complete verse (Hebrews 7:4)

Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 7:4:

  • Uma: “So, in this story we see the greatness of Melkisedek. As for Abraham, he was great too, for he is the one related-to-as-father by all the Yahudi people. But even so, Abraham honored Melkisedek and gave him one-tenth-part of the stuff he got in the battle.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Na, you know that Malkisadik is really a great person. For even Ibrahim, our famous ancestor, gave Malkisadik the tithe from the wealth he had gotten in the war.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Just consider how high he was, because our (incl.) ancestor Abraham, he gave to him the tenth part of the spoils he’s gotten when he’d defeated the kings.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Let us consider the extreme greatness of Melkizedek. First, even Abraham who was the honored source (lit. base) of us Jews, he gave Melkizedek a tenth of what he took-back from his warring.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well now then, meditate on how much he can be praised, in that although Abraham was the most praiseworthy of our ancestors, however he gave to that Melquisedec the tenth part of the good things that he had plundered from those kings he had killed.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now realize well about how it is that Melchizedek was supremely looked upon with respect. Because this Abraham was the root of the Jews, yet all the things he had taken from the kings whom he had conquered in battle, he took a tenth in order to give to Melchizedek.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Abraham

The name that is transliterated as “Abraham” in English means “father of a multitude,” “father of mercy,” “father of many nations.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In the vast majority of sign languages, including American Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “hold back arm” (referring to Genesis 22:12).


“Abraham” in American Sign Language (source )

In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with a sign for that demonstrates his new destiny. Previously, he had been called to wander from his home, and the name “Abram” reflected this movement (see here). The new sign name is in one location and stays there, showing Abraham will be given a land to call his own. At this time, Abraham was in the southern part of Canaan, which is shown on the base arm by the location near the elbow. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)


“Abraham” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

In Tira it is transliterated as Abaram. The choice of this, rather than the widely-known “Ibrahim,” as used in the Tira translation of the Qu’ran, was to offset it against the Muslim transliteration which originates from Arabic. (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )

Click or tap here to see two short video clips about Abraham (source: Bible Lands 2012)

See also our ancestor Abraham and Abram.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Abraham .

Translation commentary on Hebrews 7:4

You see is a possible literal translation of the word for “see.” Most translations take it as a command, “See!” though in the case of such intellectual events, the response must be voluntary and cannot be determined by another person. Other ways of avoiding the imperative “see” are “you can see” (Bijbel in Gewone Taal), “notice” (Bible en français courant), “look how outstanding” (Phillips), “consider” (Translator’s New Testament, New English Bible, Bible de Jérusalem), and “think” (Jerusalem Bible). The Greek term rendered see in Good News Translation is a reference to an intellectual event and not a matter of actual vision. One may then translate the Greek verb as “You can recognize,” “You can realize,” or simply “Consider” (as imperative).

How great he was is an exclamation, not an expression of quantity or a question, as Revised Standard Version shows with “how great he is!” Great, as the context shows, means “important,” “of high status.”

The second sentence in verse 4 of Good News Translation is the reason for recognizing the greatness of Melchizedek, and it may be useful to begin the second part with a conjunction meaning “for.”

Our famous ancestor is emphasized (literally the patriarch in Good News Bible‘s first through third editions). Although Abraham was himself one of the founders of Israel, the implication is that he recognized that Melchizedek was more important than himself.

The Greek term rendered our famous ancestor may also be translated as “the one who began our nation” or “the one who was the father of our nation.”

The rare word which Revised Standard Version translates “spoils” originally meant “first fruits,” and it may imply that Abraham picked out the best of the spoil to offer to Melchizedek. New English Bible‘s “a tithe of the finest of the spoil” reflects this but is otherwise a little ambiguous; the intended meaning is “the best tenth of the spoil.” Most translations take “spoils” to refer to all he got in the battle. All he got in the battle might suggest what Abraham received during the actual fighting, as though he were gathering up spoils while others fought. It may therefore be better to translate all he got in the battle as “all that he and his followers took from those who had been defeated.”

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 .