Let’s read through the book of Hebrews one verse at a time in 2023. Every day explore a single verse and its cross references. AI-generated text draws the passages together. RSS feed.
And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham.
The cross references for Hebrews 7:5 all relate to the concept of tithing, which is mentioned in the verse. These references show that tithing was an important part of the Law of the Lord, and that it was commanded of the Levites and other descendants of Abraham. They also illustrate the importance of tithing in the lives of the Israelites, as well as the responsibility of the Levites to receive and guard the tithes. Finally, these references provide a historical context for the verse, showing how the practice of tithing has been a part of Israelite culture for centuries.
| Passage | How It’s Related (AI-Generated) |
|---|---|
| Leviticus 27:30-33: “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord. If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the Lord. One shall not differentiate between good or bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.” | Both passages discuss the tithe. Hebrews 7:5 explains that the descendants of Levi were commanded to take tithes from their brothers, who were also descended from Abraham. Leviticus 27:30–33 explains the specifics of the tithe, including that it is holy to the Lord and cannot be redeemed or substituted. |
| Numbers 17:3-10: and write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers' house. Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. And Moses deposited the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony. | Both passages discuss the importance of the Levitical priesthood in the Old Testament. Hebrews 7:5 explains that the Levitical priests had a responsibility to take tithes from their brothers, the other descendants of Abraham. Numbers 17:3-10 describes how Moses and the other leaders of Israel chose Aaron to be the head of the Levitical priesthood by having him write his name on a staff and depositing it in the tent of the testimony. This act symbolized God's choice of Aaron as the leader of the Levitical priesthood. |
| Numbers 18:7: And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.” | Both passages discuss the role of the Levites in the Old Testament. Hebrews 7:5 explains that the Levites had a commandment in the law to take tithes from their brothers, who were also descended from Abraham. Numbers 18:7 states that the Levites were to guard the priesthood and serve at the altar. It also explains that the priesthood was given to them as a gift, and that any outsider who came near was to be put to death. |
| Numbers 18:21-32: “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting, so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no inheritance. For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel.” And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, | Both passages discuss the tithe that was given to the Levites in the Old Testament. Hebrews 7:5 explains that the descendants of Levi were commanded to take tithes from their brothers, who were also descended from Abraham. Numbers 18:21–32 explains that the tithe was given to the Levites as an inheritance in exchange for their service in the tent of meeting. This tithe was to remain a perpetual statute and the Levites were not to have any inheritance among the people of Israel. |
| 1 Kings 8:19: Nevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’ | Both passages reference the importance of the Levitical priesthood and its relationship to the kings of Israel. Hebrews 7:5 discusses the commandment in the law for the Levites to take tithes from their brothers, the other descendants of Abraham. In 1 Kings 8:19, God promises that David's son Solomon will build the house of the Lord, indicating that the Levites were to be the spiritual leaders of Israel and the kings of Israel were to provide the physical leadership. |
| 2 Chronicles 31:4-6: And he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the Law of the Lord. As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. And the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the Lord their God, and laid them in heaps. | Both passages reference the tithe that was commanded in the law to be given to the Levites and priests. Hebrews 7:5 explains that the tithe was taken from the people, who were brothers of the Levites, and were all descended from Abraham. In 2 Chronicles 31:4-6 we see that the people of Israel and Judah responded to the commandment to give the tithe by bringing in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. They also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the Lord. |
| Nehemiah 13:10: I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. | Both passages refer to the Levites, a tribe of Israelites descended from Abraham. Hebrews 7:5 describes the Levites' duty to collect tithes from their brothers in the law, while Nehemiah 13:10 states that the Levites' own portions had not been given to them, causing them to flee to their own fields. |
| Hebrews 7:10: for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. | Both passages in Hebrews 7 discuss the relationship between Abraham and Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:5 explains that Abraham's descendants, the Levites, were commanded to collect tithes from their brothers, who were also descended from Abraham. Hebrews 7:10 further explains that Levi was still in the loins of his ancestor Abrhama when Melchizedek met him, thus connecting Levi to Melchizedek. This connection is significant because the Levites were commanded to take tithes from their brothers, and Abraham was the ancestor of both the Levites and Melchizedek. |
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of Your Word, and the guidance it provides us. We thank You for the example of the Levites and their willingness to serve You faithfully. We thank You for their commitment to the Law, and their willingness to tithe and dedicate their offerings to You. We thank You for the example of Melchizedek, and the reminder of Your faithfulness and grace.
Help us to be faithful in our service to You, and to always offer our tithes and offerings with a willing heart. Help us to remember to give generously and faithfully, as an act of worship and devotion to You. Give us the courage to follow Your commands, and to remain steadfast in our faith.
We thank You for Your goodness and mercy, and for the blessings You have given us. In Jesus' name, Amen.
This reading plan reads through a single verse each day, six days a week, paired with the most-popular cross references for the verse. AI-generated (and human-reviewed) text provides an opening thought and concluding prayer along with an explanation for how each cross reference relates to the verse. In 2023, this reading plan works through Hebrews one verse at a time. Every seventh day is a catchup day. Want more info? Try this blog post.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.