Common language translations and New English Bible make it clear that the Greek expression “this man” (Revised Standard Version) refers to Melchizedek. From Levi is literally “from them,” that is, “from the descendants of Levi.” No loss of meaning is involved in Good News Translation. Melchizedek was not descended from Levi may be rendered as “Melchizedek did not count Levi as his ancestor” or “Levi was not the ancestor of Melchizedek.”

As in verse 5, the verb collected may be rendered as “received as an offering,” or in the total context of he collected one tenth from Abraham as “he received the tenth which Abraham gave him.”

Blessed him: see comments on Heb. 7.1.

Verse 6b makes a smooth transition to the second way in which Melchizedek is seen to be more important than Old Testament priests. 6.13-15 has already identified Abraham as the one who received God’s promises (God’s is implied).

Received is literally “having,” which Moffatt and Barclay translate “the possessor”; Phillips, Jerusalem Bible “the holder”; and New American Bible translates precisely, if a little heavily, “him who had received God’s promises” (similarly Translator’s New Testament). Here the writer probably means the act of promising rather than the content of the promises. God made a promise to Abraham (Gen 13.14-18) before Abraham met Melchizedek (Gen 14.17-20), but the promise had not yet been fulfilled.

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 .