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Hebrews 7

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The Superiority of Melchizedek's Priesthood 1–10

1
For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; ​
2
To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; ​
3
Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. ​
4
Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
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:
6
But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
7
And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. ​
8
And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. ​
9
And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. ​
10
For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

Necessity of Changing the Priesthood and Law 11–19

11
If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? ​
12
For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. ​
13
For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
14
For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. ​
15
And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
16
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. ​
17
For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
18
For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. ​
19
For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. ​

Christ's Eternal Priesthood Secured by an Oath 20–28

20
And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:
21
(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) ​
22
By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. ​
23
And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
24
But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. ​
25
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. ​
26
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; ​
27
Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. ​
28
For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Hebrews 7

Verse 1

king of Salem — The account is Gen 14:17–20: Melchisedec brought out ‘bread and wine’, blessed Abram and received ‘tithes of all’. Salem is named in Ps 76:2, ‘In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion’. ‘Most high’ (hypsistos) is the title behind ‘the Son of the Highest’ in Luke 1:32.

Verse 2

King of righteousness — ‘By interpretation’ (hermeneuo) is the verb of John 9:7, ‘Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent)’. The name Melchisedec gives ‘King of righteousness’ and Salem gives ‘King of peace’ (eirene), in that order: ‘first’ righteousness, ‘after that’ peace. The tithe is that of Gen 14:20.

Verse 3

without father, without mother — Apator, ametor and agenealogetos (‘without descent’) occur only here, as does ‘made like’ (aphomoioo). Genesis names no parents for Melchisedec and records neither birth nor death. So he resembles the Son, who ‘abideth a priest continually’, the word rendered ‘for ever’ in 10:12, 14.

Verse 7

the less is blessed of the better — ‘Better’ (kreisson) is the keyword seen in 6:9 and again in 7:19, 22. The principle is applied to Gen 14:19, where Melchisedec blessed him ‘that had the promises’ (v.6). ‘Contradiction’ (antilogia) is ‘strife’ in 6:16 and ‘contradiction of sinners’ in 12:3; ‘without all’ means beyond dispute.

Verse 8

he liveth — ‘Here’ are the Levites, who ‘die’ and need successors (v.23); ‘there’ is Melchisedec, ‘of whom it is witnessed’ (martyreo) that he lives, the verb of v.17, ‘he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever’. The witness is Ps 110:4, which speaks of no end. Christ says, ‘I am he that liveth, and was dead’ (Rev 1:18).

Verse 9

payed tithes in Abraham — Levi receives ‘all the tenth in Israel’ (Num 18:21), yet v.10 says he ‘was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him’. ‘As I may so say’ renders the phrase hos epos eipein, ‘so to speak’, in which epos occurs only here, a modest way of putting the argument. Dekatoo is the verb ‘tithe’.

Verse 11

perfection… by the Levitical priesthood — ‘Perfection’ (teleiosis) occurs only here and in Luke 1:45, where it is ‘performance’; ‘Levitical’ (Leuitikos) occurs only here. The question is why ‘another priest should rise’, the verb of v.15, ‘there ariseth another priest’. ‘The order of Aaron’ is named only here.

Verse 12

the priesthood being changed — ‘Changed’ (metatithemi) and ‘change’ (metathesis) are the verb and noun of Enoch’s removal in 11:5, ‘Enoch was translated’. The law is moved with the priesthood, since ‘under it the people received the law’ (v.11). The new covenant of Jer 31:31–34 is quoted in 8:8–12.

Verse 14

sprang out of Juda — Anatello is used of the sun rising (Matt 5:45) and the day star arising (2 Pet 1:19); the Branch from Jesse’s roots is the same figure (Isa 11:1). The priests were of Aaron’s house (Ex 28:1), and Moses ‘spake nothing’ of Juda in that regard. Rev 5:5 calls Christ ‘the Lion of the tribe of Juda’.

Verse 16

the power of an endless life — The ‘carnal commandment’ is priesthood by descent from Aaron. ‘Endless’ (akatalytos), indissoluble, occurs only here and answers v.3, ‘neither beginning of days, nor end of life’. ‘Power’ (dynamis) is the word of Rom 1:4, ‘declared to be the Son of God with power… by the resurrection from the dead’.

Verse 18

disannulling — Athetesis occurs only here and in 9:26, where Christ appears ‘to put away sin’. The ‘commandment going before’ is the rule of priesthood by descent. ‘Unprofitableness’ (anopheles) is found elsewhere only in Titus 3:9. The Law itself is ‘holy’ (Rom 7:12); it was ‘weak through the flesh’ (Rom 8:3).

Verse 19

a better hope — ‘Made nothing perfect’ uses teleioo, the verb of 5:9. ‘Bringing in’ (epeisagoge), something brought in alongside, occurs only here. ‘Draw nigh’ (eggizo) is the verb of Jas 4:8, ‘Draw nigh to God’; the way is open in 4:16, ‘come boldly unto the throne of grace’.

Verse 21

with an oath — The Levitical priests ‘were made without an oath’; ‘oath’ here is horkomosia, found only in vv.20, 21 and 28. The oath is Ps 110:4, ‘The Lord sware and will not repent’ (metamelomai, to change the mind). It is the Lord’s own oath, as he swore to Abraham (6:13).

Verse 22

a surety — Egguos, one who gives a pledge for another, occurs only here. Judah once became ‘surety for the lad’ (Gen 44:32). Jesus is surety of a ‘better testament’ (diatheke, covenant), called ‘a better covenant’ in 8:6 and tied to ‘the blood of sprinkling’ in 12:24; its pledge is the oath of v.21.

Verse 24

an unchangeable priesthood — Aparabatos, which does not pass to another, occurs only here. The Levitical priests ‘were not suffered to continue by reason of death’ (v.23); he ‘continueth ever’. The people had heard ‘out of the law that Christ abideth for ever’ (John 12:34). Hierosyne, priesthood, is peculiar to this chapter.

Verse 25

to the uttermost — Panteles, completely, occurs elsewhere only in Luke 13:11, ‘in no wise lift up herself’. ‘Come’ is proserchomai, the verb of 4:16, ‘come boldly unto the throne of grace’. ‘Make intercession’ (entynchano) is the verb of Rom 8:34, where Christ at God’s right hand ‘maketh intercession for us’.

Verse 26

holy, harmless, undefiled — ‘Holy’ is hosios, the word of ‘thine Holy One’ (Acts 2:27). ‘Harmless’ (akakos), without evil, occurs elsewhere only in Rom 16:18, where it is ‘simple’. ‘Undefiled’ (amiantos) is also the word of Heb 13:4 and Jas 1:27. ‘Higher than the heavens’ answers 4:14, ‘passed into the heavens’.

Verse 27

for this he did once — ‘Once’ is ephapax, once for all, the word of 9:12, 10:10 and Rom 6:10. The pattern here is ‘first for his own sins, and then for the people’s’ (Lev 16:6, 15; cf. 5:3), beside the two lambs ‘day by day continually’ (Ex 29:38). Christ’s one offering was ‘himself’ (9:14).

Verse 28

consecrated for evermore — ‘Consecrated’ is teleioo, ‘made perfect’ in 5:9 and of the Son’s own path in 2:10. ‘Infirmity’ returns from 5:2, where the human priest is ‘compassed with infirmity’. ‘The word of the oath, which was since the law’ is Ps 110:4 (v.21), given after the law was.