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 CONJ οι 3588 T-NPM μεν 3303 PRT εκ 1537 PREP των 3588 T-GPM υιων 5207 N-GPM λευι 3017 N-PRI την 3588 T-ASF ιερατειαν 2405 N-ASF λαμβανοντες 2983 5723 V-PAP-NPM εντολην 1785 N-ASF εχουσιν 2192 5719 V-PAI-3P αποδεκατουν 586 5721 V-PAN τον 3588 T-ASM λαον 2992 N-ASM κατα 2596 PREP τον 3588 T-ASM νομον 3551 N-ASM τουτ 5124 D-NSN εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S τους 3588 T-APM αδελφους 80 N-APM αυτων 846 P-GPM καιπερ 2539 CONJ εξεληλυθοτας 1831 5761 V-RAP-APM εκ 1537 PREP της 3588 T-GSF οσφυος 3751 N-GSF αβρααμ 11 N-PRI
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.
