7 This Melchizedek was the king of the city of Salem and a priest of God, the highest one.[ref] He met Abraham who was returning from slaughtering several kings and Melchizedek blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of all the captured goods. The name Melchizedek means ‘king of righteousness’ and then king of Salem also means ‘king of peace’. 3 There’s no record of his father or mother, no genealogical background, and no record of his being born or dying, but he’s likened to God’s son in that he continually remains as a priest.

4 Notice how great this Melchizedek was, because the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the best of the captured goods. 5 On one hand, the tithing commandment from Moses’ law makes the people give a tenth to Levi’s descendants who inherit the priestly office, even though they’re their brothers as fellow descendants of Abraham.[ref] 6 On the other hand, Abraham tithed to Melchizedek who can’t be traced as one of them, and he blessed Abraham who had received God’s promises. 7 There’s no doubt that it’s the lessor person that gets blessed by someone greater. 8 So in the first case, the tenth is received by people who die, but in the second case by someone who it’s only testified that he lives. 9 You could even say that even Levi (whose descendants receive the tenths) gave a tenth to Melchizedek through Abraham 10 because Levi’s sperm was still part of his father’s body when Melchizedek met Abraham.