In verse 10, unlike verse 9, there is no so to speak in the Greek text. As in verse 5, the writer uses the common Hebrew expression of descendants being “in the loins” (Revised Standard Version) of their male ancestors. To convey this idea to readers for whom it is strange, Good News Translation (a) expands “still in Abraham’s loins” to had not yet been born, but; (b) adds so to speak ( Good News Bible is not followed in this by Bijbel in Gewone Taal, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch); and (c) replaces “loins” by body (compare other common language translations except Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, which has a word which means “seed” or “sperm”).

Levi had not yet been born may be rendered as “Levi had not yet come into existence” or “Levi did not as yet exist.”

The statement but was, so to speak, in the body of his ancestor Abraham may be expressed as “but one might say that he was already in the body of his ancestor, who was Abraham” or “… in the body of Abraham, who was his ancestor.”

The pronoun him in the clause when Melchizedek met him must refer to Abraham and not to Levi.

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 .