Charles Ellicott Commentary Hebrews 7:4

"Now consider how great this man was, unto whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the chief spoils." — Hebrews 7:4 (ASV)

How great this man was.—Better, is: the greatness abides, set forth in the words of Scripture. In the rest of the verse (where the best manuscripts omit the word “even”), it is good to follow the literal rendering: to whom Abraham gave a tenth out of the chief spoils—(Abraham) the patriarch.

He gave him tithes of all (Genesis 14:20), but the tenth was selected from the choicest part of the spoils.

The word “Patriarch” is used in the Septuagint (in Chronicles only) for the head of a family or chief of a clan. In the New Testament, it is used of David in Acts 2:29, and twice in Acts 7:0 of Jacob’s sons.

The next verse deals with the same subject, but under a new aspect. Here the thought is that Melchizedek received tithes even from Abraham the patriarch; there, He has been so honored, though no enactment of law invested him with superior rights.