Chapter Seven
Heb. 7:1. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham and blessed him as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings,
Heb. 7:2. to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth of everything, – (cf. Gen. 14:18)
The apostle's aim is to show the difference between the Old and New Testaments. And he already pointed to this at the very beginning, saying that to the ancients God spoke through His servants the prophets, but to us, the people of the New Testament, "in the Son" (Heb. 1:1–2). But since the listeners were weak, for they had shown faintheartedness under trials, he strengthened the weak in the middle of the epistle, and finally, after he had sufficiently encouraged them, he again begins to speak of the superiority of the New Testament over the Old. And observe his wisdom. He shows that Melchizedek, who was a type of Christ, surpassed Abraham. For if he had not surpassed him, he would not have blessed him and would not have received tithes from him. And since from Abraham descended the priests of the law, it is clear that Melchizedek surpasses them as well, as though blessing them too and receiving tithes from them, at the time when he blessed their forefather and received tithes from him. But if the type of Christ, Melchizedek, so greatly differs from the priests of the law, how much more so the true Melchizedek, Christ? Such is the general meaning of this passage. But having briefly set forth the narrative concerning Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18–20), he then proceeds to examine it, explaining the history of Melchizedek from its spiritual and mystical side.
Heb. 7:2. First, by the meaning of his name, king of righteousness,
Here he shows in what sense Melchizedek is a prototype of Christ. And first of all, he says, learn the true meaning from the name itself. Namely: "Melchi" means king; "Sedek" means righteousness. Who else is the king of righteousness, if not our Lord Jesus Christ?
Heb. 7:2. and then also the king of Salem, that is, the king of peace,
And from the name of the city, he says, this is clear. For Salem, by interpretation, means "peace." But who else is the king of peace, if not Christ, who reconciled the heavenly and the earthly? The title "king of righteousness and peace" befits no man, but Christ alone.
Heb. 7:3. Without father, without mother, without genealogy,
There is also another similarity. Namely, just as Melchizedek is without father and without mother — not, of course, because he had no father or mother, for as a man he did have them — but because Scripture does not indicate his genealogy and does not mention his parents. So too Christ is without father by His earthly birth, for according to the flesh He was born of the Virgin Mary alone. And without mother by His heavenly birth, for He was ineffably and incomprehensibly begotten of the Father alone before all ages. But beyond that, He is also "without genealogy," for "who shall declare His generation?" (Isa. 53:8; cf. Acts 8:33). Since the Father who begot Him is in heaven and incomprehensible, the very manner of His begetting is also incomprehensible. Nor can reason comprehend the Mother who gave birth on earth — specifically, the manner of birth, that is, how the Virgin gave birth without pangs, and the like. Thus Christ is in reality without father and without mother; Melchizedek, however, is without father and without mother not in reality, for that is impossible, but in the sense that Scripture does not mention his parents. Therefore the expression "without genealogy" serves as a kind of explanation of the other expression, "without father and without mother." The Apostle speaks as if to say: I said of Melchizedek that he is without father and mother because Scripture contains no genealogy of his and makes no mention of his lineage.
Heb. 7:3. Having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, he abides a priest forever.
And understand this in the same sense as what was said before. As a man, Melchizedek had, of course, both a beginning of days and an end of life, but since we know neither when he was born nor when he died, in our understanding he as it were has neither beginning nor end. Christ, however, in reality, as God, has neither beginning, for He is without beginning in relation to the beginning of time, although He has the Father as a beginning, as a cause; nor end, for He is immortal; in a word, He is eternal. Where, then, are the Arians? Let them hear that the Son has no beginning. In this sense Paul resolves this question for us. And if anything causes us difficulty, it is this: how is Christ "a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek," when Melchizedek died and was not a priest "forever"? Let us resolve this difficulty as well, saying that Christ, as eternal and immortal, is truly "a Priest forever." For even now—we believe—He continually offers Himself for us through His ministers, and especially as our Advocate before the Father: at this time He performs for us the most exalted and most mysterious priestly service, offering Himself to us in bread and drink in a wondrous manner surpassing all understanding. Of Melchizedek it is said that he has an eternal priesthood, not because he is eternal, for he died; but because Scripture does not indicate his end, from which we could know when his priesthood ceased. And just as with regard to names, the first has only titles—Melchizedek, that is, king of righteousness, and king of Salem (king of peace)—while in Christ these are reality, so also the expression "having neither beginning of days nor end of life" applies to the first, Melchizedek, only because this was not recorded, for he was a type; but to Christ it applies in reality. If the likeness were in all respects, there would be neither type nor truth, but in both cases either a type or in both cases truth. Do we not see this also in paintings? There, too, a simple outline already has a likeness compared with the finished painting, since the characteristic features are faintly represented by lines; yet it also has a dissimilarity, since the painting through colors has received a more distinct and clearer appearance.
Heb. 7:4. See how great is the one to whom even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the best of his spoils.
After he fitted the type to the truth, that is, what belongs to Melchizedek to Christ, he finally shows with confidence that the type, that is Melchizedek, is more glorious than the actual Jewish priests themselves, and not only them, but even the patriarch himself. And if the type surpasses them, then the true High Priest Christ will surpass them far more. So, "see," he says, "how great," that is, how superior is the one to whom gifts were offered not by an ordinary man, but by Abraham, so great a patriarch; he added the word "patriarch" not without purpose, but to elevate the person. And "from the best spoils," that is, from the most excellent and valuable spoil. And one cannot say that he set apart some compensation for labor as to one who fought alongside him and helped, but rather to one who stayed at home. Therefore he also said above: "met Abraham returning after the defeat of the kings." And if he is above the patriarch himself, which the giving of the tithe shows, then he is far above the priests of the law.
Heb. 7:5. And those who receive the priesthood from among the sons of Levi have a commandment to take tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their own brothers, even though these also have come from the loins of Abraham.
Heb. 7:6. But he who does not trace his descent from them received a tithe from Abraham
Now he shows in what way Melchizedek is above Abraham, saying that the ministers from the tribe of Levi received tithes from the people (Lev. 27:30–32), evidently as better and more honorable men on account of the dignity of the priesthood. For why else does the people itself, enduring heavy labors and hardships, bring tithes of every kind to priests who do not undergo such labors and do not till the land, if not because they are more sacred and serve a higher purpose? Such is the dignity of the priesthood, and so much higher are those who hold it than their own brothers, even though they came from the same loins. Hence Melchizedek too, who received a tithe from Abraham, and moreover not being of his lineage, for he was a foreigner, is superior and higher than he. For why would Abraham have given a tithe to a foreigner if great honor did not belong to him? And if Melchizedek, the type, surpasses even Abraham himself, how much more does the true High Priest surpass the priests of the law.
Heb. 7:6. And he blessed the one who had the promises.
Since Abraham was exalted in every way by the fact that he received promises from God, he now adds that such a great man, who was deemed worthy of conversation with God and had God as his debtor, was blessed by a type of Christ.
Heb. 7:7. The lesser is blessed by the greater, beyond all contradiction.
The [Apostle] said that Melchizedek blessed so great an Abraham. Yet we all agree without dispute that the one who blesses is greater than the one who is blessed. Therefore, Melchizedek too, the prototype of Christ, is greater than the patriarch.
Heb. 7:8. And here men that die receive tithes, but there he of whom it is witnessed that he lives.
And another argument proving that Melchizedek is superior to the priests of the law. For "here," that is, in the law, those who receive tithes die; but "there," that is, in the case of Melchizedek, the one who received tithes is one of whom Scripture testifies that he "lives." For "You," it says, "are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek" (Ps. 109:4). As for the fact that Melchizedek lives forever, understand this in the same way as was said above, that is, that Scripture makes no mention of his death. That the Levites die while Melchizedek lives, some understand as meaning that the form of the Levitical priesthood has become dead, for it has been rendered ineffective, whereas the form of the priesthood of Melchizedek, or of life according to Christ, lives and abides, and will exist forever.
Heb. 7:9. And so to speak, Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham:
So that the priests of the law could not say: what relation does it have to us if Abraham gave a tithe? – he says that through the mediation of Abraham, Levi too, the forefather of our priesthood, "who receives tithes,... paid tithes." Thus, is not Melchizedek superior even to Levi, when he evidently received a tithe from him as well, through the mediation of Abraham? The expression "so to speak" either means: to put it briefly, or instead of: so I will say. Since it seemed too bold to say that Levi, not yet having been born, paid tithes to Melchizedek, he softened this (statement by using the figure of speech "so to speak" – Ed. note).