complete verse (Hebrews 7:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 7:10:

  • Uma: “For Lewi was a great grandchild [lit., second-layer grandchild] of Abraham. When Melkisedek met Abraham, Lewi was not yet born, he was still in the body of Abraham. So, if Abraham paid to Melkisedek, certainly Lewi and the priests descendants of Lewi are downhill in life [status] from Melkisedek.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “It is true, Libi was not yet born at the time when Ibrahim and Malkisadik met but even so he was already there in the body of Ibrahim because finally he would become the descendant of Ibrahim.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Because when Abraham and Melchizedek met each other, Levi was not yet born, but rather he was still in the body of Abraham, his ancestor.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “because even though Levi had not yet been born when Melkizedek met Abraham, he is still counted as already-being in Abraham’s body, because Abraham was his ancestor.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because even though Levi had not yet been born when Melquisedec met with Abraham, however Abraham was his great-grandparent.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Because when Abraham took the tenth to deliver it to the priest Melchizedek, it was as though all the descendants who would live afterwards also were giving that tenth.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Hebrews 7:10

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 .