(For of course it is not angels that he succours, it is the offspring of Abraham.)

For in making a promise to Abraham God swore by himself (since he could swear by none greater),

Thus it was that Abraham by his stedfastness obtained what he had been promised.

For Melchizedek, the king of Salem, a priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham on his return from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him ??2 who had a tenth part of everything assigned him by Abraham ??this Melchizedek is primarily a king of righteousness (that is the meaning of his name); then, besides that, king of Salem (which means, king of peace).

Now mark the dignity of this man. The patriarch Abraham paid him a tenth of the spoils.

Those sons of Levi who receive the priestly office are indeed ordered by law to tithe the people (that is, their brothers), although the latter are descended from Abraham;

but he who had no Levitical genealogy actually tithed Abraham and blessed the possessor of the promises!

In fact, we might almost say that even Levi the receiver of tithes paid tithes through Abraham;

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed his call to go forth to a place which he would receive as an inheritance; he went forth, although he did not know where he was to go.

It was by faith, when Abraham was put to the test, that he sacrificed Isaac, he was ready to sacrifice his only son, although he had received the promises