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New Living Translation

Hebrews 7:7

And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abraham;   Benedictions;   Melchizedek;   Priest;   Succession;   Tithes;   Types;   Scofield Reference Index - Sacrifice;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Types of Christ;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Melchizedek;   Priest;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Blessing;   Tithes;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Blessing;   Fulfillment;   Priest, Christ as;   Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Covenant;   Offices of Christ;   Preaching;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Blessing;   Hebrews, the Epistle to the;   Patriarchs;   Tithes;   Zechariah, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Christ, Christology;   Hebrews;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hebrews, Epistle to;   Melchizedek;   Quotations;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Hebrews Epistle to the;   Mediator;   Priest (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Blessing;   Melchisedec, Melchizedek ;   Tithes;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Paul;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Contradiction;   Hebrews, Epistle to the;   Priest, High;   Priesthood in the New Testament;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Without a doubt, the inferior is blessed by the superior.
King James Version (1611)
And without all contradiction, the lesse is blessed of the better.
King James Version
And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
English Standard Version
It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
New American Standard Bible
But without any dispute the lesser person is blessed by the greater.
New Century Version
Now everyone knows that the more important person blesses the less important person.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.
Legacy Standard Bible
But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.
Berean Standard Bible
And indisputably, the lesser is blessed by the greater.
Contemporary English Version
Everyone agrees that a person who gives a blessing is greater than the one who receives the blessing.
Complete Jewish Bible
and it is beyond all dispute that the one who blesses has higher status than the one who receives the blessing.
Darby Translation
But beyond all gainsaying, the inferior is blessed by the better.
Easy-to-Read Version
And everyone knows that the more important person always blesses the less important person.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And without all contradiction the lesse is blessed of the greater.
George Lamsa Translation
Beyond dispute: he who was less was blessed by him who was greater than himself.
Good News Translation
There is no doubt that the one who blesses is greater than the one who is blessed.
Lexham English Bible
Now without any dispute the inferior is blessed by the more prominent.
Literal Translation
But without contradiction, the lesser is blessed by the better.
Amplified Bible
Yet it is beyond all dispute that the lesser person is always blessed by the greater one.
American Standard Version
But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.
Bible in Basic English
But there is no doubt that the less gets his blessing from the greater.
Hebrew Names Version
But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.
International Standard Version
It is beyond dispute that the less important person is blessed by the more important person.
Etheridge Translation
But, without controversy, he who is less is blessed by one who is Greater than himself.
Murdock Translation
But it is beyond controversy, that the inferior is blessed by his superior.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And without all controuersie, the lesse is blessed of the better.
English Revised Version
But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.
World English Bible
But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And without all contradiction, the less is blessed of the greater.
Weymouth's New Testament
And beyond all dispute it is always the inferior who is blessed by the superior.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
With outen ony ayenseiyng, that that is lesse, is blessid of the betere.
Update Bible Version
But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better.
Webster's Bible Translation
And without all contradiction the less is blessed by the better.
New English Translation
Now without dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior,
New King James Version
Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.
New Life Bible
The one who shows respect is always greater than the one who receives it.
New Revised Standard
It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, apart from all gainsaying, the less, by the greater, is blessed.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And without all contradiction, that which is less is blessed by the better.
Revised Standard Version
It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And no man denyeth but that which is lesse receaveth blessinge of yt which is greater.
Young's Literal Translation
and apart from all controversy, the less by the better is blessed --
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now is it so without all naysayenge, that the lesse receaueth blessynge of ye better.
Mace New Testament (1729)
now 'tis past dispute, he that is blessed is inferior to him that blesses:
Simplified Cowboy Version
So if you're following along, consider this, the one who does the blessing is greater than the one who gets the blessing.

Contextual Overview

1 This Melchizedek was king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him. 2 Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means "king of justice," and king of Salem means "king of peace." 3 There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God. 4 Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle. 5 Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham. 6 But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God. 7 And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed. 8 The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on. 9 In addition, we might even say that these Levites—the ones who collect the tithe—paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him. 10 For although Levi wasn't born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham's body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

without: 1 Timothy 3:16

the less: Hebrews 11:20, Hebrews 11:21, Genesis 27:20-40, Genesis 28:1-4, Genesis 47:7-10, Genesis 48:15-20, Genesis 49:28, Numbers 6:23-27, Deuteronomy 32:1, 2 Samuel 6:20, 1 Kings 8:55, 2 Chronicles 30:27, Luke 24:50, Luke 24:51, 2 Corinthians 13:14

Reciprocal: Genesis 14:19 - he blessed Genesis 47:10 - General Exodus 40:15 - everlasting Leviticus 9:22 - his hand Joshua 22:6 - General 1 Chronicles 16:2 - he blessed Isaiah 9:16 - led of them Luke 2:34 - blessed

Cross-References

Genesis 6:18
But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives.
Genesis 7:1
When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, "Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous.
Genesis 7:13
That very day Noah had gone into the boat with his wife and his sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and their wives.
Genesis 7:15
Two by two they came into the boat, representing every living thing that breathes.
Proverbs 22:3
A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
Matthew 24:38
In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.
Luke 17:27
In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Hebrews 6:18
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.
Hebrews 11:7
It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.
1 Peter 3:20
those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the greater. This is a self-evident truth, and is undeniable; it admits of no controversy, and cannot be gainsaid, that he that blesseth is greater in that respect than he that is blessed by him; as the priests were greater in their office than the people who were blessed by them; and so Melchizedek, as a priest of the most high God, and as blessing Abraham, was greater than he; and so must be greater than the Levites, who sprung from him; and his priesthood be more excellent than theirs; and consequently Christ, his antitype, and who was of his order, must be greater too; which is the design of the apostle throughout the whole of his reasoning.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And without all contradiction - It is an admitted principle; a point about which there can be no dispute.

The less is blessed of the better - The act of pronouncing a blessing is understood to imply superiority of rank, age, or station. So when a father lays his hand on his children and blesses them, it is understood to be the act of one superior in age, venerableness, and authority; when a prophet pronounced a blessing on the people, the same thing was understood, and the same is true also when a minister of religion pronounces a blessing on a congregation. It is the act of one who is understood to sustain an office above the people on whom the blessing is pronounced. This was understood of the Saviour when parents brought their children to him to lay his hands on them and bless them Matthew 19:13; and the same was true of Jacob when dying he blessed the sons of Joseph; Hebrews 11:21; Genesis 48:5-20. The word “less” here means the one of inferior rank; who is less in office, honor, or age. It does not imply inferiority of moral or religious character, for this is not the point under consideration. The word “better” means one who is of superior office or rank, not one who has necessarily a purer or holier character. That Melchizedek was thus superior to Abraham, Paul says, is implied by the very declaration that he “blessed him.” It is also seen to be true by the whole comparison. Abraham was a petty prince; an “Emir” - the head of a company of Nomades, or migratory shepherds, having, it is true, a large number of dependants, but still not having the rank here given to Melchizedek. Though called “a prophet” Genesis 20:7, yet he is nowhere called either a priest or a king. In these respects, it was undoubted that he was inferior to Melchizedek.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Hebrews 7:7. The less is blessed of the better. — That the superior blesses the inferior is a general proposition; but Abraham was blessed of Melchisedec, therefore Melchisedec was greater than Abraham. "The blessing here spoken of," says Dr. Macknight, "is not the simple wishing of good to others, which may be done by inferiors to superiors; but it is the action of a person authorized to declare God's intention to bestow good things on another. In this manner Isaac and Jacob blessed their children under a prophetic impulse; in this manner the priests under the law blessed the people; in this manner, likewise, Melchisedec, the priest of the most high God, blessed Abraham."


 
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