes: but there he hath witness, that he liveth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And certainly, here, men who receive tithes still die; but there, he bears witness that he lives.

New American Bible
In the one case, mortal men receive tithes; in the other, a man of whom it is testified that he lives on.

New Revised Standard Version
In the one case, tithes are received by those who are mortal; in the other, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And here mortal men receive tithes; but there he, of whom the scripture testifies that he lives, receives them.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And here the children of men who die receive tithes, but there, he about whom the Scriptures testify that he lives.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And in the one instance, men that die receive tithes; but in the other, he receives them who has the testimony that he lives.

Godbey New Testament
And here indeed men dying, receive tithes; however there, he is witnessed to that he lives.

Haweis New Testament
And here indeed dying men receive the tithes, but there he hath a testimony borne to him that he liveth.

Mace New Testament
besides here they that receive tithes are men who die: but there 'twas he of whom it is testified that he liveth.

Weymouth New Testament
Moreover here frail mortal men receive tithes: there one receives them about whom there is evidence that he is alive.

Worrell New Testament
And here, indeed, men who die receive tithes; but there, one received them who receives witness that he lives.

Worsley New Testament
besides, here men that die receive tithes; but there he of whom it is testified that he liveth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Melchizedek and Abraham
7And indisputably, the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 In the case of the Levites, mortal men collect the tenth; but in the case of Melchizedek, it is affirmed that he lives on. 9And so to speak, Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham.…

Cross References
Genesis 14:18-20
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine—since he was priest of God Most High— / and he blessed Abram and said: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, / and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.

Psalm 110:4
The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 5:6
And in another passage God says: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 6:20
where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 9:11-12
But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made by hands and is not a part of this creation. / He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.

Hebrews 10:12
But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.

Matthew 22:43-45
Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’? For he says: / ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’ / So if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how can He be David’s son?”

Romans 8:34
Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

Revelation 1:18
the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.

Numbers 18:21-24
Behold, I have given to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the service of the Tent of Meeting. / No longer may the Israelites come near to the Tent of Meeting, or they will incur guilt and die. / The Levites are to perform the work of the Tent of Meeting, and they must bear their iniquity. This is a permanent statute for the generations to come. The Levites will not receive an inheritance among the Israelites. ...

Deuteronomy 18:1-2
The Levitical priests—indeed the whole tribe of Levi—shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They are to eat the food offerings to the LORD; that is their inheritance. / Although they have no inheritance among their brothers, the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them.

1 Samuel 2:35
Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest. He will do whatever is in My heart and mind. And I will build for him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed one for all time.

2 Chronicles 31:4-6
Moreover, he commanded the people living in Jerusalem to make a contribution for the priests and Levites so that they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD. / As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously provided the firstfruits of the grain, new wine, oil, and honey, and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in an abundance—a tithe of everything. / And the Israelites and Judahites who lived in the cities of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things consecrated to the LORD their God, and they laid them in large heaps.

Nehemiah 10:37-39
Moreover, we will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God the firstfruits of our dough, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees, and of our new wine and oil. A tenth of our produce belongs to the Levites, so that they shall receive tithes in all the towns where we labor. / A priest of Aaron’s line is to accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of these tithes to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God. / For the Israelites and the Levites are to bring the contributions of grain, new wine, and oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers stay. Thus we will not neglect the house of our God.”


Treasury of Scripture

And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

men.

Hebrews 7:23
And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

he liveth.

Hebrews 3:16
For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

Hebrews 5:6
As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Hebrews 6:20
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Jump to Previous
Alive Case Collected Death Declared Die Dying Evidence Frail Indeed Moreover Mortal Power Present Receive Received Receives Receiveth Tenth Testified Time Tithes Witnessed
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Alive Case Collected Death Declared Die Dying Evidence Frail Indeed Moreover Mortal Power Present Receive Received Receives Receiveth Tenth Testified Time Tithes Witnessed
Hebrews 7
1. Christ Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek;
11. and so far more excellent than the priests of Aaron's order.














In the one case
This phrase introduces a comparison, setting the stage for a contrast between two different priesthoods. The context here is the Levitical priesthood, which was established under the Mosaic Law. Historically, the Levitical priests were descendants of Levi, one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and they served in the temple, performing sacrifices and collecting tithes. This system was temporal and earthly, pointing to the need for a more perfect priesthood.

the tenth
The "tenth" refers to the tithe, a practice commanded in the Old Testament where Israelites were required to give a tenth of their produce and livestock to support the Levitical priesthood (Leviticus 27:30-32). The tithe was a recognition of God's provision and sovereignty, and it was a way to sustain the temple services and the priests who served there.

is collected by men who die
This phrase emphasizes the mortality and impermanence of the Levitical priests. Despite their sacred duties, these priests were human and subject to death. Their priesthood was not eternal, and their service was limited by their lifespan. This highlights the transient nature of the Old Covenant and the need for a more enduring solution.

but in the other case
Here, the author of Hebrews shifts the focus to a different kind of priesthood, one that is superior and eternal. This sets up the contrast between the temporary Levitical priesthood and the everlasting priesthood of Jesus Christ, who is of the order of Melchizedek.

by Him who is declared to be living
This phrase refers to Jesus Christ, who, unlike the Levitical priests, lives forever. The Greek word for "declared" (μαρτυρούμενος, martyroumenos) implies a testimony or witness, underscoring the divine affirmation of Christ's eternal priesthood. Jesus' resurrection from the dead is the ultimate declaration of His life and His role as our eternal High Priest. This living priesthood signifies the New Covenant, where Jesus intercedes for believers perpetually, offering a perfect and complete salvation.

(8) "Here," under the Levitical economy, dying men receive the various tithes. Men enter by birth into a state with which this right is associated, and by death again pass out of it. No special significance, therefore, attaches to the men themselves. "There," in the history now considered, one (receives tithes) of whom the Scripture simply witnesses that he lives. The narrative of Genesis gives no other basis for his priesthood than the mere fact of his life. What he holds, he holds by personal right.

Verse 8. - And here (in the case of the Levitical priesthood) men that die (literally, dying men) receive tithes; but there (in the case of Melchizedek) one of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. The difference here noted is between a succession of mortal priests and one perpetually living, who never loses his personal claim, which is inherent, in himself. But how so of Melchizedek? For it is to him, and not to Christ the Antitype, that the words evidently apply. Is it at length implied that he was more than mortal man? No, if only for this reason; that the witness appealed to (μαρτυρούμενος) must be that of Scripture, which nowhere bears such witness of the historical Melchizedek. The words, μαρτυρούμενος ὅτε ζῇ, are, in fact, only a resumption of what was said in ver. 3: "having neither beginning of days nor end of life;" and hear the same meaning; viz. (as above explained) that he passes before our view in Genesis with no mention of either death, birth, or ancestry, and thus presented the ideal of "a priest for ever" to the inspired psalmist. The witness referred to is that of the record in Genesis, viewed in the light of the idea of the psalm.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
In the case [of the Levites],
ὧδε (hōde)
Adverb
Strong's 5602: From an adverb form of hode; in this same spot, i.e. Here or hither.

mortal
ἀποθνῄσκοντες (apothnēskontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 599: To be dying, be about to die, wither, decay. From apo and thnesko; to die off.

men
ἄνθρωποι (anthrōpoi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.

collect
λαμβάνουσιν (lambanousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2983: (a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of.

the tenth;
δεκάτας (dekatas)
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 1181: A tenth part, a tithe. Feminine of dekatos; a tenth, i.e. As a percentage or tithe.

but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

in the case [of Melchizedek],
ἐκεῖ (ekei)
Adverb
Strong's 1563: (a) there, yonder, in that place, (b) thither, there. Of uncertain affinity; there; by extension, thither.

it is affirmed
μαρτυρούμενος (martyroumenos)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3140: To witness, bear witness, give evidence, testify, give a good report. From martus; to be a witness, i.e. Testify.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

he lives on.
ζῇ (zē)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2198: To live, be alive. A primary verb; to live.


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NT Letters: Hebrews 7:8 Here people who die receive tithes (Heb. He. Hb)
Hebrews 7:7
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