Hebrews 7:8

8 Or look at it this way: We pay our tithes to priests who die, but Abraham paid tithes to a priest who, the Scripture says, "lives."

Hebrews 7:8 Meaning and Commentary

Hebrews 7:8

And here men that die receive tithes,
&c,] The priests and Levites were not only men, and mortal men, subject to death, but they did die, and so did not continue, by reason of death, ( Hebrews 7:24 )

but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth;
which is to be understood of Melchizedek; who is not opposed to men, as if he was not a man, nor to mortal men, but to men that die; nor is he said to be immortal, but to live: and this may respect the silence of the Scripture concerning him, which gives no account of his death; and may be interpreted of the perpetuity of his priesthood, and of his living in his antitype Christ; and the testimony concerning him is in ( Psalms 110:4 ) .

Hebrews 7:8 In-Context

6 But this man, a complete outsider, collected tithes from Abraham and blessed him, the one to whom the promises had been given.
7 In acts of blessing, the lesser is blessed by the greater.
8 Or look at it this way: We pay our tithes to priests who die, but Abraham paid tithes to a priest who, the Scripture says, "lives."
9 Ultimately you could even say that since Levi descended from Abraham, who paid tithes to Melchizedek,
10 when we pay tithes to the priestly tribe of Levi they end up with Melchizedek.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.