Hebrews 7:5 explains that the Levitical priests had a legal command to collect tithes from the people, and that they did this as their own brothers, even though they were all descended from Abraham. The verse is written by the anonymous author of the letter to the Hebrews, who was writing to Jewish Christians to show that Jesus is a priest of a greater order than the one under the law of Moses.
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…
Hebrews 7:5 (WEB)
What Hebrews 7:5 Means
The verse begins by naming the priests as “the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office.” Under the law given through Moses, the tribe of Levi was set apart for temple service, and its members held the priestly role. Their authority came from their family line and from a commandment, not from a personal oath or a special appointment outside that system.
The verse then says they “have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law.” A tithe was a tenth of produce or income given to support the worship and the priests. The author stresses that this was a legal requirement built into the law, which is why the priests could demand it from their fellow Israelites.
The closing clause points out that these tithe-collectors were drawn from the same family as the people they served. They were “their brothers,” and all of them had “come out of the body of Abraham.” The verse does not promise anything directly to the reader. It sets up a contrast that the author develops in the next verses, showing that the priesthood of Melchizedek stands on different ground.
The Context of Hebrews 7:5
The letter to the Hebrews was written to a community of Christians with a Jewish background who were tempted to return to the temple rituals and the Levitical system. The author argues that Jesus, who came from the tribe of Judah and not from Levi, is a priest “after the order of Melchizedek.” Verses 2 through 4 introduce Melchizedek, the king of Salem who blessed Abraham and received a tenth from him. That event is the background for the statement in verse 5.
Verse 5 is the first half of a comparison that continues through verse 8. The author wants his readers to see that Abraham, the ancestor of the Levites, paid a tithe to Melchizedek, and that Melchizedek, who had no recorded genealogy, is therefore greater than the Levitical priests who collect tithes from their own brothers. Read this way, verse 5 describes the inferior system so that the superiority of the new priesthood becomes clear.
Key Phrases in Hebrews 7:5
Hebrews 7:6
But he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises.
(WEB)
Verse 6 continues the comparison by showing that Melchizedek, whose genealogy is not counted among the Levites, received tithes from Abraham and blessed him. It completes the thought that verse 5 begins.
Genesis 14:18-20
18 Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. 19 He blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave him a tenth of all.
(WEB)
This Old Testament passage tells the original story of Melchizedek bringing bread and wine and blessing Abraham. Reading it alongside Hebrews 7:5 shows the event the author is interpreting.
