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 MSS. omit the word “even”) it is well to follow the literal rendering, unto 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. “Patriarch” is a word used in the LXX. (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 of Jacob’s sons.
The next verse deals with the same subject, but under a new aspect. Here the thought is, Melchizedek received tithes even from Abraham the patriarch; there, He has been thus honoured, though no enactment of law invested him with superior rights.