Chapter Seven

The greatness of the Old Testament Melchizedek (1–10). The greater greatness of the New Testament Melchizedek — Jesus Christ (11–17). His eternity in the true sense of the word (18–25). His supreme perfections — holiness, blamelessness, and divine majesty (26–28).

Hebrews 7:1. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, According to Gen 14:18-20, Melchizedek — king of righteousness — (from the Hebrew for king and righteousness) — “king of Salem,” that is, Jerusalem (cf. Ps 75:3). — “Priest of the Most High God,” as he is also named in the book of Genesis. The apostle makes no mention of Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine to Abraham, seeking to concentrate the attention of his hearers only on the tithe of the spoil, by which Abraham expressed his acknowledgment of the priestly dignity of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:2. to whom Abraham also apportioned a tenth of everything — first, by interpretation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, that is, king of peace, Further on the apostle unfolds the typological significance of Melchizedek in relation to the Son of God, finding in his very name — king of righteousness and king of peace — a pointer to Christ, the true King of righteousness and peace (cf. 1 Cor 1:30; Jer 23:6; Mal 4:2; Dan 9:24; Isa 9:6-7; Rom 5:1; Eph 2:14).

Hebrews 7:3. without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. “Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life.” The non-mention of all this in Holy Scripture the apostle magnificently presents as a resemblance to the actual attributes of the Son of God, who has no father — with respect to his humanity, no mother — with respect to his divinity, no genealogy — by reason of his spotless birth, and neither beginning of days nor end of life — by reason of his divine eternal existence. “He remains a priest forever” by virtue of there being no mention of either beginning of days or end of life — he always remains in the position that was described of him, and the silence about his death and successors — in resemblance to the truly eternal priesthood of Christ (Heb 7:24). The purpose of all this comparison is to show that if the Levitical priesthood is much inferior to the priesthood of Melchizedek, it is self-evident how much more inferior it is to that priesthood of which the priesthood of Melchizedek was only a likeness.

Hebrews 7:4. See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth from the choicest of his spoils. “From the choicest of his spoils.” In order to portray more vividly the greatness of Melchizedek, the apostle calls Abraham, who gave him the tithe, by the honorable title “patriarch” (2 Chr 19:8; Acts 7:8; Luke 1:73; John 8:53), and elevates the very tithe in significance by calling it “from the choicest of his spoils.” The purpose of this is clear: if so great a patriarch so excellently honored Melchizedek with the tithe as priest of the Most High God, how much greater must be the One of whom Melchizedek was only a faint likeness?

Hebrews 7:5. And those who receive the priesthood from among the sons of Levi have a commandment to collect tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brothers, even though these also have come from the loins of Abraham. Hebrews 7:6. But this man, who does not trace his descent from them, received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. Hebrews 7:7. Now beyond all dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. Hebrews 7:8. And here mortal men receive tithes, but there it is one about whom testimony is borne that he lives. Hebrews 7:9. And, so to speak, even Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, Hebrews 7:10. for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. With irresistible conviction and logical sequence, by elucidating the greatness of Melchizedek, the apostle leads his hearers to acknowledge the greatness of the Son of God, foreshadowed by Melchizedek. Melchizedek proves to be greater than the sons of Levi. He received the tithe from Abraham himself, the progenitor of Levi, and, so to speak, from Levi himself (vv. 9–10), the progenitor of the Old Testament priesthood. Finally, Melchizedek even blessed Abraham (and Levi), in which the extreme degree of Melchizedek’s superiority was manifested, for unquestionably the lesser is blessed by the greater. In his comparisons of the priesthood of Melchizedek and the Levitical priesthood the apostle leaves no detail unexplored to prove the superiority of the former over the latter. Thus in v. 8 he points to a further superiority: whereas in the Levitical priesthood tithes honored, so to speak, a hereditary priesthood constantly refreshed by new bearers of it in place of those who died, in Melchizedek what was honored was, as it were, a personal priesthood without relation to any succession, which in this case is as though non-existent (“one about whom testimony is borne that he lives,” cf. Heb 7:3).

Hebrews 7:11. If therefore perfection were attainable through the Levitical priesthood — for under it the people received the law — what further need would there be for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, rather than to be designated according to the order of Aaron? Hebrews 7:12. For when the priesthood is changed, there is necessarily also a change in the law. From verse 11 the apostle passes to the exposition of the superiority of Christ’s priesthood over the Levitical, drawing the appropriate conclusions from what has been said. The necessity of the appearance of another priest according to the order of Melchizedek proves the insufficiency of the Levitical priesthood for attaining perfection in the fullness of eternal communion with God (cf. Heb 11:40), and is directly conditioned by this insufficiency. Yet this Levitical priesthood had in its time such great importance. — “For under it the people received the law...” that is, the law was given to the people on the condition that the Levitical priesthood existed, which thus constituted the central point of the entire law. It is clear that if the people of the Old Testament could be brought to perfection, it would only be through the Levitical priesthood on which the whole law was founded. And then there would have been no need for another priesthood. But since this did not happen, another priesthood was required, and with it another law in place of the former, which fell together with its priesthood (v. 12).

Hebrews 7:13. For the one of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. The verse explains the expression of Heb 7:11 about another priest — not of the lineage of Aaron, but according to the order of Melchizedek. This Other, that is, Christ, was so different that he also came from a completely different tribe — from Judah, “from which no one has ever served at the altar.”

Hebrews 7:14. For it is evident that our Lord descended from Judah, and Moses said nothing about that tribe with respect to the priesthood. “Our Lord descended from the tribe of Judah...” — Greek: ανατέταλκεν — properly, arose, and of celestial bodies — shone forth (at rising): — here, therefore, one can see an allusion both to the Star of Jacob (Num 24:17; Isa 60:1; Mal 4:2) and to the branch or shoot whose rising was foretold more than once by the prophets (Jer 23:5; Zech 3:8).

Hebrews 7:15. And this becomes even clearer from the fact that another Priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, “And this becomes even clearer from the fact” — Greek: περισσότερον έτι καταδηλόν έστιν, Slavonic more precisely: “and yet more evident is this” — that is, an even more manifest truth, that the other priest who arose according to the order of Melchizedek was truly Christ, who worthily received this honor not by the law of a fleshly commandment, but by the power of an indestructible life, as the Son of God and Son of the Virgin. Even more — in comparison to the previously proved thought that “another” priest and another law had to arise (Heb 7:11-12). This still more manifest truth is at the same time a new proof of the annulment of everything connected with the Old Testament Levitical priesthood, because a new priest arose according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:16. who became such not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an indestructible life. “Not according to the law of a fleshly commandment” — can be understood in two ways: either in the sense of not by right of fleshly descent from the former high priest (as is known, the high priesthood was customarily passed from father to the eldest son or within the family), but by virtue of the self-existent eternal life of Christ; or in a broader sense, not according to the outward fleshly law — fleshly (σαρκικής) as opposed to the spiritual law, the law of the spirit of life and freedom in Christ, which has an eternally living significance. Only such a priesthood fully satisfied what was promised in the well-known saying of the Psalmist (Heb 7:17).

Hebrews 7:17. For it is testified: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:18. For on the one hand there is an annulment of the former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness, The condition by virtue of which the replacement of the priesthood and law of Aaron by the new one according to the order of Melchizedek was inevitable, stated in Heb 7:11-12, is confirmed. The Old Testament law and priesthood have indeed exhausted their conditional, limited, and temporary significance and have reached their goal and end — replacement by a better hope and better means of drawing near to God. — The “annulment” of the former commandment took place because of its “weakness,” which was created both by its essential content (sacrificial offerings, as insufficient means of the justification of people) and even more by the imperfection of the people and their moral deterioration, for the remedy of which all the multitude of prescriptions of the Old Testament law lacked the inner life-giving gracious power proper to the law and grace of Christ. This “weakness” of the Old Testament law turned into “uselessness” when the time appointed by God and reached by the development of humanity arrived for its replacement by something better and more perfect.

Hebrews 7:19. for the law made nothing perfect; but on the other hand a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. “The law made nothing perfect” — not in the sense that it did not fulfill God’s intentions with which it was introduced. No, the Lord does not err in his deeds and in the plans of his divine wisdom. Within its bounds and purposes the law fulfilled the thought of God perfectly — to be a tutor leading to Christ; it accomplished what it was foreordained to be, bringing nothing to perfection while preparing the way for this perfection, for the new commandment and law by which God’s purpose was attained more directly and perfectly. — “A better hope” — a better means for the attainment of the hope of closest communion with God. Less perfect means for attaining this hope made the very hope itself, as it were, different — curtailed, lesser, inferior. Here this same hope is called “better,” as though different, more fully attainable and satisfying to man. The path to this new hope, and guidance therein, is given in the new priesthood of Christ, which has replaced the weakness and imperfection of the Old Testament institutions.

Hebrews 7:20. And inasmuch as this was not done without an oath — Hebrews 7:21. for those were made priests without an oath, but this one with an oath through him who said to him: The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, — Hebrews 7:22. by so much has Jesus become the guarantor of a better covenant. The superior dignity of Christ’s priesthood, its excellence over the Old Testament, its necessity and inalienability, is confirmed by the Lord himself — by the fact that the institution of this priesthood was accompanied by an oath (cf. Heb 6:16-18). — “Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant...” This is assured to us, apart from the oath of God, by both the substance of the better covenant and the person of the Guarantor. The substance of the better covenant is characterized by the fact that it brings everything to perfection and gives not only a commandment, but also “all the divine power for life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3). Corresponding to the significance of this better covenant, and assuring it, is also the person of the Guarantor, who has shown such exalted love toward people on the part of God (“for God so loved the world,” John 3:16), and who has given people such high authority to be “children of God” (John 1:12), for whom he stands as the eternally living Intercessor, having taken upon himself their sins and laid down his soul for them.

Hebrews 7:23. Moreover, those priests were many in number, because death prevented any one of them from continuing in office; Hebrews 7:24. but he, because he abides forever, holds his priesthood permanently, Hebrews 7:25. therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come through him to God, since he is always alive to make intercession for them. The true high priest, Christ, is the one, eternal, non-replaceable, always living, always interceding high priest for people. In this lies the essential distinction and superiority of his position over the many-membered Old Testament priesthood, and in this is the fulfillment of God’s promise that the priest according to the order of Melchizedek would be forever one, eternal, undying, non-replaceable, and never ceasing to intercede (Rom 8:34; 1 Tim 2:5; Heb 2:17). — “Those who come through him to God” — that is, through him, as Mediator and Intercessor, receiving the faith, justification, and sanctification that save them.

Hebrews 7:26. For such a High Priest was indeed fitting for us: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens, Hebrews 7:27. who has no need daily, as those high priests do, to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins and then for those of the people, for he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Hebrews 7:28. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness; but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. Having drawn the full portrait of the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, the apostle once more measures against him, so to speak, the attributes of Jesus Christ and establishes decisively and clearly the complete and ideal perfection of him as the true High Priest of the New Covenant. — “Exalted above the heavens...” — cf. Eph 4:10, “at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Heb 1:3), and specifically as the closest and most powerful Intercessor for us before God. As the Son of God, Jesus, both as sacrifice and as High Priest, is complete perfection forever, since with respect to the Father there can be nothing greater or equal to the Son. With this last, unassailably powerful and majestic argument the apostle brings to an unreachable height his proofs and reflections on the dignity and significance of the true and eternal High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.