Hebrews 7:1
Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ Μελχισέδεκ, βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ, ἱερεὺς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, ὁ συναντήσας Ἀβραὰμ ὑποστρέφοντι ἀπὸ τῆς κοπῆς τῶν βασιλέων καὶ εὐλογήσας αὐτόν,
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of most-high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessing him.
Paraphrase: Now we’ve been considering the Old Testament priesthood (Hebrews 4:14) and how the new dispensation brought in by Christ has a superior priesthood. I have one last point to make on this subject. I want you to consider the person of Melchizedek who we justly hold in very high esteem. The Bible teaches us that he was both the king of Salem and a priest of our Sovereign God. We read about this remarkable man in the story of Abraham. We know that it was this man who met Abraham after Abraham had rescued the people of Sodom from their conquerors. (Genesis 14:15) Furthermore, we know that it was this man who, as a priest, blessed Abraham on this occasion. (Genesis 14:19)
Comments:
There is no finite verb in this first verse.
Hebrews 7:2
ᾧ καὶ δεκάτην ἀπὸ πάντων ἐμέρισεν Ἀβραάμ, πρῶτον μὲν ἑρμηνευόμενος βασιλεὺς δικαιοσύνης ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ, ὅ ἐστιν βασιλεὺς εἰρήνης,
to whom even a tenth from all Abraham divided up, on the one hand first being interpreted king of righteousness, and then even king of Salem which is king of peace.
Paraphrase: Thus, we see Melchizedek as both a king and a priest. As a priest, Abraham gave to him a tithe of all what he had taken in battle. From his name, we can see that he is also a king. It is actually two words, the word melek מֶלֶךְ (see here) which means “king” and the word zedek צֶדֶק (see here) which means “righteousness.” This man was the king of Jerusalem which has the word שָׁלוֹם in it which means peace (see here). Thus, we understand that Melchizedek was both a priest and a king and, specifically, a king who brings peace. (Psalm 72:7-8; Isaiah 2:2-4; 9:6; 11:6-9 ; 32:16-18; 65:25; Micah 4:3-4; Ezekiel 34:25; 37:26; Zechariah 9:9-10)
Comments:
One of the leading blessings of the new covenant is peace.
Hebrews 7:3
ἀπάτωρ, ἀμήτωρ, ἀγενεαλόγητος, μήτε ἀρχὴν ἡμερῶν μήτε ζωῆς τέλος ἔχων, ἀφωμοιωμένος δὲ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ, μένει ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές.
fatherless and motherless, without a genealogy, neither beginning of days or having end of life, being similar to the Son of God, He remains a priest continually.
Paraphrase: So we now understand that Melchizedek was both a king and a priest, but we are not yet finished. There is still more to say about this man. Notice how he appears in Scripture without any mention of his mother or father. There is no genealogy; it’s almost as if he never began and never came to an end. He seems to have always been and to go on always existing. Now this too teaches us something about Melchizedek. We know that, like all other men, Melchizedek was born and that eventually he did die. The way he is represented in Scripture, however, is without any beginning or end, and this is exactly what we believe to be true about the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest. (1 Timothy 2:5; Romans 8:34)
Comments:
Hebrews 7:4
Θεωρεῖτε δὲ πηλίκος οὗτος ᾧ δεκάτην Ἀβραὰμ ἔδωκεν ἐκ τῶν ἀκροθινίων ὁ πατριάρχης.
Now see how great this man was to whom a tenth Abraham, the patriarch, gave from the plunder.
Paraphrase: So clearly Melchizedek was a great man; I know that you all agree with me on this. As the people of God, however, we hold to the religion of the patriarchs, the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We hold to the religion and priesthood which springs from these great men. In terms of the priesthood, we submit only to those priests who come from the tribe of Levi. Let me point you, dear brothers and sisters, to a historical fact which should lead you to reconsider this commitment to the fathers. Consider that the all priests who serve in the temple are from the tribe of Levi who was a son of Abraham. Now which of these men is greater, Melchizedek or Abraham (and by implication Levi and the priests who come from him)? We can answer this question by noting, in the first place, that it was Abraham who gave tithes to Melchizedek. (Genesis 14:20)
Comments:
πατριάρχης is in apposition to Ἀβραὰμ.
Hebrews 7:5
καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Λευὶ τὴν ἱερατείαν λαμβάνοντες ἐντολὴν ἔχουσιν ἀποδεκατοῦν τὸν λαὸν κατὰ τὸν νόμον, τοῦτ’ ἔστιν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν, καίπερ ἐξεληλυθότας ἐκ τῆς ὀσφύος Ἀβραάμ ·
and the sons of Levi, who received the priesthood, have a command to collect the tithe from the people according to the law; this is, their brothers although coming from the loins of Abraham.
Paraphrase: Now we know from Moses’ law that it was the Levites who had the responsibility to receive the tithes of Israel (Numbers 18:20–24) and that this work entitled them to a place of honor and privilege over the rest of the Israelites. True, they are all descendants of Abraham, but the Levites still held this place of honor among the people of Israel because of this work.
Comments:
Hebrews 7:6
ὁ δὲ μὴ γενεαλογούμενος ἐξ αὐτῶν δεδεκάτωκεν Ἀβραάμ, καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὰς ἐπαγγελίας εὐλόγηκεν.
but not anyone descending from them has received the tithe of Abraham, even the one having the promises, he blessed.
Paraphrase: But now to return to the story of Abraham and Melchizedek. Notice that it was not any Levite who received Melchizedek’s tithe. Nor was it even the father of our religion who received Melchizedek’s tithe. On the contrary, it was Abraham who gave a tithe to Melchizedek! Furthermore, it was Melchizedek who blessed the very one we honor as patriarch!
Comments:
δεκατόω can mean to receive or to pay a tithe.
Hebrews 7:7
χωρὶς δὲ πάσης ἀντιλογίας τὸ ἔλαττον ὑπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος εὐλογεῖται.
But without all contradiction, the less is blessed of the greater.
Paraphrase: Now everyone knows that the person who is giving the blessing occupies a higher rank and status than the person who is receiving the blessing just as the one who receives the tithe is greater than the one who gives the tithe. This is not controversial; we all understand this. Well then, the conclusion is obvious; Melchizedek is a greater person than Abraham and by extension, Melchizedek is a greater person than Levi. Furthermore, any priest from the line of Melchizedek must be a greater priest than one from the line of Levi.
Comments:
Hebrews 7:8
καὶ ὧδε μὲν δεκάτας ἀποθνῄσκοντες ἄνθρωποι λαμβάνουσιν, ἐκεῖ δὲ μαρτυρούμενος ὅτι ζῇ.
and here, on the one hand, dying men receive tithes, but there being testified that He lives.
Paraphrase: We understand then, that any priest in the line of Melchizedek is superior to any of the priests from the tribe of Levi. I will give you another reason for this superiority. Consider the priests of the old covenant. Yes, they were all from the tribe of Levi and yes they all received the tithes of the people, but they were all mortal men; they came and they went. Now consider Melchizedek. We have already shown that the Bible represents him as having no beginning and no end. (Hebrews 7:3) Now dear brothers and sisters, I trust you can see the superiority of Melchizedek and all the priests who come from his line. The Levitical priests live and die; the priests from Melchizedek, however, live and live eternally. (Hebrews 7:16)
Comments:
Hebrews 7:9
καὶ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, δι’ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Λευὶ ὁ δεκάτας λαμβάνων δεδεκάτωται,
and as the word says, Through Abraham, even Levi receiving the tithes, had tithed.
Paraphrase: In fact, dear brothers and sisters, we can say, in a sense, that Levi gave his tithe to Melchizedek. How?
Comments:
Lunemann (p269): The formula ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, of very common occurrence with classic writers, as likewise frequently met with in Philo, is found in the New Testament only here. It denotes either: to say it in one word (in short), or: so to say, i.e. in some sense.
Hebrews 7:10
ἔτι γὰρ ἐν τῇ ὀσφύϊ τοῦ πατρὸς ἦν ὅτε συνήντησεν αὐτῷ Μελχισέδεκ.
for still in the loins of his father he was when Melchizedek met him.
Paraphrase: Because when Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, Levi, yet unborn, was bound up with Abraham as his descendant. Thus when Abraham paid his tithe to Melchizedek, in a way we can say that Levi did the same. The point is clear; Melchizedek is greater than Levi, and priests from him are better priests than those of Levi.
Comments:
Hebrews 7:11
Εἰ μὲν οὖν τελείωσις διὰ τῆς Λευιτικῆς ἱερωσύνης ἦν, ὁ λαὸς γὰρ ἐπ’ αὐτῆς νενομοθέτηται, τίς ἔτι χρεία κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεκ ἕτερον ἀνίστασθαι ἱερέα καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Ἀαρὼν λέγεσθαι;
If, on the one hand, therefore, perfection through the Levitical priesthood was (for the people, by it, received the law) what further need according to the order of Melchizedek another priest to rise and not to be said according to the order of Aaron?
Paraphrase: I know many of you hold the very highest respect for the whole institution of the priesthood. You look to it as the one thing which can lead you to God and to find favor with Him. From the priests, you received the law by which law you hope to establish your own righteousness before God. (Romans 10:3) Let me ask you this; if the old covenant priesthood was so perfect and intended to be a permanent fixture of true religion, then why did God Himself speak of raising up another priest and even a priest who would not come from Levi? (Psalm 110:4)
Comments:
Hebrews 7:12
μετατιθεμένης γὰρ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ νόμου μετάθεσις γίνεται.
For the priesthood being changed, of necessity, a change is made also of the law.
Paraphrase: One thing is certain. If God will raise up a man to be priest who is not from the tribe of Levi, then the law which restricts priests to Levites must also be set aside.
Comments:
Hebrews 7:13
ἐφ’ ὃν γὰρ λέγεται ταῦτα φυλῆς ἑτέρας μετέσχηκεν, ἀφ’ ἧς οὐδεὶς προσέσχηκεν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ ·
For [He] about whom is said these things, belongs to another tribe from which no one attended to the altar.
Paraphrase: Now the One of whom the Psalmist speaks was not from the tribe of Levi, and we all well know that no one was ever allowed to perform the priestly duties in the temple unless they were a Levite. (Numbers 1:50-51)
Comments:
Hebrews 7:14
πρόδηλον γὰρ ὅτι ἐξ Ἰούδα ἀνατέταλκεν ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν, εἰς ἣν φυλὴν περὶ ἱερέων οὐδὲν ⸃ Μωϋσῆς ἐλάλησεν.
For clearly, from Judah, our Lord arose, to which tribe concerning priests, Moses said nothing.
Paraphrase: Now that Man whom we regard as our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, was not a Levite. It is well known that He came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never said anything about men from the tribe of Judah serving as priests.
Comments:
Hebrews 7:15
Καὶ περισσότερον ἔτι κατάδηλόν ἐστιν, εἰ κατὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα Μελχισέδεκ ἀνίσταται ἱερεὺς ἕτερος,
and it is still even more obvious if according to the likeness of Melchizedek another priest rises.
Paraphrase: Now it is even more obvious that if God Himself raises up a priest who is not from the tribe of Levi, then we must conclude that the old law restricting the priesthood to Levites, has been cancelled. Furthermore, if this law has been cancelled, we are warranted to conclude that the entire ceremonial law has also been set aside.
Comments:
Hebrews 7:16
ὃς οὐ κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκίνης γέγονεν ἀλλὰ κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου,
who not according to a law of a fleshly command has been, but according to the power of an indissoluble life.
Paraphrase: Yes, Jesus is a priest, but not because He is biologically descended from Levi; this law has been cancelled. Jesus’ priestly credentials are His everlasting life. He has this life because He is a priest in the line of Melchizedek who also had no beginning and no end. (Hebrews 7:3) Do you see, my dear friends, the superiority of Jesus’ priesthood to that of all the other priests whom you respect so highly?
Comments:
Hebrews 7:17
μαρτυρεῖται γὰρ ὅτι Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεκ.
For it is testified, “You are a priest into the age according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Paraphrase: But perhaps you are not yet convinced of this truth that Jesus is an eternal priest. Again, I take you back to the Psalm I quoted previously. Consider what God Himself teaches us here: “The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”” (Psalm 110:4) Notice that this Priest whom God will raise up is a priest forever. This means that He is an eternal priest, not subject to the power of death. That is why I said previously (Hebrews 7:16) that Jesus has an indissoluble life.
Comments:
Hebrews 7:18
ἀθέτησις μὲν γὰρ γίνεται προαγούσης ἐντολῆς διὰ τὸ αὐτῆς ἀσθενὲς καὶ ἀνωφελές,
For there is a cancelling, on the one hand, of the previous command on account of its being weak and useless.
Paraphrase: I want you to see that this verse means that God intended, even when the Levitical priesthood was in its full glory, to replace it with something far better. He meant to cancel the old priesthood and to bring in a new and better High Priest, namely Jesus Christ. Like all the other rituals of the old covenant, the old priesthood could not bring anyone to God. A better priesthood was necessary.
Comments:
Hebrews 7:19
οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐτελείωσεν ὁ νόμος, ἐπεισαγωγὴ δὲ κρείττονος ἐλπίδος, δι’ ἧς ἐγγίζομεν τῷ θεῷ.
For the law perfected nothing but the entrance of a better hope through which we draw near to God.
Paraphrase: This is the truth we must come to grasp, dear friends. The old covenant was not able to bring a person into God’s favor. (Romans 8:3) It could not forgive a person’s sin (Acts 13:38-39); there was no possibility of obtaining a righteousness which would meet with God’s approval (Romans 9:30-10:4); it could not sanctify a person and renew them into the image of God. (Hebrews 10:1-4) On the contrary, the people of God had to return to the temple repeatedly to make their offerings and to atone for their sin. (Hebrews 9:6-9, 12) Yes, the law of God had an entirely different purpose. (Galatians 3:19) It brought us to the place where we began to cry out for a better covenant by which we could secure God’s favor and find a more solid foundation for our hope.
Comments:
The author here zooms out and speaks more generally of the entire system of the old covenant.
Westminster Confession, art 3: Man, by his fall, having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the covenant of grace; wherein He freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ; requiring of them faith in Him, that they may be saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life His Holy Spirit, to make them willing, and able to believe.
Hebrews 7:20
Καὶ καθ’ ὅσον οὐ χωρὶς ὁρκωμοσίας οἱ μὲν γὰρ χωρὶς ὁρκωμοσίας εἰσὶν ἱερεῖς γεγονότες,
And because not without an oath. For, on the one hand, those without oath have been made priests
Paraphrase: Now let me give you another reason which shows the superiority of our Great High Priest. Consider the priests of the old covenant. They came to their office because they were Levites. That’s all. If you were a Levite, you had all the credentials you needed to become a priest. But consider Jesus; He is a priest because of God’s solemn oath.
Comments:
Robertson says (p963) Καθʼ ὅσον is causal here.
Hebrews 7:21
ὁ δὲ μετὰ ὁρκωμοσίας διὰ τοῦ λέγοντος πρὸς αὐτόν · Ὤμοσεν κύριος, καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται, Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ),
But, on the other hand, the oath through the One saying to Him, “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind; You are a Priest into the age.
Paraphrase: That’s right; God swore an oath when He ordained Jesus to the office of High Priest. Recall the text which I’ve quoted before, “The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4) Note that in this text, God Himself ordains Jesus to His office with a solemn oath. (Hebrews 6:16) No priest in the line of Levi can make this claim.
Comments:
Numbers 25:12-13 is a promise to Phineas, but not an oath.
Hebrews 7:22
κατὰ τοσοῦτο κρείττονος διαθήκης γέγονεν ἔγγυος Ἰησοῦς.
According to this, Jesus has become the Surety of a better covenant.
Paraphrase: In light of this glorious reality that Jesus is our great High Priest, we can have full confidence that we will be accepted by God. This is because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever puts their trust in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life. This is the new and better covenant which God makes with us, and it is based entirely on the work of this perfect High Priest. Under this new covenant, Jesus assumes all the obligations of the old covenant, and thus brings us to God and makes us perfect. (Hebrews 7:19)
Comments:
In our language, a εγγυος or surety is someone who cosigns for us.
- A person who “stands surety for another by committing himself to a creditor to supply a guarantee for the execution of an obligation in the event that the debtor defaults. A guarantor is thus one who is responsible for another person’s debt; his responsibility becomes operative when the debtor declares himself insolvent with regard to the terms of the contract.” TLNT p390.
- Owen (p525): a surety is someone “that undertaketh for another wherein he is defective, really or in reputation. Whatever that undertaking be, whether in words of promise, or in depositing of real security in the hands of an arbitrator, or by any other personal engagement of life and body, it respects the defect of the person for whom any one becomes a surety. Such an one is sponsor, or “fidejussor,” in all good authors and common use of speech. And if any one be of absolute credit himself, and of a reputation every way unquestionable, there is no need of a surety, unless in case of mortality. The words of a surety in the behalf of another, whose ability or reputation is dubious, are, “Ad me recipio, faciet aut faciam. [I take it upon myself. He will do it, or I will do it.]”
In light of this word, Owen discusses (p226) whether the suretyship of Christ means that He assures us that the promise of the covenant on His part should be accomplished or whether it also means that He will perform the condition required of us in order that the promise may be accomplished. Bruce(p275) and Vos (p438) say that the question cannot be resolved from this text.
Hebrews 7:23
Καὶ οἱ μὲν πλείονές εἰσιν γεγονότες ἱερεῖς διὰ τὸ θανάτῳ κωλύεσθαι παραμένειν ·
Hebrews 7:24
ὁ δὲ διὰ τὸ μένειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἀπαράβατον ἔχει τὴν ἱερωσύνην ·
Hebrews 7:25
ὅθεν καὶ σῴζειν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς δύναται τοὺς προσερχομένους δι’ αὐτοῦ τῷ θεῷ, πάντοτε ζῶν εἰς τὸ ἐντυγχάνειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν.
Hebrews 7:26
Τοιοῦτος γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ ἔπρεπεν ἀρχιερεύς, ὅσιος, ἄκακος, ἀμίαντος, κεχωρισμένος ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ ὑψηλότερος τῶν οὐρανῶν γενόμενος ·
Hebrews 7:27
ὃς οὐκ ἔχει καθ’ ἡμέραν ἀνάγκην, ὥσπερ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, πρότερον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων ἁμαρτιῶν θυσίας ἀναφέρειν, ἔπειτα τῶν τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦτο γὰρ ἐποίησεν ἐφάπαξ ἑαυτὸν ἀνενέγκας )·
Hebrews 7:28
ὁ νόμος γὰρ ἀνθρώπους καθίστησιν ἀρχιερεῖς ἔχοντας ἀσθένειαν, ὁ λόγος δὲ τῆς ὁρκωμοσίας τῆς μετὰ τὸν νόμον υἱόν, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τετελειωμένον.