Verses 9 and 10 form a single sentence in the Greek. They sum up the references to Abraham, Levi, and the priests, tying them together with one another and with the text quoted in verse 1. This summing-up takes place in two stages, the first of which is not in the text but may need to be expressed in translation: (a) the priests are identified with their ancestor Levi; (b) Levi is then identified with his own ancestor Abraham. Good News Translation‘s expansion for readers for whom (a) needs to be made clearer involves adding whose descendants. This is followed by most common language translations. When is not emphasized; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy‘s “at the moment when” is too strong. The text means simply that Levi paid the tithe through his ancestor Abraham.

So to speak may be rendered as “one might say” or “it is possible to say.”

Abraham paid: it is important to avoid implying that Abraham was paying for something which he had received. It may be better to use some such phrase as “when Abraham gave the tenth.”

Whose descendants collected the tenth may be rendered as “those who descended from Levi received the tenth which was given to them.”

Levi … paid: see note on Abraham paid earlier in this verse.

In the Bible, descendants are often identified with their ancestors. In the Old Testament, “Israel” is sometimes the name of an individual, also called Jacob, but more often is the name of the people which descended from him. See also Romans 5.12-21; 1 Corinthians 15.22. How far the identification of ancestor and descendants needs to be made clear by expanded translation or marginal notes is a matter of culture rather than of language. In some cultures, including non-Christian cultures, this idea may be quite natural and therefore present fewer problems to the translator than in English.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .