A common misinterpretation applies this verse to endorse mandatory tithing for New Testament believers, equating modern church leaders with Levitical priests and ignoring the chapter's central argument that the Levitical priesthood and its tithe system are inferior and obsolete compared to Christ's eternal priesthood after Melchizedek's order, which requires no such legalistic support mechanism but voluntary giving under grace.
Hebrews 7:5
King James Version (1769)
5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
This verse highlights the Mosaic Law's provision for Levitical priests, descendants of Levi and thus Abraham, to collect tithes from their fellow Israelites who shared the same ancestry, illustrating the relational equality among God's people under the old covenant yet the priests' designated authority to receive support through tithes. It sets the stage in Hebrews 7 for contrasting this temporary system with the superior, eternal priesthood of Melchizedek, foreshadowing Christ's unchanging ministry that fulfills and surpasses the Levitical order.