Hebrews 7

“THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS”

Chapter Seven Resuming the discussion of Jesus as High Priest, the superiority of Melchizedek to Abraham and Levi is first demonstrated (Hebrews 7:1-10). Reasons are then given why a new priest after the order of Melchizedek was necessary, which also required a change in the Law (Hebrews 7:11-19). Finally, the greatness of Jesus as our new High Priest is explained (Hebrews 7:20-28).

POINTS TO PONDER

• The superiority of Melchizedek to Abraham and Levi

• The change in the priesthood and the annulment of the law

• The superiority of Jesus’ priesthood to the Levitical priesthood

REVIEW

1. What are the main points of this chapter?- The greatness of Melchizedek - Hebrews 7:1-10- The need for a new priesthood - Hebrews 7:11-19- The greatness of Jesus’ priesthood - Hebrews 7:20-28

2. Where in the Old Testament can we read about Melchizedek? (Hebrews 7:1)- In Genesis 14:18-20; also Psalms 110:4

3. What do Melchizedek and the Son of God appear to have in common? (Hebrews 7:3)- Both appear to be without father and mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, remaining as priests continually

4. Why is Melchizedek greater than both Abraham and Levi? (Hebrews 7:4-10)- Abraham was blessed by Melchizedek, and the lesser is blessed by the greater

• Melchizedek received tithes from Abraham and from his descendant Levi (so to speak)

5. Why was there a need for a change in the priesthood? (Hebrews 7:11)- The Law which established the Levitical priesthood made nothing perfect

6. What was required for there to be a change in the priesthood? (Hebrews 7:12; Hebrews 7:18)- The law had to be changed, indeed, annulled

7. What evidence is there that the Law has been changed? (Hebrews 7:13-17)- The priest (Jesus) came from the tribe of Judah, not Levi as required by the Law

• The priest (Jesus) has the power of endless life, as foretold in Psalms 110:4

8. List some of the qualities of Jesus’ priesthood. (Hebrews 7:20-28)- By the oath of the Lord

• Surety of a better covenant
• An unchangeable priesthood
• Able to save to the uttermost
• Always lives to make intercession
• Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners
• Offered up Himself once for all
• Has been perfected forever HEBREWS CHAPTER SEVEN.Christ’s Priesthood After the Order of Melchizedec.SUMMARY.–The High Dignity of Melchizedec as a Priest. Abraham Paid Him Tithes. Thus Did the Aaronic Priesthood Confess His Superiority. A Type of a Priest Forever. Christ to be a Priest After the Order of Melchizedec. Hence, the Aaronic Priesthood Imperfect. Hence, too, the Law Must be Changed. Christ, the Priest of the New Covenant, Hath an Unchangeable Priesthood. 1-3. For this Melchizedec, king of Salem. See the account of him in Genesis 14:18-20 . That he was a character of exceeding dignity is manifest, not only from the statements of Genesis, but of this chapter. There have been many speculations concerning his personality, but no man can lift the vail. He bursts upon us as a priest-king, king of Salem, or Jerusalem, which we now know from discoveries in Egyptian records existed even in those very early ages; priest of the most High God. There is no account of his parents, none of his birth, none of his death, none of the beginning or end of his priesthood; hence, he appears in the record without parents, genealogy, beginning or end, simply as one that liveth, a fit type of him whose priesthood and kingly state endure forever. Who met Abraham.

See Genesis 14:20 . Abraham was returning from the pursuit of marauders who had captured Lot, his nephew. Blessed him. The “great father,” “the friend of God,” thus acknowledges his superior spiritual dignity. 2. To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all. Tithes were paid to him as priest of the Most High. King of righteousness. Such is the meaning of Melchizedek.

The word may not be the name, but a title. King of Salem. This means “King of Peace.” It will be observed that the payment of tithes for religious purposes is at least 400 years older than the Jewish law. See also Genesis 28:22 . 3. Without father, without mother. See note on verse 1. Nor end of life. None as he appears in history.

As far as he is revealed to us he is a living character, one that lives right on, like unto the Son of God. The Apostle does not affirm this was absolutely so, but that it is thus that Melchizedek appears on the back ground of early history. He abideth, in the Sacred Record, a priest continually.4-10. How great this man was. When one so great as Abraham recognized his superiority by paying him tithes. 5. The sons of Levi. The Aaronic priesthood, all of them of the tribe of Levi. Take tithes of the people according to the law.

They require the enactment of the law in order to collect tithes of the people, their own brethren. The tithes are paid, not because of their great spiritual dignity, but because the law compels it. 6. But he whose descent is not counted from them. Melchizedek, who was not of the blood of Abraham or tribe of Levi, received tithes of Abraham, not because of the law, but because of his transcendent dignity. 7. The less is blessed by the better. Though Abraham had the promises of God Melchizedek, as the higher in spiritual dignity and nearer to God, blessed him. See Genesis 27:27 to Genesis 29:8. Here men that die receive tithes.

The Aaronic priesthood die, and the death of the high priest is a matter of record. Their mortality was a prominent feature, but in the case of Melchizedek, he who receives tithes liveth right on as far as the records tell us. We behold him only as a living priest, typical of a priest who liveth forever. 9. Levi also, who receiveth tithes. The sacred tribe of Israel, the tribe to whom tithes are paid, paid tithes to Melchizedek. 10. He was yet. All Israel, kings and priests, though yet unborn, were represented in Abraham. Hence Levi paid tithes, and thus confessed the superiority of the priesthood of Melchizedek. 11-17. The superiority of the priesthood of Melchizedek to that of Aaron in dignity having been shown, the imperfection of the latter is next pointed out. If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood.If it effected the complete pardon of sins and made men holy. What further need was there, etc. If it gave all needful spiritual blessings there would be no need of another priesthood. The Aaronic priesthood would have been continued on forever. But a change of the priesthood has been predicted, as will soon be shown. 12. For the priesthood being changed.

The law as given “under the Levitical priesthood” ( verse 11), and was all grouped around the priesthood as its very center. Of course, if the priesthood was changed the law of the old priesthood, the law of Moses, must go with it, and give place to a new law. 13. For he of whom these things are spoken. Of whom an unchangeable priesthood is predicted. Pertaineth to another tribe. All the priests of the Jewish dispensation had been of the tribe of Levi, but Christ was not of this tribe. 14. Our Lord sprang from Judah. In the genealogies as given by Matthew and Luke.

The Messiah was to be the son of David. 15. It is yet far more evident. Still more clear than that the new High Priest should be of the tribe of Judah. That could be shown by an argument, because it was affirmed (1) that the Christ was to be the Son of David; (2) David was of Judah; (3) The Christ was to be a priest. On the other hand, without argument, is the clear affirmation that there was to be a new priesthood, a priest after the likeness of Melchizedec. 16. Who is made, etc. The Levitical priesthood based their claims on a a carnal commandment, a fleshly claim, that of hereditary right. Eleazer succeeded Aaron because he was his son, and so each high priest.

The power of an endless life. The claim of the great high priest is not fleshly descent, but that he lives forever. He demonstrated his title to the office by rising from the dead. He was exalted to the kingly priesthood when he arose from the dead . 17. Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek. See Psalms 110:4 . This declares that the Christ shall be a priest, a priest forever, a priest not of the order of Aaron, but of Melchizedek; a priest-king whose office abideth continually. 18-22. A disannulling of the commandment going before. The old law and the Aaronic priesthood are abrogated because of their imperfection. They could not make men perfect. 19. For the law made nothing perfect. The law was only a preparatory arrangement.

It did not fit men for eternal life. The bringing in of a better hope. See the Revision. The idea is: The law was disannulled and a “better hope” brought in, that of the gospel, by which we draw nigh unto God. 20. Not without an oath. God never interposed an oath except to show certainty and immutability.

Thus he swore to Abraham ; to the rebellious Israelites ; to David, that his seed should endure forever . Since the same solemn assurance is given concerning the priesthood of Christ, the meaning is that it is immutable. 21. For those priests. The Aaronic priests. Their priesthood did not rest upon an oath. Hence, it was not eternal; Christ’s did, for God gave it the sanctity of an oath.

The solemn words are significant, “The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever, etc.” 22. By so much. By such solemn means was Jesus made a surety, the pledge and firm assurance. A surety is intended to secure absolute certainty. A better testament. Rather, covenant.

Jesus became the pledge of the new covenant, the Gospel. God has established him as its high priest forever, by the sanctity of an oath. This is the line of argument. 23-28. Were many priests. Since they were removed by death there were in succession many Aaronic high priests. 24. But this man, etc. Christ was victorious over death before he entered upon his priesthood; he lives forever, and hence, there is no change of his priesthood. 25. Wherefore he is able also to save, etc.

Because he is such a high priest, and hath the power of an endless life. He is not a frail mortal like us; and can save, in every extremity, all who approach God through his priesthood. 26. Such an high priest became us. We need just such a high priest; one who hath no sins and is exalted above the heathen. He needs not to save himself, and hence is able to save. 27. Who needeth not daily.

The daily sacrifice was offered on the altar, under the direction of the high priest, for the sins of the whole nation, including himself. For this he did once. Instead of the daily offering for himself and others, Christ made but one offering, himself, when he died upon the cross. This offering was complete when he, as the high priest, ascended into the Holy of Holies above to intercede for the sins of his people. The perfect high priest had offered the perfect sacrifice and had dedicated the new and better covenant. Christ made his offering as a priest in “The true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” 28.

For the law, etc. The law puts imperfect men into the Aaronic priesthood. But the word of the oath . . . maketh the Son. The spotless and Divine one who became an eternal priest. Hebrews 7 Verse 1

1. ֿὖפןע דὰס ὁ ´וכקיףוה�ך. All that is historically known of Melchisedek is found in three verses of the book of Genesis (Genesis 14:18-20). In all the twenty centuries of sacred history he is only mentioned once, in Psalms 110:4. This chapter is a mystical explanation of the significance of these two brief allusions. It was not wholly new, since the Jews attached high honour to the name of Melchisedek, whom they identified with Shem, and Philo had already spoken of Melchisedek as a type of the Logos (De Leg. Alleg. III. 25, Opp. I. 102). גבףיכוὺע ׃בכ�ל. Salem is probably a town near Shechem. It is the same which is mentioned in Genesis 33:18 , and in John 3:23; and it is the Salumias of Jdt 4:4. This is the view of Jerome, who in his Onomasticon places it eight miles south of Bethshean. The site is marked by a ruined well still called Sheikh Salim (Robinson, Bibl. Res. III. 333). In Jerome’ s time the ruins of a large palace were shewn in this place as “ the palace of Melchisedek” ; and this agrees with the Samaritan tradition that Abraham had been met by Melchisedek not at Jerusalem but at Gerizim.

The same tradition is mentioned by Eupolemos (Euseb. Praep. Evang. IX. 17. See Stanley, Sin. and Pal. p. 237). The more common view has been that Salem is a shortened form of Jerusalem, but this is very improbable; for [1] only a single instance of this abbreviation has been adduced, and that only as a poetic license in a late Psalm which the LXX. describe as “ A Psalm with reference to the Assyrian” (Psalms 76:2). [2] Even this instance is very dubious, for (ב) the Psalmist may be intending to contrast the sanctuary of Melchisedek with that of David; or (ג) even here the true rendering may be “ His place has been made in peace” as the Vulgate renders it. [3] Jerusalem in the days of Abraham, and for centuries afterwards, was only known by the name Jebus. [4] The typical character of Melchisedek would be rather impaired than enhanced by his being a king at Jerusalem, for that was the holy city of the Aaronic priesthood of which he was wholly independent, being a type of One in whose priesthood men should worship the Father in all places alike if they offered a spiritual worship.

We must then regard Salem as being a different place from Jerusalem, if any place at all is intended. For though both the Targums and Josephus (Antt.

I. 10, § 2) here identify Salem with Jerusalem, the Bereshith Rabba interprets the word Salem as an appellative, and says that “ King of Salem” means “ Perfect King,” and that this title was given to him because he was circumcised (see W�nsche, Bibl. Rabbinica, Beresh. Rabba, p. 198). Philo too says “ king of peace, for that is the meaning of Salem” (Leg. Alleg. III. 25, comp. Isaiah 9:6; Colossians 1:20). Nothing depends on the solution of the question, for in any case the fact that “ Salem” means “ peace” or “ peaceful” is pressed into the typology.

But the Salem near Sichem was itself in a neighbourhood hallowed by reminiscences scarcely less sacred than those of Jerusalem. Besides this connexion with the name of Melchisedek, it was the place where Jacob built the altar El-Elohe-Israel; the scene of John’ s baptism; and the region in which Christ first revealed Himself to the woman of Samaria as the Messiah. ἱוסוὺע פןῦ טוןῦ פןῦὑר�ףפןץ. The union of Royalty and Priesthood in the same person gave him peculiar sacredness (“ He shall be a Priest upon His throne” (Zechariah 6:13). “ Rex Anius, rex idem hominum, Phoebique sacerdos” (Virg. Aen. III. 80 and Servius ad loc.). The expression “ God most high” in Genesis is El Elמפn, and this was also a title of God among the Phoenicians. It is however certain that Moses meant that Melchisedek was a Priest of God, for though this is the earliest occurrence of the name El Elמפn it is afterwards combined with “ Jehovah” in Genesis 14:22, and in other parts of the Pentateuch and the Psalms.

There is no difficulty in supposing that the worship of the One True God was not absolutely confined to the family of Abraham. The longevity of the early Patriarchs facilitated the preservation of Monotheism at least among some tribes of mankind, and this perhaps explains the existence of the name Eliפn among the Phoenicians (Philo Byblius ap. Euseb. Praep. Evang. I. 10). ὁ ףץםבםפ�ףבע ך.פ.כ. Amraphel king of Shinar, with three allies, had made war on Bera king of Sodom with four allies, and had carried away plunder and captives from the Cities of the Plain. Among the captives was Lot. Abraham therefore armed his 318 servants, and with the assistance of three Canaanite chiefs, Aner, Mamre, and Eshcol, pursued Amraphe’ s army to the neighbourhood of Damascus, defeated them, rescued their prisoners, and recovered the spoil. The word here rendered “ slaughter” may perhaps mean no more than “ smiting,” i.e. defeat. On his return the king of Sodom going forth to greet and thank Abraham met him at “ the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’ s dale,” a place of which nothing is known, but which was probably somewhere in the tribe of Ephraim near mount Gerizim.

This seems to have been in the little domain of Melchisedek, for we are not told that “ he went forth to meet” Abraham, but only that (being apparently at the place where Bera met Abraham) he humanely and hospitably brought out bread and wine for the weary victors, and blessed Abraham, and blessed God for granting him the victory. In acknowledgement of this friendly blessing, Abraham “ gave him tithes of all,” i.e. of all the spoils. וὐכןד�ףבע. Evidently as a priestly act. Genesis 14:19-20. Verses 1-3 1– 3. TO Verses 1-28 CH. 7. CHRIST, AS AN ETERNAL HIGH PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF , IS TO THE LEVITIC HIGH PRIEST Historic reference to Melchisedek (1– 3). His Priesthood typically superior to that of Aaron in seven particulars. i. Because even Abraham gave him tithes (4– 6). ii. Because he blessed Abraham [7]. iii. Because he is the type of an undying Priest [8]. iv. Because even the yet unborn Levi paid him tithes, in the person of Abraham (9, 10). v. Because the permanence of his Priesthood, continued by Christ, implied the abrogation of the whole Levitic Law (11– 19). vi. Because it was founded on the swearing of an oath (20– 22). vii. Because it is intransmissible, never being vacated by death (23, 24). Summary and conclusion (25– 28). Verse 2 2. נסῶפןם. This seems to imply that of his two names or titles “ Melchisedek,” and “ King of Salem,” the first means “ King of Righteousness” and the second “ King of Peace.” In a passage of mystic interpretation like this, however, the writer may intend to suggest that there is a direct connexion between the two titles, and that “ Righteousness” is the necessary antecedent to “ Peace,” as is intimated in Psalms 72:7; Psalms 85:10. Comp. Romans 5:1. ἑסלחםוץ�לוםןע. The name Melchisedek may mean “ King of Righteousness.” This is the paraphrase of the Targums, perhaps with tacit reference to Isaiah 32:1, where it is said of the Messiah “ Behold a king shall reign in righteousness.” (Comp. Zechariah 9:9; Jeremiah 23:5.) In the Bereshith Rabba Tzedek is explained to mean Jerusalem with reference to Isaiah 1:21, “ Righteousness lodged in it.” Josephus (Antt. I. 19, § 12; B. J. VI. 10) and Philo, however, render it ֲבףיכוὺע ה�ךביןע.

Later on in Jewish history (Joshua 10:3) we read of Adonizedek who was a king of Jerusalem. Apart from any deeper meaning “ Righteousness” or “ Justice” was one of the most necessary qualifications of Eastern Kings, who are also Judges. In the mystic sense the interpretation of the names Melchizedek and Salem made him a fit type of “ the Lord our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6) and “ the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6): and he was also a fit type of Christ because he was a Kingly Priest; a Priest who blessed Abraham; a Priest who, so far as we are told, offered no animal-sacrifices; and a Priest over whom Scripture casts “ the shadow of Eternity.” See Bishop Wordsworth’ s note on this passage. גבףיכוὺע וἰס�םחע. “ The work of Righteousness shall be Peace, and the effect of Righteousness quietness and assurance for ever” (Isaiah 32:17; Ephesians 2:14-15;Ephesians 2:17; Romans 5:1. Comp. Philo Leg. Alleg. III. 25, Opp. I. 102). Verse 3 3. ἀנ�פשס, ἀל�פשס, ἀדוםובכ�דחפןע, “without lineage” or “pedigree” as in Hebrews 7:6. The mistaken rendering “ without descent” is ancient, for in consequence of it Irenaeus claims Melchisedek as one who had lived a celibate life (which in any case would not follow). The simple and undoubted meaning of these words is that the father, mother, and lineage of Melchisedek are not recorded, so that he becomes more naturally a type of Christ. In the Alexandrian School, to which (whether he was Apollos or not) the writer of this Epistle belonged, the custom of allegorising Scripture had received an immense development, and the silence of Scripture was regarded as the suggestion of mysterious truths. The Jewish interpreters naturally looked on the passage about Melchisedek as full of deep significance because the Psalmist in the 110th Psalm, which was universally accepted as a Psalm directly Messianic (Matthew 22:44), had found in Melchisedek a Priest-King, who, centuries before Aaron, had been honoured by their great ancestor, and who was therefore a most fitting type of Him who was to be “ a Priest upon his Throne.” The fact that he had no recordedfather, mother, or lineage enhanced his dignity, because the Aaronic priesthood depended exclusively on the power to prove direct descent from Aaron, which necessitated a most scrupulous care in the preservation of the priestly genealogies. (See Ezra 2:61-62; Nehemiah 7:63-64, where families which could not actually produce their pedigree are excluded from the priesthood.) Moreover this was particularly remarkable in the Book of Genesis where the genealogy of all the leading characters is given, and where they form the framework of the Book, as Ewald has observed. The idiom by which a person is said to have no father or ancestry when they are not recorded, or are otherwise quite unimportant, was common to Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.

In a Greek tragedy “ Ion” calls himself “motherless” when he supposes that his mother is a slave (Eurip. Ion, 850).

Scipio said scornfully to the mob of the Forum “St! tacete quibus nec pater nec mater est” (Cic. De Orat. II. 64). Horace calls himself “ a man nullis majoribus ortus” (Hor. Sat. I. Hebrews 6:10). In the Bereshith Rabba we find the rule “ a Gentile has no father,” i.e. the father of a proselyte is not counted in Jewish pedigrees.

Further the Jews mystically applied the same sort of rule which holds in legal matters which says “ that things not producible are regarded as non-existent.” Hence their kabbalistic interpretation of particulars not mentioned in Scripture. From the fact that Gain’ s death is nowhere recorded in Genesis, Philo draws the lesson that evil never dies among the human race; and he calls Sarah “ motherless” because her mother is nowhere mentioned. There is then no difficulty either as to the idiom or its interpretation. ἀל�פשס. The mention of this particular may seem to have no hearing on the type, unless a contrast he intended to the Jewish Priests who were descended from Elisheba the wife of Aaron (Exodus 6:23). But “ Christ as God has no mother, as man no Father.” The primitive Church neither used nor sanctioned the name ָוןפ�ךןע “ Mother of God” as applied to the Virgin Mary. ἀדוםובכ�דחפןע. “Without a genealogy.” Melchisedek has no recorded predecessor or successor. Bishop Wordsworth quotes “ Who shall declare His generation?” which however is not the meaning of the Hebrew. ל�פו ἀסקὴם ἡלוסῶם ך.פ.כ. The meaning of this clause is exactly the same as that of the last— namely that neither the birth nor death of Melchisedek is recorded, which makes him all the more fit to be a type of the Son of God. Dean Alford’ s remark that it is “ almost childish” to suppose that nothing more than this is intended, arises from imperfect familiarity with the methods of Rabbinic and Alexandrian exegesis. The notion that Melchisedek was the Holy Spirit (which was held by an absurd sect who called themselves Melchisedekites); or “ the Angel of the Presence” ; or “ God the Word, previous to Incarnation” ; or “ the Shechinah” ; or “ the Captain of the Lord’ s Host” ; or “ an Angel” ; or “ a reappearance of Enoch” ; or an “ἐםף�סךשףיע of the Holy Ghost” ; are, on all sound hermeneutical principles, not only “ almost” but quite “ childish.” They belong to methods of interpretation which turn Scripture into an enigma and neglect all the lessons which result so plainly from the laws which govern its expression, and the history of its interpretation. No Hebrew, reading these words, would have been led to these idle and fantastic conclusions about the superhuman dignity of the Canaanite prince in himself, and apart from his purely typical character. If the expressions here used had been meant literally, Melchisedek would not have been a man, but a Divine Being— and not the type of one.

It would then have been not only inexplicable, but meaningless, that in all Scripture he should only have been incidentally mentioned in three verses of a perfectly simple and straightforward narrative, and only once again alluded to in the isolated reference of a Psalm written centuries later. The fact that some of these notions about him may plead the authority of great names is no more than can be said of thousands of the absolute, and even absurd, misinterpretations in the melancholy history of slowly-corrected errors which passes under the name of Scripture exegesis. Less utterly groundless is the belief of the Jews that Melchisedek was the Patriarch Shem, who, as they shewed, might have survived to this time (Avodath Hakkodesh, III. 20, &c. and in two of the Targums). Yet even this view cannot be correct; for if Melchisedek had been Shem [1] there was every reason why he should be called by his own name, and no reason whatever why his name should be suppressed; and [2] Canaan was in the territory of Ham’ s descendants, not those of Shem; and [3] Shem was in no sense, whether mystical or literal, “ without pedigree.” Yet this opinion satisfied Lyra, Cajetan, Luther, Melanchthon, Lightfoot, &c. Who then was Melchisedek? Josephus and some of the most learned fathers (Hippolytus, Eusebius, &c.), and many of the ablest modern commentators, rightly hold that he was neither more nor less than what Moses tells us that he was— the Priest-King of a little Canaanite town, to whom, because he acted as a Priest of the True God, Abraham gave tithes; and whom his neighbours honoured because he was not sensual and turbulent as they were, but righteous and peaceful, not joining in their wars and raids, yet mingling with them in acts of mercy and kindness. How little the writer of this Epistle meant to exaggerate the typology is shewn by the fact that he does not so much as allude to the “ bread and wine” to which an unreal significance has been attached both by Jewish and Christian commentators. He does not make it (as the Jews do) in any way a type of the shewbread and libations; or an offering characteristic of his Priesthood; nor does he make him (as Philo does) offer any sacrifice at all. How much force would he have added to the typology if he had ventured to treat these gifts as prophecies of the Eucharist, as some of the Fathers do! His silence on a point which would have been so germane to his purpose is decisive against such a view.

As regards the ל�פו we may observe that as in Modern Greek לὴ has become the invariable negative with participles, so we find a tendency in this direction in Hellenistic Greek. Here for instance though the reference is to one person, the attribute implied by the participle is ascribed only in conception. Comp. Luke 7:33, ἐכ�כץטום Ἰש�םםחע ל�פו ἐףט�שם … ל�פו נ�םשם. See Winer, p. 607. ἀצשלןישל�םןע הὲ פῷ ץἱῷ פןῦ טוןῦ, “having been likened to the Son of God,” i.e. having been invested with a typical resemblance to Christ. The expression explains the writer’ s meaning. It is a combination of the passage in Genesis with the allusion in Psalms 110, shewing that the two together constitute Melchisedek a Divinely appointed type of a Priesthood received from no ancestors and transmitted to no descendants. The personal importance of Melchisedek was very small; but he is eminently typical, because of the suddenness with which he is introduced into the sacred narrative, and the subsequent silence respecting him. He was born, and lived, and died, and had a father and mother no less than any one else, but by not mentioning these facts, the Scripture, interpreted on mystic principles, “ throws on him a shadow of Eternity: gives him a typical Eternity.” The expressions used of him are only literally true of Him whose type he was. In himself only the Priest-prince of a little Canaanite community, his venerable figure was seized upon, first by the Psalmist, then by the writer of this Epistle, as the type of an Eternal Priest. As far as Scripture is concerned it may be said of him, that “ he lives without dying, fixed for ever as one who lives by the pen of the sacred historian, and thus stamped as a type of the Son, the ever-living Priest.” וἰע פὸ היחםוך�ע, in perpetuum. Verse 4 4. ָושסוῖפו ה�, “Now contemplate spiritually.” נחכ�ךןע ןὗפןע. Here begin the seven particulars of the typical superiority of Melchisedek’ s Priesthood over that of Aaron. FIRST. Even Abraham gave him tithes. ᾧ ךבὶ הוך�פחם ך.פ.כ. The ךבὶ must not be connected with Ἀגסבὰל by trajection (hyperbaton), but emphasises the act of giving or tithe. See Winer, p. 701. ὁ נבפסי�סקחע. There is great rhetorical force in the order of the original, “ to whom even Abraham gave a tithe out of his best spoils— he the patriarch.” Here not only is the ear of the writer gratified by the sonorous conclusion of the sentence with an Ionicus a minore pדtrĭגrchחs; but a whole argument about the dignity of Abraham is condensed into the position of one emphatic word. The word in the N. T. occurs only here and in Acts 2:29; Acts 7:8-9. ἐך פῶם ἀךסןטים�שם, “from the spoils.” The word properly means that which is taken from the top of a heap (ἄךסןע, ט�ע); hence some translate it “ the best of the spoils,” and Philo describes the tithe given by Abraham in similar terms. But this is to press too much the derivation of the word. Verses 4-6 4– 6. BECAUSE EVEN ABRAHAM GAVE HIM TITHES Verse 5 5. ἱוסבפו�בם. Defined by Aristotle to mean “ care concerning the gods.” ἀנןהוךבפןῖם. The Priests only took tithes of the people indirectly, through the agency of the Levites. Delitzsch argues that after the Exile the Priests collected the tithes themselves. It cannot however be proved that the Priests themselves tithed the people. This was done by the Levites, who gave the tithe of their tithes to the priests, Numbers 18:22-26, Nehemiah 10:38. There is however no real difficulty about the expression, for the Priests might tithe the people, as Jewish tradition says that they did in the days of Ezra; and [2] Qui facit per alium facit per se. There is therefore no need to alter “ the people” (כבὸם) into Levi (ֻוץְם). The Priests stood alone in receiving tithes and giving none. ἐך פῆע ὀףצ‎ןע. A Hebrew expression, Genesis 35:11. Verse 6 6. ὁ הὲ לὴ דוםובכןדן‎לוםןע. ֿὐ, which might have been here expected, would simply state the fact. The לὴ is practically here a stronger negative because it denies the very conception. Comp. Luke 1:20, ךבὶἔףῃ … לὴ הץם�לוםןע כבכῆףבי. John 7:49, ὁὄקכןע ןὗפןע ὁ לὴ דידם‏ףךשם פὸם ם�לןם. וὐכ�דחךום, “and hath blessed.” SECOND point of superiority. The perfects imply that the acts are regarded as permanent and still continuous in their effects, in accordance with the writer’ s manner of regarding Scripture as a living and present entity. Verse 7 7. ὑנὸ פןῦ ךסו�פפןםןע, i.e. the inferior is blessed by one who is (pro hac vice or quoad hoc) the Superior. Hence blessing was one of the recognised priestly functions (Numbers 6:23-26). Verse 8 8. ךבὶὧהו. As things now are; while the Levitic priesthood still continues. ἀנןטם�ףךןםפוע ἄםטסשנןי, “weak dying men”— men who are under liability to die (comp. Hebrews 7:23), as in the lines “ He preached as one who ne’ er should preach again, And as a dying man to dying men.” The word ἄםטסשנןי implies men in their mortal frailty. ὅפי זῇ, i.e. he stands as a living man on the eternal page of Scripture, and no word is said about his death; so far then as the letter of Scripture is concerned he stands in a perpetuity of mystic life. This is the THIRD point of superiority. Verse 9 9. ὡע ἔנןע וἰנוῖם, “so to speak” ; shewing the writer’ s consciousness that the expression is somewhat strained, especially as even Isaac was not born till 14 years later. The phrase is classic, and is common in Philo, but is the only example of the adverbial infinitive in the N. T. (Winer, p. 399), and the only instance in which שעexpresses design (id. p. 563). Theophylact says it may mean either ἐם ףץםפ�לῳ וἰנוῖם or ἵםʼ ןὔפשע וἴנש. The latter is clearly the meaning here. ֻוץוὶע … הוהוך�פשפבי, “Levi … hath been tithed.” This is the FOURTH point of superiority. Verse 9-10 9, 10. BECAUSE EVEN THE YET UNBORN LEVI PAID HIM TITHES, IN THE PERSON OF ABRAHAM Verse 11 11. ֵἰ לὲם ןὗם ך.פ.כ. At this point begins the a fortiori argument which occupies the next nine verses. “ Perfection” (compare the verb in Hebrews 9:9, Hebrews 10:1;Hebrews 10:14, Hebrews 11:40) means power of perfectionment, capacity to achieve the end in view; but this was not to be attained through the Levitic priesthood. The FIFTH point of superiority is that the Melchisedek Priesthood implies the abrogation of the Levitic, and of the whole law which was based upon it. ἐנʼ בὐפῆע, “for on the basis of it.” The writer regards the Priesthood rather than the Law as constituting the basis of the whole Mosaic system; so that into this slight parenthesis he really infuses the essence of his argument. The Priesthood is obviously changed. For otherwise the Theocratic King of Psalms 110. would not have been called “ a Priest after the order of Melchisedek” but “ after the order of Aaron.” Clearly then “ the order of Aaron” admitted of no attainment of perfection through its means. But if the Priesthood was thus condemned as imperfect and inefficient, the Law was equally disparaged as a transitory institution. Righteousness did not “ come by the Law” ; if it could so have come Christ would have died in vain (Galatians 2:21. Comp. Hebrews 10:1-14). ὁ כבὸע … םוםןלןט�פחפבי. As םןל. takes the dat. (LXX.) the noun which denotes the person becomes the subject of the passive verb. Winer, p. 326. פ�ע ἔפי קסו�ב. We may supply either ἧם or ἂם ἦם. There could be no need, since none of God’ s actions or dispensations are superfluous. ἕפוסןם … ἱוס�ב. Not “another priest” as in A. V. (which would have required ἄככןם) but “a different priest.” ךבὶ ןὐ … כ�דוףטבי, “and that he should not be said (viz. in Psalms 110:4) to be after the order of Aaron.” If the ןὐ seem harsh (instead of לὴ) in this construction, we may with Winer (p. 605) join the ןὐ to ךבפὰ פὴם פ�מים, “ and be called ‘not after the order of Aaron.’ ” That כ�דוףטבי does not here mean eligi is clear from Hebrews 7:13. Verses 11-19 11– 19. BECAUSE THE OF HIS , BY CHRIST, IMPLIED THE OF THE WHOLE LEVITIC LAW Verse 12 12. לופבפיטול�םחע. He here uses the comparatively mild and delicate term “ being transferred.” When he has prepared the mind of his readers by a little further argument, he substitutes for לופ�טוףיע the much stronger word “annulment” (ἀט�פחףיע, Hebrews 7:18). It is a characteristic of the writer to be thus careful not to shock the prejudices of his readers more than was inevitable. His whole style of argument, though no less effective than that of St Paul in its own sphere, is more conciliatory, more deferential, less vehemently iconoclastic. His relation to St Paul is like that of Melanchthon to Luther. ἐמ ἀם�דךחע. The Law and the Priesthood were so inextricably united that the Priesthood could not be altered without disintegrating the whole complex structure of the Law. Verse 13 13. לופ�ףקחךום, “hath had part in.” The expression seems to be designedly indirect, with reference to the Virgin birth. ןὐהו�ע. Sacerdotal privileges were exclusively assigned to the tribe of Levi (Deuteronomy 10:8; Numbers 3:5-8). The attempt of King Uzziah, who was of the tribe of Judah, to assume priestly functions, had been terribly punished (2 Chronicles 26:3; 2 Chronicles 26:19). Verse 14 14. נס�החכןם, “known to all.” The word נס�החכןם occurs in 1 Timothy 5:24-25. The delicate shades of difference between לופ�ףקחךום … נסןף�ףקחךום, נס�החכןם … ךבפ�החכןם shew the careful elaboration of the style. ἀםבפ�פבכךום, “hath sprung.” The verb is used generally of the sun rising (Malachi 4:2; Luke 12:54; 2 Peter 1:19), but also of the springing up of plants (Zechariah 3:8;Zechariah 6:12, &c.). Hence the LXX. choose the word Ἀםבפןכ�, which usually means sunrise, to translate the Messianic title of “ the Branch.” ἐמ Ἰן‎הב. Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 11:1; Luke 3:33. “ The Lion of the tribe of Judah,” Revelation 5:5. ὁ ך‎סיןע ἡלῶם. This is the first time that we find this expression in the N. T. standing alone as a name for Christ. It is from this passage that the designation so familiar to Christian lips is derived. נוסὶἱוס�שם, “concerning priests,” a better reading than the one followed by the A. V. נוסὶἱוסשף‎םחע. Uzziah, of the tribe of Judah, king though he was, had been punished by lifelong leprosy for usurping the functions of the tribe of Levi. ἔפי. So ἔפי is used to strengthen a comparative in Philippians 1:9. Verse 15 15. ךבפ�החכןם. The word used is stronger than נס�החכןם in Hebrews 7:14 and does not occur elsewhere in the N.T. The change of the Law can be yet more decisively inferred from the fact that Melchisedek is not only a Priest of a different tribe from Levi, but a priest constituted in a wholly different manner, and even— as he might have said—out of the limits of the Twelve tribes altogether; and yet a Priest was to be raised after his order, not after that of Aaron. וἰ. Followed by the present indicative וἰ means “if” (as is the case), i.e. “ seeing that.” Verse 16 16. ךבפὰ ם�לןם ἐםפןכῆע ףבסך�םחע. Rather, “in accordance with the law of a fleshen (i.e. earthly) commandment.” Neither this writer, nor even St Paul, ever called or would have called the Law “ carnal” (ףבסךיך�ע), a term which St Paul implicitly disclaims when he says that the Law is “ spiritual” (Romans 7:14); but to call it “ fleshen” (ף�סךיםןע) is merely to say that it is hedged round with earthly limitations and relationships, and therefore unfit to be adapted to eternal conditions. Its ordinances indeed might be called “ ordinances of the flesh” (Hebrews 9:10), because they had to do, almost exclusively, with externals. An attentive reader will see that even in the closest apparent resemblances to the language of St Paul there are differences in this Epistle. For instance his relative disparagement of the Law turns almost exclusively on the conditions of its hierarchy; and his use of the word “ flesh” and “ fleshen,” refers not to sensual passions but to mortality and transience. ד�דןםום, “is become.” זשῆע ἀךבפבכ‎פןץ, “of an indissoluble life,” the life of a tabernacle which “ could not be dissolved.” The word ἀךבפ�כץפןע is not found elsewhere in the N. T. The Priest of this new Law and Priesthood is “ the Prince of Life” (Acts 3:15). Verse 17 17. לבספץסוῖפבי, “he is testified of.” ὅפי. This serves the purpose of our modern marks of quotation. Verse 18 18. Ἀט�פחףיע. See note on Hebrews 7:12. Comp. Galatians 3:15. ד�םופבי, “there occurs” or “results,” in accordance with Psalms 110:4. נסןבדן‎ףחע. Comp. 1 Timothy 1:18; 1 Timothy 5:24. The “ commandment” was only a temporary precursor of the final dispensation. ἐםפןכ�ע. Most ancient and modern commentators understand this of the Mosaic Law in general. היὰ פὸ בὐפῆע ἀףטוםὲע ךבὶἀםשצוכ�ע. These very strong expressions— almost as strong as any that St Paul has used— would have caused terrible offence to all Judaists had they been introduced suddenly. As it is they only occur incidentally in the midst of a sustained and powerful train of reasoning. The writer here shews how completely he is of the school of St Paul, notwithstanding the strength of his Judaic sympathies. For St Paul was the first who clearly demonstrated that Christianity involved the abrogation of the Law, and thereby proved its partial, transitory, and inefficacious character as intended only to be a preparation for the Gospel (Romans 8:3). The law was only the “ tutor” or attendant-slave to lead men to Christ, or train their boyhood till it could attain to full Christian manhood (Galatians 3:23-24). It was only after the consummation of the Gospel that its disciplinary institutions became reduced to “ weak and beggarly rudiments” (Galatians 4:9). Verse 19 19. ןὐהὲם … ἐפוכו�שףום. This is illustrated in Hebrews 9:6-9. ἐנויףבדשדὴ הὲ ך.פ.כ. The better punctuation is “ There results a disannulment of the preceding commandment on account of its weakness and unprofitableness— for the Law perfected nothing— but (there results) the superinduction of a better hope.” The latter clause is a nominative not to ἐפוכו�שףום, but to ד�םופבי in Hebrews 7:18. The “ better hope” is that offered us by the Resurrection of Christ; and the whole of the New Testament bears witness that the Gospel had the power of “ perfecting,” which the Law had not. Romans 3:21; Ephesians 2:13-15, &c. Verse 20 20. ךבטʼ ὅףןם ןὐ קשסὶע ὁסךשלןף�בע. This is the SIXTH point of superiority. He has lingered at much greater length over the FIFTH than over the others, from the extreme importance of the argument which it incidentally involved. The oath on which the Melchisedek Priesthood was founded is that of Psa 110:4. For the common word ὅסךןע (as in Hebrews 6:17), he prefers the more sonorous ὁסךשלןף�ב which means the same thing, but sounds more emphatic. Verses 20-22 20– 22. BECAUSE IT WAS FOUNDED ON THE OF AN OATH Verse 21 21. ןἱ לὲם דὰס ך.פ.כ., “these men have been made priests without an oath.” There is no mention of any oath of perpetuity in connexion with the Aaronic priesthood. וἰףὶם דודןם�פוע. This is merely the periphrastic perfect (sind geworden). Verse 22 22. ךסו�פפןםןע היבט�ךחע. “By so much better was the covenant of which Jesus has been made surety.” The words— which might be taken as the keynote of the whole Epistle— should undoubtedly be rendered “ of a better covenant.” The Greek word היבט�ךח is the rendering of the Hebrew Berמth, which means a covenant. Of “ testaments” the Hebrews knew nothing until they learnt the custom of “ making a will” from the Romans. So completely was this the case that there is no word in Hebrew which means “ a will,” and when a writer in the Talmud wants to speak of a “ will,” he has to put the Greek word היבט�ךח in Hebrew letters. The Hebrew berמth is rendered היבט�ךח in the LXX., and “ covenant” by our translators at least 200 times. When we speak of the “ Old” or the “ New Testament” we have borrowed the word from the Vulgate or Latin translation of St Jerome in 2 Corinthians 3:6. The only exception to this meaning of היבט�ךח in the N.

T. is in Hebrews 9:15-17. Of the way in which Jesus is “ a pledge” (ἔדדץןע) of this “ better covenant,” see Hebrews 7:25 and Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 8:6, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 12:24. The word ἔדדץןעoccurs here alone in the N. T., but is found in Sir 29:15. Verse 23 23. ךבὶ ןἱ לὲם ך.פ.כ. “And they truly have been constituted priests many in number.” טבם�פῳ. The vacancies caused in their number by the ravages of death required to be constantly replenished (Numbers 20:28; Exodus 29:29-30). Verse 23-24 23, 24. BECAUSE IT IS , NEVER BEING VACATED BY DEATH Verse 24 24. ὁ ה�, “but He.” The A.V. “ but this man” is not felicitous. ἀנבס�גבפןם, “hath his priesthood unchangeable” (Oecumen. ἀפוכו‎פחפןם, Theoph. ἀהי�הןקןם, sempiternum Vulg.): a rendering which is more in accordance with usage than “ untransmissible,” “ a priesthood that doth not pass to another,” as it is rendered in the margin of our Revised Version. The rendering “ not to be transgressed against,” or “ inviolate” (intransgressibile, Aug.), is not tenable here. The word belongs to later Greek, is not found in the LXX., and here only in the N.T. This is the SEVENTH particular of superiority. I think it quite needless to enter into tedious modern controversies as to the particular time of Christ’ s ministry at which He assumed His priestly office, because I do not think that they so much as entered into the mind of the author. The one thought which was prominent in his mind was that of Christ passing as our Great High Priest with the offering of His finished sacrifice into the Heaven of Heavens. The minor details of Christ’ s Priestly work are not defined, and those of Melchisedek are passed over in complete silence. Verse 25 25. וἰע פὸ נבםפוכ�ע, i.e. “to the consummate end.” All the Apostles teach that Christ “ is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory” (Judges 1:24; Romans 8:34; John 6:37-39). ף‏זוים. He saves them in accordance with His name of Jesus, “ the Saviour.” Bengel. היʼ בὐפןῦ. “No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” וἰע פὸἐםפץדק�םוים ὑנ�ס, “to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24). Philo also speaks of the Logos as a Mediator and Intercessor (Vit. Mos. III. 16). Having thus proved in seven particulars the transcendence of the Melchisedek Priesthood of Christ, as compared with the Levitic Priesthood, he ends this part of his subject with a weighty summary, into which, with his usual literary skill, he introduces by anticipation the thoughts which he proceeds to develop in the following chapters. Verses 25-28 25– 28. SUMMARY AND Verse 26 26. װןיןῦפןע ד�ס. The “for” clinches the whole argument with a moral consideration. There was a spiritual fitness in this annulment of the imperfect Law and Priesthood, and the introduction of a better hope and covenant. So great and so sympathetic and so innocent a High Priest was suited to our necessities. There is much rhetorical beauty in the order of the Greek. He might have written it in the order of the English, but he keeps the word “ Priest” by way of emphasis as the last word of the clause, and then substitutes High Priest for it. ὅףיןע. Heb. חָסִיר, pure towards God (Leviticus 20:26; Leviticus 21:1; Psalms 16:10; Acts 2:27). He bore “ holiness to the Lord” not on a golden mitre-plate, but as the inscription of all His life as “ the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24). ἄךבךןע, as regards men. Chrys. ἀנ�םחסןע, ןὐק ὕנןץכןע. Isaiah 53:9. ἀל�בםפןע. Not stained, Isaiah 53:9 (and as the word implies un-stainable), with any of the defilements which belonged to the Levitic priests from their confessed sinfulness. Christ was “ without sin” (Hebrews 4:15); “ without spot” (Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:19). He “ knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). ךוקשסיףל�םןע ἀנὸ פῶם ἁלבספשכῶם. “Having been separated from sinners.” The writer is already beginning to introduce the subject of the Day of Atonement on which he proceeds to speak. To enable the High Priest to perform the functions of that day aright the most scrupulous precautions were taken to obviate the smallest chance of ceremonial pollution (Leviticus 21:10-15); yet even these rigid precautions had at least once in living memory been frustrated— when the High Priest Ishmael ben Phabi had been incapacitated from his duties because in conversing with Hareth (Aretas), Emir of Arabia, a speck of the Emir’ s saliva had fallen upon the High Priest’ s beard. But Christ was free not only from ceremonial pollution, but from that far graver moral stain of which the ceremonial was a mere external figure; and He had now been exalted above all contact with sin in the Heaven of Heavens (Hebrews 4:14). ὑרחכ�פוסןע. Having “ ascended up far above all heavens” (Ephesians 4:10). Verse 27 27. ךבטʼ ἡל�סבם. A difficulty is suggested by this word, because the High Priest did not offer sacrifices daily, but only once a year on the Day of Atonement. In any case the phrase would be a mere verbal inaccuracy, since the High Priest could be regarded as potentially ministering in the daily sacrifices which were offered by the inferior Priests; or the one yearly sacrifice may be regarded as summing up all the daily sacrifices needed to expiate the High Priest’ s daily sins . It appears however that the High Priest might if he chose take actual part in the daily offerings (Exodus 29:38; Exodus 29:44; Leviticus 6:19-22; Jos. B. J.

Hebrews 7:5-7). It is true that the daily sacrifices and Minchah or “ meat offering” had no recorded connexion with any expiatory sacrifices; but an expiatory significance seems to have been attached to the daily offering of incense (Leviticus 16:12-13, LXX.; Yoma, f. 44. 1). Wieseler’ s notion that there is any reference to the Jewish Temple built by Onias at Leontopolis is entirely baseless. Both Philo (De Spec. Legg. § 53) and the Talmud use the very same expression as the writer, who seems to have been perfectly well aware that, normally and strictly, the High Priest only offered sacrifices on one day in the year (Hebrews 9:25, Hebrews 10:1;Hebrews 10:3). The stress may be on the necessity.

Those priests needed the expiation by sacrifice for daily sins; Christ did not. ἐצ�נבמ, “once for all” (Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:26; Hebrews 9:28, Hebrews 10:10; Romans 6:10). Christ offered one sacrifice, once offered, but eternally sufficient. ἑבץפ�ם. The High Priest was also the Victim, Hebrews 8:3, Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 9:25, Hebrews 10:10; Hebrews 10:12; Hebrews 10:14; Ephesians 5:2 (L�nemann). Verse 28 28. ἀםטס‏נןץע, i.e. ordinary “ human beings.” לופὰ פὸם ם�לןם. Namely, in Psalms 110:4. פופוכוישל�םןם, “who has been perfected.” The word “ consecrated” in our A.V. is a reminiscence of Lev 21:10; Exodus 29:9. The “ perfected” has the same meaning as in Hebrews 2:10, Hebrews 5:9.

Hebrews 7:1-10

“THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS”

The Greatness Of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:1-10)

1. Thus far in our study, we have seen the writer mention Melchizedek… a. That Jesus is a priest “after the order of Melchizedek”

• Hebrews 5:9-10; Hebrews 6:20b. It has only been a brief mention, for the dullness of the readers required a necessary digression - cf. Hebrews 5:11 to Hebrews 6:20

2. But now the writer returns to his theme concerning Melchizedek, in which he… a. Establishes the greatness of Melchizedek - Hebrews 7:1-10b. Shows the significance of Melchizedek’s priesthood - Hebrews 7:11-19c. Thereby illustrating the greatness of Christ’s priesthood

• Hebrews 7:20-28

3. Since this subject is “meat” compared to the “milk” of the Word (cf. Hebrews 5:10-12)… a. We want to approach it slowly and carefully b. Allowing ourselves to slowly “digest” what is said in this seventh chapter of Hebrews

[For this reason, this lesson will limit itself to the first ten verses, in which we read of “The Greatness Of Melchizedek”. To appreciate his greatness, we must be aware of…]

I. THE HISTORY OF (Hebrews 7:1-3) A. THE RECORD AS FOUND IN Genesis 14…1. We first read of “The Battle Of The Kings” - Genesis 14:1-112. In which Lot is captured, and then rescued by Abram (Abraham)

• Genesis 14:12-173. Upon his return, Abram is met by Melchizedek - Genesis 14:18a. Who is “king of Salem” (thought to be later known as Jerusalem) b. Who is also “the priest of God Most High”

4. In this meeting, two things happen… a. Melchizedek blesses Abram (Abraham) - Genesis 14:19b. Abram pays tithes to Melchizedek - Genesis 14:20 b B. IN TO , THE AUTHOR OF HEBREWS…1. Summarizes the events in Hebrews 7:1-2a. How Melchizedek met Abraham and blessed him b. How Abraham gave “a tenth part of all” (i.e., tithes) to Melchizedek
5. Explains the meaning of his name and title - Hebrews 7:2a. The name “Melchizedek” means “king of righteousness” b. The title “king of Salem” means “king of peace”
6. Makes some intriguing statements about Melchizedek… a. “without father, without mother, without genealogy” b. “having neither beginning of days nor end of life” c. “made like the Son of God” d. “remains a priest continually”

C. WHO IS THIS “"?1. Some have suggested that he was: a. An angel (Origen, Didymus) b. Enoch (Husius, Calmet) c. Shem (Jerome, Luther) 2. Others have taken the statements in Hebrews 7:3 to suggest that Melchizedek was a “theophany” (a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ), for the following reasons: a. The name Melchizedek, meaning “king of righteousness” (Hebrews 7:2) b. The designation “king of peace” (Hebrews 7:2) c. The possibility that the lack of recorded genealogy mentioned in v.3 is due to actual lack of ancestors, rather than the mere absence of historical record d. He is said to remain “a priest continually” (Hebrews 7:3 c) e. He is contrasted with “mortal men” (Hebrews 7:8 a) f. Of him “it is witnessed that he lives” (Hebrews 7:8 b) 3. Most take that he was simply a man (note Hebrews 7:4), but because he appears suddenly in Scripture as a priest… a. With no mention of parentage or genealogy b. With no mention of his birth or death c. With only a mention of him as a priest of “God Most High” …that he is a “type” of Christ, and what His priesthood would be like

[While the true identity of Melchizedek may remain a mystery because of the brevity of scriptural information, his importance as it relates to the superiority of Christ’s priesthood becomes very clear as we consider…]

II. THE OF (Hebrews 7:4-10) A. TITHES FROM ABRAHAM (Hebrews 7:4-6 a)1. Abraham paid a tenth to Melchizedek 2. Just as the nation of Israel would later pay a tenth to the sons of Levi – Thus Abraham, great as he was, showed his deference to Melchizedek

B. BLESSED ABRAHAM (Hebrews 7:6-7)1. Melchizedek blessed him “who had the promises” (Abraham) 2. There is no dispute that “the lesser is blessed by the better” – Thus Melchizedek is clearly “better” than Abraham

C. ‘S SERVICE WAS NOT BY DEATH (Hebrews 7:8)1. In the priesthood under the Jewish system (i.e., the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood), tithes were received by “mortal men” (whose service ended at death) 2. But it has been witnessed that Melchizedek “lives”(“remains a priest continually” - Hebrews 7:3) 3. How he lives and remains a priest continually, the Bible does not say – But in this way Melchizedek is greater than the Levitical priests (a point made concerning Jesus later in the chapter)

D. EVEN LEVI PAID TITHES TO (Hebrews 7:9-10)1. Levi was “in the loins of his father” Abraham when Melchizedek met him 2. Thus Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes “through Abraham, so to speak” – Again illustrating the greatness of Melchizedek, as one greater than Levi!

1. There is a lot more I wish I knew about Melchizedek… a. Was he a “theophany”, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ? b. Was he is an angel? Enoch? Shem? c. Was he simply a man?

1. One whose Biblical record is such that he serves as a “type” of Christ
2. If so, I would love to know where he came from, and how he came to be “priest of God Most High” d. And how does he remain a priest continually?

2. But what I do know is this… a. Jesus is “a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”, as God swore He would be in Psalms 110:4b. And that Melchizedek is clearly presented to be greater than Abraham and Levi!

Understanding “The Greatness Of Melchizedek” helps prepare us to appreciate the superiority of Christ’s priesthood over the Levitical (Aaronic) priesthood, which we will consider later…

Hebrews 7:2

Hebrews 7:2 Hebrews 7:2 ————————– ωG3739 TO WHOM καιG2532 ALSO δεκατηνG1181 A TENTH αποG575 OF παντωνG3956 ALL εμερισενG3307 [G5656] DIVIDED αβρααμG11 ABRAHAM; πρωτονG4412 μενG3303 FIRST ερμηνευομενοςG2059 [G5746] BEING βασιλευςG935 KING δικαιοσυνηςG1343 OF , επειταG1899 THEN δεG1161 AND καιG2532 ALSO βασιλευςG935 KING σαλημG4532 OF SALEM, οG3739 WHICH εστινG2076 [G5748] IS βασιλευςG935 KING ειρηνηςG1515 OF PEACE; a tenth: Genesis 28:22, Leviticus 27:32, Numbers 18:21, 1 Samuel 8:15, 1 Samuel 8:17 King of righteousness: 2 Samuel 8:15, 2 Samuel 23:3, 1 Kings 4:24, 1 Kings 4:25, 1 Chronicles 22:9, Psalms 45:4-7, Psalms 72:1-3, Psalms 72:7, Psalms 85:10, Psalms 85:11, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 9:7, Isaiah 32:1, Isaiah 32:2, Isaiah 45:22-25, Jeremiah 23:5, Jeremiah 23:6, Jeremiah 33:15, Jeremiah 33:16, Micah 5:5, Luke 2:14, Romans 3:26, Romans 5:1, Romans 5:2, Ephesians 2:14-18 Genesis 14:18 - king Psalms 76:2 - Salem Son 6:13 - Shulamite Isaiah 42:6 - called Ezekiel 37:25 - and my Zechariah 4:14 - These John 14:27 - Peace I leave John 16:33 - in me John 20:19 - Peace Acts 2:30 - knowing Acts 10:36 - preaching 2 Thessalonians 3:16 - the Lord of 1 John 2:29 - he Isaiah 1 John 3:7 - even Revelation 19:11 - and in Hebrews 7:2. ———————- Another fact showing Mel-chisedec to have been greater than Abraham, is that the latter paid tithes (a tenth) of his personal property to the former. Hebrews 7:2 ——————————————————————————– First being by interpretation King of righteousness (πρῶτονμὲνἑρμηνευόμενοςβασιλεὺςδικαιοσύνης) The first designation is the literal interpretation of the Hebrew name. Being interpreted belongs only to this designation. So Joseph Ant. 1:10, 2: σημαίνειδετοῦτοβασιλεὺςδίκαιος “and this (the name Melchisedec) signifies righteous king.” ——————————————————————————– And after that also (ἔπειταδὲκαὶ) Then follows a designation derived from his character, king of peace. Supply being; not being interpreted. ——————————————————————————– Salem Commonly regarded as the site of Jerusalem. It has also been supposed to represent Σαλείμ Salim, mentioned in John 3:23. Jerome says that the place retained that name in his day, and that the ruins of Melchisedec’s palace were shown there.

The ancient name of Jerusalem was Jebus. Others, again, suppose that Salem is not the name of a place, but is merely the appellation of Melchisedec.

The passage in Genesis, however, points to a place, and the writer might naturally have desired to indicate the typical meaning of the city over which Melchisedec reigned. Hebrews 7:2 ——————————————————————————– A tenth (dekatηn). It was common to offer a tenth of the spoils to the gods. So Abraham recognized Melchizedek as a priest of God. ——————————————————————————– Divided (emerisen). First aorist active of merizτ, from meros (portion), to separate into parts. From this point till near the end of Heb 7:3 (the Son of God) is a long parenthesis with houtos of Heb 7:1 as the subject of menei (abideth) as the Revised Version punctuates it.

Philo had made popular the kind of exegesis used here. The author gives in Greek the meaning of the Hebrew words Melchizedek (King of righteousness, cf.

Hebrews 1:8) and Salem (peace).

Hebrews 7:3

Hebrews 7:3 Hebrews 7:3 ————————– απατωρG540 WITHOUT FATHER, αμητωρG282 WITHOUT MOTHER, αγενεαλογητοςG35 WITHOUT ; μητεG3383 NEITHER αρχηνG746 ημερωνG2250 OF DAYS μητεG3383 NOR ζωηςG2222 OF LIFE τελοςG5056 END εχωνG2192 [G5723] HAVING, αφωμοιωμενοςG871 [G5772] δεG1161 BUT τωG3588 TO THE υιωG5207 τουG3588 SON θεουG2316 OF GOD, μενειG3306 [G5719] ABIDES ιερευςG2409 A PRIEST ειςG1519 τοG3588 διηνεκεςG1336 IN . Without father: That is, as the Syriac renders, Whose father and mother are not inscribed among the genealogies; and therefore it was not known who he was. descent: Gr. pedigree, Exodus 6:18, Exodus 6:20-27, 1 Chronicles 6:1-3 a priest: Hebrews 7:17, Hebrews 7:23-28 Genesis 14:18 - the priest Genesis 48:21 - Behold Exodus 40:15 - everlasting Numbers 1:18 - their pedigrees Isaiah 9:6 - The Prince of Peace John 1:1 - the beginning John 1:34 - this Acts 10:36 - preaching Hebrews 1:2 - spoken Hebrews 5:6 - Thou Hebrews 7:6 - descent Hebrews 7:15 - after Hebrews 7:16 - the power Hebrews 7:28 - maketh the Hebrews 7:3. ———————- The key to this misunderstood verse is in the meaning of the phrase without descent. It is from the Greek word which Thayer defines as follows: “Of whose descent there is no account.” This was no accident nor is it due to a lack of custom or facilities for recording descent which means a record of family names. Many other persons of those times had their pedigrees or family names recorded in the Bible. (See Genesis 10.) This shows that God had a purpose in leaving out all record of Melchisedec’s family, namely, so that he would appear in that sense to be like that “other priest” who actually was not to have any descendants. (See Isaiah 53:8; Acts 8:33.) In other words, the verse describes the situation of Melchisedec as God permitted it to appear in history, in order to form a type of Christ whose situation as to family relationship was to be actually that way. Withnut father and without mother means he did not obtain his priesthood from his ancestors as did the Levitical priests (Exodus 29:29-30; Numbers 20:28). The beginning of the days of Melchisedec and the end of life are all kept from the record for the purpose of carrying out the type, and it is to be understood on the same principle as “without descent” explained above.

In this way he was made like unto the Son of God. This shows they were two separate persons, but were like unto each other in certain respects. If no record is given of the death or replacement of Mel-chisedec, then logically his priesthood was continous. This was true of him apparently, as it was true of Christ actually. Hebrews 7:3 ——————————————————————————– Without father, without mother, without descent (ἀπάτωρ, ἀμὴτωρ, ἀγενεαλόγητος) The three adjectives N.T.o, olxx. The meaning is that there is no record concerning his parentage. This is significant as indicating a different type of priesthood from the Levitical, in which genealogy was of prime importance. No man might exercise priestly functions who was not of the lineage of Aaron. ——————————————————————————– Having neither beginning of days nor end of life That is to say, history is silent concerning hHeb_7:16 οςG3739 WHO ουG3756 NOT καταG2596 TO νομονG3551 LAW εντοληςG1785 OF σαρκικηςG4559 FLESHLY γεγονενG1096 [G5754] HAS BEEN , αλλαG235 BUT καταG2596 TO δυναμινG1411 POWER ζωηςG2222 OF LIFE ακαταλυτουG179 . is birth and death. ——————————————————————————– But made like unto the Son of God (ἀφωμοιωμένοςδὲτῳυἱῳτοῦθεοῦ) The verb N.T.o. Made like or likened, not like. “The resemblance lies in the Biblical representation, and not primarily in Melchisedec himself” (Westcott). Son of God, not Son of man, for the likeness to Jesus as Son of man would not hold; Jesus, as man, having had both birth and death.

The words likened unto the Son of God stand independently. Not to be connected with the following sentence, so as to read abideth a priest continually like the Son of God; for, as a priest, Melchisedec, chronologically, was prior to Christ; and, therefore, it is not likeness with respect to priesthood that is asserted.

The likeness is in respect to the things just predicated of Melchisedec. Christ as Son of God was without father, mother, beginning or end of days; and, in these points, Melchisedec is likened in Scripture to him. ——————————————————————————– Abideth a priest continually (μένειἱερεὺςεἰςτὸδιηνεκές) Διηνεκής from διαφέρειν to bear through; born on through ages, continuous. Only in Hebrews. There is no historical account of the termination of Melchisedec’s priesthood. The tenure of his office is uninterrupted. The emphasis is on the eternal duration of the ideal priesthood, and the writer explains the Psalm as asserting eternal duration as the mark of the Melchisedec order.

Accordingly, he presents the following characteristics of the ideal priesthood: royal, righteous, peace-promoting, personal and not inherited, eternal. Comp.

Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:4; Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 32:17; Isaiah 53:7. It is, of course, evident to the most superficial reader that such exposition of O.T. scripture is entirely artificial, and that it amounts to nothing as proof of the writer’s position. Melchisedec is not shown to be an eternal high priest because his death-record is lost; nor to be properly likened unto the Son of God because there is no notice of his birth and parentage. Hebrews 7:3 ——————————————————————————– Without father, without mother, without genealogy (apatτr, amηtτr, agenealogηtos). Alliteration like Romans 1:30, the first two old words, the third coined by the author (found nowhere else) and meaning simply “devoid of any genealogy.” The argument is that from silence, made much of by Philo, but not to be pressed. The record in Genesis tells nothing of any genealogy.

Melchizedek stands alone. He is not to be understood as a miraculous being without birth or death.

Melchizedek has been made more mysterious than he is by reading into this interpretation what is not there. ——————————————————————————– Made like (aphτmoiτmenos). Perfect passive participle of aphomoioτ, old verb, to produce a facsimile or copy, only here in N.T. The likeness is in the picture drawn in Genesis, not in the man himself. Such artificial interpretation does not amount to proof, but only serves as a parallel or illustration. ——————————————————————————– Unto the Son of God (tτi huiτi tou theou). Associative instrumental case of huios. ——————————————————————————– Abideth a priest (menei hiereus). According to the record in Genesis, the only one in his line just as Jesus stands alone, but with the difference that Jesus continues priest in fact in heaven. ——————————————————————————– Continually (eis to diηnekes). Old phrase (for the continuity) like eis ton aiτna, in N.T. only in Hebrews (Hebrews 7:3; Hebrews 10:1; Hebrews 10:14; Hebrews 10:21).

Hebrews 7:4

Hebrews 7:4 Hebrews 7:4 ————————– θεωρειτεG2334 [G5719] [G5720] δεG1161 NOW πηλικοςG4080 HOW GREAT ουτοςG3778 THIS " ONE WAS " ωG3739 TO WHOM καιG2532 EVEN δεκατηνG1181 A TENTH αβρααμG11 ABRAHAM εδωκενG1325 [G5656] GAVE εκG1537 OUT OF τωνG3588 THE ακροθινιωνG205 SPOILS οG3588 THE πατριαρχηςG3966 . the patriarch: Acts 2:29, Acts 7:8, Acts 7:9 Abraham: Genesis 12:2, Genesis 17:5, Genesis 17:6, Romans 4:11-13, Romans 4:17, Romans 4:18, Galatians 3:28, Galatians 3:29, James 2:23 gave: Genesis 14:20 Numbers 31:41 - Eleazar Zechariah 6:12 - behold 2 Timothy 2:7 - Consider Hebrews 7:6 - received Hebrews 7:9 - payed Hebrews 7:4. ———————- Paul did not underestimate the greatness of Abraham; he emphasized it. However he used that fact in support of his reasoning, since it was made clear that notwithstanding his greatness, he was inferior to Mel-chisedec who was declared in so many points to be like Jesus in the priesthood order. Hebrews 7:4 ——————————————————————————– The superiority of the Melchisedec priesthood to the Levitical. ——————————————————————————– Consider (θεωρεῖτε) Only here in Hebrews and oP. Except this passage, confined to the Synoptic Gospels, Acts, and Johannine writings. See on Luke 10:18; see on John 1:18. ——————————————————————————– How great (πηλίκος) Only here and Galatians 6:11. ——————————————————————————– The patriarch (ὁπατριάρχης) Only here and in Acts. ——————————————————————————– The tenth (δεκάτην) Properly an adjective, but used as a noun for tithe. Only in Hebrews, as is the kindred verb δεκατοῦν to impose or take tithes. Ἀποδεκατοῖν to exact tithes, Hebrews 7:5. Comp. Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42. ——————————————————————————– Of the spoils (ἐκτῶνἀκροθινίων) The noun N.T.o , from ἅρκον topmost point, and θίς a heap.

The top of the pile: the “pick” of the spoil. Hebrews 7:4 ——————————————————————————– How great (pηlikos). Geometrical magnitude in contrast to arithmetical (posos), here only in N.T., “how distinguished.” He received tithes from Abraham (Hebrews 7:4-6) and he blessed Abraham (Hebrews 7:6-7) and even Levi is included (Hebrews 7:8-10). ——————————————————————————– Out of the chief spoils (ek tτn akrothiniτn). Old word from akros, top, and this, a heap (the top of the pile). ——————————————————————————– Patriarch (patriarchηs). LXX word (patria, tribe, archτ, to rule) transferred to N.T. (Acts 2:29).

Hebrews 7:5

Hebrews 7:5 Hebrews 7:5 ————————– καιG2532 AND οιG3588 THEY μενG3303 INDEED εκG1537 FROM AMONG τωνG3588 THE υιωνG5207 SONS λευιG3017 OF LEVI τηνG3588 THE ιερατειανG2405 " WHO " λαμβανοντεςG2983 [G5723] RECEIVE, εντοληνG1785 εχουσινG2192 [G5719] HAVE αποδεκατουνG586 [G5721] TO TAKE TITHES FROM τονG3588 THE λαονG2992 PEOPLE καταG2596 τονG3588 TO THE νομονG3551 LAW, τουτεστινG5123G5123 [G5748] THAT IS " FROM " τουςG3588 αδελφουςG80 αυτωνG846 THEIR καιπερG2539 THOUGH εξεληλυθοταςG1831 [G5761] HAVING COME εκG1537 OUT OF τηςG3588 THE οσφυοςG3751 LOINS αβρααμG11 OF ABRAHAM; who: Hebrews 5:4, Exodus 28:1, Numbers 16:10, Numbers 16:11, Numbers 17:3-10, Numbers 18:7, Numbers 18:21-26 to take: Leviticus 27:30-33, Numbers 18:26-32, 2 Chronicles 31:4-6, Nehemiah 13:10 come: Hebrews 7:10, Genesis 35:11, Genesis 46:26, Exodus 1:5, 1 Kings 8:19 Luke 24:50 - he lifted Hebrews 7:5. ———————- This verse continues the argument based on likenesses and contrasts between important characters. It is evident that he who pays tithes is less than the one to whom he pays them. Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedec hence was of less importance than he. But the Levite priests (who descended from the great man Abraham) took tithes from the people. The argument is that although the Levitical priests were great enough to receive tithes from the people, yet their great ancestor was not great enough to receive tithes from Mel-chisedec, but rather had to pay them to him. All this is according to the teaching, that the priestly order of this great man Melchisedec being more like that of Christ than was that of Levi, it follows that the priesthood of Christ should be accepted over all previous ones. Hebrews 7:5 ——————————————————————————– If Melchisedec was greater than Abraham, he was greater than Abraham’s descendants, including the tribe of Levi. ——————————————————————————– They that are of the sons of Levi who receive, etc. (οἱἐκτῶνυἱῶνΛευεὶλαμβάνοντες) Those out of the sons of Levi who become priests. Not those who receive the priesthood from the sons of Levi. Not all Levites were priests, but only those of the house of Aaron. ——————————————————————————– The office of the priesthood (τὴνἱερατίαν) Only here and Luke 1:9. ——————————————————————————– A commandment (ἐντολὴν) A special injunction. See on James 2:8; see on Ephesians 2:15. ——————————————————————————– To take tithes (ἀποδεκατοῖν) See on Hebrews 7:4. ——————————————————————————– That is of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham The people, the brethren of the Levites, are descended from their common ancestor, Abraham, yet the Levites exact tithes from them. Hebrews 7:5 ——————————————————————————– The priest’s office (tηn hierateian). LXX and Koinι word from hiereus, in N.T. only here and Luke 1:9. ——————————————————————————– To take tithes (apodekatoin).

Present active infinitive (in -oin, not -oun, as the best MSS. give it) of apodekatoτ a LXX word (apo, dekatoτ), to take a tenth from (apo). ——————————————————————————– Brethren (adelphous). Accusative case in apposition with laon (people) unaffected by the explanatory phrase tout’ estin (that is). ——————————————————————————– Though come out (kaiper exelηluthotas). Concessive participle (cf. Hebrews 5:8) with kaiper (perfect active of exerchomai).

Hebrews 7:6

Hebrews 7:6 Hebrews 7:6 ————————– οG3588 δεG1161 BUT HE " WHO " μηG3361 γενεαλογουμενοςG1075 [G5746] RECKONS NO εξG1537 FROM αυτωνG846 THEM δεδεκατωκενG1183 [G5758] τονG3588 HAS TITHED αβρααμG11 ABRAHAM, καιG2532 AND τονG3588 HIM WHO εχονταG2192 [G5723] HAD ταςG3588 THE επαγγελιαςG1860 , ευλογηκενG2127 [G5758] HAS BLESSED. descent: Gr. pedigree, Hebrews 7:3 received: Hebrews 7:4, Genesis 14:19, Genesis 14:20 had: Hebrews 6:13-15, Hebrews 11:13, Hebrews 11:17, Genesis 12:2, Genesis 12:13, Genesis 13:14-17, Genesis 17:4-8, Genesis 22:17, Genesis 22:18, Acts 3:25, Romans 4:13, Romans 9:4, Galatians 3:16 Leviticus 9:22 - his hand Numbers 1:18 - their pedigrees Joshua 22:6 - General Mark 7:20 - General 2 Corinthians 1:20 - all Hebrews 7:6. ———————- The reasoning of this verse is virtually the same as the several preceding ones. There is one additional point on the greatness of Abraham, namely, he was the one to whom God made the first promise of Christ. Hebrews 7:6 ——————————————————————————– But he whose descent is not counted from them (ὁδὲμὴγενεαλογούμενοςἐξαὐτῶν) Lit. he who is not genealogically derived from them: Melchisedec. The verb N.T.o. ——————————————————————————– Received tithes of Abraham Melchisedec, who has no part in the Levitical genealogy, and therefore no legal right to exact tithes, took tithes from the patriarch himself. Hence he was greater than Abraham. The right of the Levitical priest to receive tithes was only a legal right, conferred by special statute, and therefore implied no intrinsic superiority to his brethren; but Melchisedec, though having no legal right, received tithes from Abraham as a voluntary gift, which implied Abraham’s recognition of his personal greatness. ——————————————————————————– And hath blessed him that had the promises Melchisedec accepted the position accorded to him by Abraham’s gift of tithes by bestowing on Abraham his blessing, and Abraham recognized his superiority by accepting his blessing. He who had received the divine promises might have been supposed to be above being blessed by any man. The significance of this acceptance is brought out in the next verse.

Hebrews 7:6 ——————————————————————————– He whose genealogy is not counted (ho mη genealogoumenos). Articular participle with negative mη (usual with participles) of the old verb genealogeτ trace ancestry (cf.

Hebrews 7:3) Hath taken tithes (dedekatτken). Perfect active indicative of dekatoτ, standing on record in Genesis. ——————————————————————————– Hath blessed (eulogηken). Perfect active indicative of eulogeτ, likewise standing on record. Note the frequent perfect tenses in Hebrews. ——————————————————————————– Him that hath the promises (ton echonta tas epaggelias). Cf. Hebrews 6:12-15 for allusion to the repeated promises to Abraham (Genesis 12:3; Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:14; Genesis 15:5; Genesis 17:5; Genesis 22:16-18).

Hebrews 7:7

Hebrews 7:7 Hebrews 7:7 ————————– χωριςG5565 δεG1161 BUT APART FROM πασηςG3956 ALL αντιλογιαςG485 τοG3588 THE ελαττονG1640 υποG5259 BY τουG3588 THE κρειττονοςG2909 ευλογειταιG2127 [G5743] IS BLESSED. without: 1 Timothy 3:16 the less: Hebrews 11:20, Hebrews 11:21, Genesis 27:20-40, Genesis 28:1-4, Genesis 47:7-10, Genesis 48:15-20, Genesis 49:28, Numbers 6:23-27, Deuteronomy 32:1, 2 Samuel 6:20, 1 Kings 8:55, 2 Chronicles 30:27, Luke 24:50, Luke 24:51, 2 Corinthians 13:14 Genesis 14:19 - he blessed Genesis 47:10 - General Exodus 40:15 - everlasting Leviticus 9:22 - his hand Joshua 22:6 - General 1 Chronicles 16:2 - he blessed Isaiah 9:16 - led of them Luke 2:34 - blessed Hebrews 7:7. ———————- Without all contradiction means it is so evident that it cannot be successfully disputed. Blessed is from EULOGEO which Thayer defines at this place, “To invoke blessings.” In order for a good wish to have any assurance of fulfillment, it must be uttered by someone endowed with special knowledge and authority. ———————- Melchisedec had such qualification since he was the priest of the most high God. Hebrews 7:7 ——————————————————————————– Without all contradiction (χωρὶςπάσηςἀντιλογίας) Asserting a principle which no one thinks of questioning: it is the less who is blessed, and the greater who blesses. Hebrews 7:7 ——————————————————————————– Dispute (antilogias). Ablative case with chτris. For the word see Hebrews 6:16. The writer makes a parenthetical generalization and uses the article and neuter adjective (to elasson, the less, hupo tou kreittonos, by the better), a regular Greek idiom.

Hebrews 7:8

Hebrews 7:8 Hebrews 7:8 ————————– καιG2532 AND ωδεG5602 μενG3303 HERE δεκαταςG1181 TITHES αποθνησκοντεςG599 [G5723] “THAT” DIE ανθρωποιG444 MEN λαμβανουσινG2983 [G5719] RECEIVE; εκειG1563 δεG1161 BUT THERE “ONE” μαρτυρουμενοςG3140 [G5746] OF οτιG3754 THAT ζηG2198 [G5719] HE LIVES; men: Hebrews 7:23, Hebrews 9:27 he liveth: Hebrews 3:16, Hebrews 5:6, Hebrews 6:20, Hebrews 9:24, Hebrews 9:25, John 11:25, John 11:26, John 14:6, John 14:19, Revelation 1:18 Genesis 48:21 - Behold Luke 24:5 - the living Hebrews 7:24 - he continueth Hebrews 7:25 - ever Revelation 4:9 - who Hebrews 7:8. ———————- The word here stands for the Levitical priesthood, and there refers to that of Melchisedec. Men that die is said because the priests under the Levitical order ceased to serve because of death and the event was recorded. Whereas there is no record of the death of Melchisedec, and as far as the historical account is concerned he is still living. The point is that while the priests designated by here had tithes given them, yet they were subject to death. The priest designated by there also received tithes, but there is no account of his death. This makes him superior to the other priests notwithstanding both orders received tithes. Hebrews 7:8 Here (ὧδε) In the Levitical economy. ——————————————————————————– Men that die receive tithes The emphasis is on ἀποθνήσκοντες dying. The Levites are dying men, who pass away in due course, and are succeeded by others. ——————————————————————————– But there (ἐκεῖδὲ) In the case of Melchisedec. ——————————————————————————– (He receiveth them of whom) it is witnessed that he liveth (μαρτυρούμενοςὅτιζῃ) The Greek is very condensed: being attested that he liveth. The A.V. fills it out correctly. Melchisedec does not appear in Scripture as one who dies, and whose office passes to another. See on abideth continually, Hebrews 7:3. Hebrews 7:8 ——————————————————————————– Here (hτde).

In the Levitical system. ——————————————————————————– There (ekei). In the case of Melchizedek. ——————————————————————————– Of whom it is witnessed (marturoumenos). “Being witnessed,” present passive participle of martureτ (personal construction, not impersonal). ——————————————————————————– That he lives (hoti zηi). Present active indicative of zaτ). The Genesis record tells nothing of his death.

Hebrews 7:9

Hebrews 7:9 Hebrews 7:9 ————————– καιG2532 AND, ωςG5613 εποςG2031 ειπεινG2036 [G5629] SO TO SPEAK, διαG1223 THROUGH αβρααμG11 ABRAHAM, καιG2532 ALSO λευιG3017 LEVI, οG3588 WHO δεκαταςG1181 TITHES λαμβανωνG2983 [G5723] , δεδεκατωταιG1183 [G5769] HAS BEEN TITHED. payed: Hebrews 7:4, Genesis 14:20, Romans 5:12, *marg. Numbers 31:41 - Eleazar Hebrews 7:9. ———————- Another contrast between Melchisedec over Levi is that the latter (though being given tithes), himself paid tithes to Melchisedec while in Abraham’s body. Hebrews 7:9 ——————————————————————————– Levi himself, in the person of Abraham, was tithed by Melchisedec. ——————————————————————————– As I may say (ὡςἔποςεἰπεῖν) = so to speak. N.T.o. olxx. Introducing an unusual statement, or one which may appear paradoxical or startling to the reader, as this statement certainly is, to a modern reader at least. ——————————————————————————– In Abraham (δι’ Ἀβραὰμ) Lit. through Abraham. Hebrews 7:9 ——————————————————————————– So to say (hτs epos eipein). An old idiom, here only in the N.T., common in Philo, used to limit a startling statement, an infinitive for conceived result with hτs. ——————————————————————————– Hath paid tithes (dedekatτtai). Perfect passive indicative of dekatoτ, “has been tithed.” This could only be true of Levi “so to speak.”

Hebrews 7:10

Hebrews 7:10 Hebrews 7:10 ————————– ετιG2089 γαρG1063 FOR YET ενG1722 IN τηG3588 THE οσφυιG3751 LOINS τουG3588 πατροςG3962 OF “HIS” FATHER ηνG2258 [G5713] HE WAS οτεG3753 WHEN συνηντησενG4876 [G5656] MET αυτωG846 οG3588 HIM μελχισεδεκG3198 . Hebrews 7:5, Genesis 35:11, Genesis 46:26, 1 Kings 8:19 Genesis 14:18 - the priest Hebrews 7:10. ———————- Was yet in the loins, etc. Paul takes advantage of a common theory believed by the Hebrews concerning the seat of the reproductive function. The word for loins is OSPHUS which Thayer defines. “A loin . . . the (two) loins,” and then explains it by, “The Hebrews thought the generative powers resided in t h e loins.” Strong defines it, “The loins (externally), i. e., the hip; internally (by extension) procreative powers.” There was a pure blood line from Abraham to Levi, who was only the fourth generation from his great ancestor. In this sense Levi was represented by Abraham as he paid the tithes to Melchisedec. This is a phase of the argument based on the superiority of Melchisedec over Levi. Hebrews 7:10 ——————————————————————————– In the loins of his father (ἐντῃὀσφύϊτοῦπατρὸς) His own father; not of Abraham. ——————————————————————————– When Melchisedec met him In the person of Abraham. The whole Jewish law, its ordinances and priesthood, are regarded as potentially in Abraham. When Abraham paid tithes, Levi paid tithes. When Abraham was blessed, Israel was blessed. It is a kind of reasoning which would appeal to Hebrews, who so strongly emphasized the solidarity of their race. Comp.

Romans 9:4-5. Hebrews 7:10 ——————————————————————————– In the loins of his father (en tηi osphui tou patros). Levi was not yet born. The reference is to Abraham, the forefather (patros) of Levi. This is a rabbinical imaginative refinement appealing to Jews.

Hebrews 7:11-19

“THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS”

The Significance Of Christ’s Priesthood (Hebrews 7:11-19)

1. A major theme in “The Epistle To The Hebrews” is the priesthood of Jesus Christ… a. His humanity prepared Him to be “a merciful and faithful High Priest” - Hebrews 2:17b. He is the “High Priest of our confession” - Hebrews 3:1c. He is “a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens”

• Hebrews 4:14d. He is a sympathetic High Priest, for He “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” - Hebrews 4:15e. His calling as High Priest came from God Himself - Hebrews 5:5-6

2. His is a unique priesthood, however… a. It is NOT according to the “Levitical priesthood”

1. He is a not priest in the order of Aaron
2. A priesthood that began with the giving of the Law through Moses at Mt. Sinai b. His priesthood is “according to the order of Melchizedek” - Hebrews 5:9-101) Melchizedek was a priest “of God Most High” who met Abram

• Genesis 14:14-202) And God swore that the Messiah would be a priest like Melchizedek - Psalms 110:4

3. In our previous study, we saw Melchizedek was superior in that… a. He received tithes from Abraham - Hebrews 7:4-6 ab. He blessed Abraham - Hebrews 7:6 b-7c. Even Levi, in the loins of his ancestor Abraham, paid tithes to Melchizedek - Hebrews 7:9-10– All of this proving that the priesthood of Christ, which is after the order of Melchizedek, is superior to the Levitical priesthood

4. That Jesus would come to serve as a priest after the order the Melchizedek is not without significance and major implications… a. Regarding the efficacy of the Levitical priesthood b. Regarding the law of Moses itself!

[Some of the significance and implications of Christ’s priesthood is described in Hebrews 7:11-19. As we consider “The Significance Of Christ’s Priesthood”, we note first that …]

I. THE WAS LACKING (Hebrews 7:11) A. IT DID NOT BRING “”…1. Otherwise there would not have been another priest to arise like Melchizedek 2. That one was foretold (Psalms 110:4) and has come proves the order of Aaron was lacking

B. THE MEANING OF “”…1. Perfection means “completeness” and in this context it speaks of making men acceptable to God (Believers’ Study Bible) 2. The Old Law with its priesthood could never fully reconcile man back to God a. Animal sacrifices could not make one “perfect” - Hebrews 10:1b. They could not cleanse the sinner’s conscience - Hebrews 10:2-3;cf. 9:9c. They could not take away sin - Hebrews 10:4; cf. Hebrews 10:11 [Jesus coming as a priest after the order of Melchizedek implies that the Levitical priesthood, while having served the purpose for which it was intended (to foreshadow the sacrifice of Christ), was not able to provide man what he really needs.

The priesthood of Christ also signifies…]

II. THE LAW HAS BEEN (Hebrews 7:12-18) A. A CHANGE IN THE A CHANGE IN THE LAW…1. Jesus came from the tribe of Judah, not Levi - Hebrews 7:13-14;cf. Matthew 1:1-22. Moses had not authorized anyone from Judah to serve as priest; indeed, God specifically forbid anyone other than a descendant of Aaron - cf. Numbers 16:403. For Christ to serve as priest, then, a change must have occurred - Hebrews 7:144. Especially for one who serves “according to the power of an endless life” - Hebrews 7:15-17a. The Levitical priests were “mortal men”, whose service ended at death b. But Jesus is a priest “forever”, His priesthood is therefore unchangeable - Hebrews 7:24 B. WITH THE CHANGE IN , THE LAW IS NOW …1. “Annulled” means “to declare as void, to invalidate, to abrogate” (Lightfoot) 2. The “former commandment” (as the Law is called) has therefore been set aside - Hebrews 7:18-19 aa. Because it was weak and unprofitable b. In the sense of making us “perfect” (acceptable to God)

• cf. Hebrews 10:13. That the Law has been done away should not surprise us… a. God foretold this would happen - cf. Hebrews 8:7-13b. Jesus implied that the Law would be done away once it was fulfilled - Matthew 5:17-181) One “jot” or “tittle” would not pass from the law until it was fulfilled

2. If the priesthood has changed, then it must have been fulfilled and done away! c. Paul described how Jesus abolished it in His death on the cross
3. To the Ephesians - Ephesians 2:14-162) To the Colossians - Colossians 2:14-16 [This significance of Christ’s priesthood has powerful implications. With the Law annulled, it is folly to seek justification by the Law (cf. Galatians 5:4); it also explains why we should not go to the Old Law to find our authority for the work, worship, and organization of the church!

Finally, there is that significance of Christ’s priesthood which should be most precious to us…]

III. THERE IS NOW A BETTER HOPE (Hebrews 7:19) A. THROUGH WHICH WE CAN DRAW NEAR TO GOD…1. As seen earlier, the Levitical priesthood did not offer “perfection” a. Its sacrifices could not make one “perfect” regarding:

1. Consciousness of sins, for sacrifices were “year by year” - Hebrews 10:1-32) Actual forgiveness of sins, for “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins”

• Hebrews 10:4b. Thus the Law, because of its “weakness and unprofitableness”, “made nothing perfect” - Hebrews 7:18-192. But now we have in Christ “a better hope” a. Here we find the keyword of this epistle: “better"1) First used in comparing Jesus to angels - Hebrews 1:42) Used later in contrasting the new covenant and its promises with the old covenant - Hebrews 7:22; Hebrews 8:6b. Our hope in drawing near to God is now “better” than before!

B. CHRIST’S IS THE BASIS OF THAT HOPE…1. Because Jesus is “a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”, our hope for drawing near to God is much better: a. As we’ve seen, Melchizedek is superior to Abraham and Levi b. Therefore his priesthood is superior to the Levitical priesthood – Making Jesus’ own priesthood superior 2. More evidence of superiority will be considered shortly (cf. Hebrews 7:24-28), but for now note again how the greatness of Jesus’ priesthood should strengthen our hope in drawing near to God: a. Our High Priest has “passed through the heavens” - Hebrews 4:14b. Our High Priest can “sympathize with our weaknesses”

• Hebrews 4:15c. Our High Priest makes it possible to “come boldly to the throne of grace” and “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” - Hebrews 4:16– Can we see how His service as our High Priest provides “a better hope, through which we draw near to God”?

1. More is yet to come regarding Christ’s Priesthood, but perhaps we can appreciate how… a. The Levitical priesthood does not provide what man really needs (access to God) b. There has been a change in the Law; indeed, it has been replaced with a new covenant c. In Jesus, our hope in drawing near to God is much better than ever before!

2. In view of such things… a. Why would the Hebrew Christians ever want to leave Jesus and return to the Law? b. Why would people today seek to use the Law to justify religious practices, as many do when they turn to the Old Testament to establish authority for such things as a separate priesthood (clergy), burning of incense, or even instrumental music?

Jesus is the only way to God (cf. John 14:6). Are you willing to come to the Father through Him? Let us be sure to serve God through Him only! - cf. Galatians 5:4-6

Hebrews 7:12

Hebrews 7:12 Hebrews 7:12 ————————– μετατιθεμενηςG3346 [G5746] γαρG1063 FOR BEING CHANGED τηςG3588 THE ιερωσυνηςG2420 , εξG1537 FROM αναγκηςG318 καιG2532 ALSO νομουG3551 OF LAW μεταθεσιςG3331 A CHANGE γινεταιG1096 [G5736] TAKES PLACE. a change: Isaiah 66:21, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 16:61, Acts 6:13, Acts 6:14 Hebrews 7:18 - a disannulling Hebrews 8:13 - he hath Hebrews 7:12. ———————- This is a repetition Of the argument in verse 11. (see Hebrews 7:11) Hebrews 7:12 ——————————————————————————– Being changed (μετατιθεμένης) Or transferred to another order. See on Galatians 1:6. ——————————————————————————– A change (μετάθεσις) A transfer to a new basis. Only in Hebrews. See Hebrews 11:5; Hebrews 12:27. The inferiority of the Levitical priesthood is inferred from the fact that another priesthood was promised. If perfection was possible at all under the Mosaic economy, it must come through the Levitical priesthood, since that priesthood was, in a sense, the basis of the law.

The whole legal system centered in it. The fundamental idea of the law was that of a people united with God. Sin, the obstacle to this ideal union, was dealt with through the priesthood. If the law failed to effect complete fellowship with God, the priesthood was shown to be a failure, and must be abolished; and the change of the priesthood involved the abolition of the entire legal system. Hebrews 7:12 ——————————————————————————– The priesthood being changed (metatithemenηs tηs hierosunηs). Genitive absolute with present passive participle of metatithηmi, old word to transfer (Galatians 1:6). ——————————————————————————– A change (metathesis).

Old substantive from metatithηmi. In N.T. only in Hebrews (Hebrews 7:12; Hebrews 11:5; Hebrews 12:27). God’s choice of another kind of priesthood for his Son, left the Levitical line off to one side, forever discounted, passed by “the order of Aaron” (tηn taxin Aarτn).

Hebrews 7:13

Hebrews 7:13 Hebrews 7:13 ————————– εφG1909 ονG3739 γαρG1063 FOR HE OF WHOM λεγεταιG3004 [G5743] ARE SAID ταυταG5023 THESE THINGS, φυληςG5443 A TRIBE ετεραςG2087 μετεσχηκενG3348 [G5758] HAS PART IN, αφG575 ηςG3739 OF WHICH ουδειςG3762 NO ONE προσεσχηκενG4337 [G5758] HAS GIVEN τωG3588 AT THE θυσιαστηριωG2379 ALTAR. of which: Numbers 16:40, Numbers 17:5, 2 Chronicles 26:16-21 Joe 1:13 - ye ministers Hebrews 7:13. ———————- These things refers to the statements about another priest who was to bring a change in the law. That priest belonged to another tribe, which had nothing to do with the altar service. Hebrews 7:13 ——————————————————————————– As the law prescribed that the priesthood should be of the order of Aaron, a new priesthood, not of that order, must set aside the law. ——————————————————————————– Pertaineth to another tribe (φυλῆςἑτέραςμετέσχηκεν) Lit. hath partaken of another tribe. Not only another, but a different tribe; one not specially set apart to sacerdotal service. ——————————————————————————– Of which no man gave attendance at the altar (ἀφ’ ἧςοὐδεὶςπροσέσχηκεντῳθυσιαστηρίῳ) Προσέχειν originally to bring to; bring the mind to; attend to. See on Hebrews 2:1. θυσιαστήριον altar, oClass. Strictly an altar for the sacrifice of victims; but used of the altar of incense, Luke 1:11; Revelation 8:3; comp. Exodus 30:1. See on Acts 17:23.

It was also used of the enclosure in which the altar stood. See Ignat. Eph. v; Trall. vii. See Lightfoot’s interesting note, Ignatius and Polycarp, Vol. II., p. 43. Hebrews 7:13 ——————————————————————————– Belongeth to another tribe (phulηs heteras meteschηken).

See Hebrews 2:14 for metechτ, perfect active indicative here. A different (heteras) tribe. ——————————————————————————– Hath given attendance at (proseschηken). Perfect active indicative (watch perfects in Hebrews, not “for” aorists) of prosechτ, old verb, here with either noun (mind) or self (heauton) understood with dative case (tτi thusiastηriτi, the altar, for which word see Matthew 5:23; Luke 1:11).

Hebrews 7:14

Hebrews 7:14 Hebrews 7:14 ————————– προδηλονG4271 γαρG1063 FOR “IT IS” οτιG3754 THAT εξG1537 OUT OF ιουδαG2448 JUDAH ανατεταλκενG393 [G5758] HAS SPRUNG οG3588 κυριοςG2962 ημωνG2257 OUR LORD, ειςG1519 AS TO ηνG3739 WHICH φυληνG5443 TRIBE ουδενG3762 NOTHING περιG4012 ιερωσυνηςG2420 μωσηςG3475 MOSES ελαλησενG2980 [G5656] SPOKE. Our Lord: Luke 1:43, John 20:13, John 20:28, Ephesians 1:3, Philippians 3:8 sprang: Genesis 46:12, Genesis 49:10, Rth 4:18-22, Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, Jeremiah 23:6, Micah 5:2, Matthew 1:3-16, Luke 2:23-33, Luke 3:33, Romans 1:3, Romans 2:3, Revelation 5:5, Revelation 22:16 Genesis 49:8 - shall praise Numbers 26:22 - General Deuteronomy 33:7 - and bring Judges 1:2 - General 1 Chronicles 5:2 - Judah 1 Chronicles 28:4 - chosen Judah Joe 1:13 - ye ministers Matthew 1:2 - Jacob begat John 4:22 - for Hebrews 7:14. ———————- Evident denotes something that is plainly established and understood. Juda is a short spelling of Judah, the tribe from which Christ sprang or was produced. The genealogies of Matthew 1 and Luke 3 show Christ to have descended from David, who all readers of the Bible know was a descendant of Judah the fourth son of Jacob. And the writings of Moses concerning the system of priesthood were completely silent about the tribe of Judah. Hebrews 7:14 ——————————————————————————– Evident (πρόδηλον) Obvious. See on 1 Timothy 5:24. ——————————————————————————– Sprang (ἀνατέταλκεν) Rend. hath sprung. In N.T. always of the rising of a heavenly body, sun or star, except Luke 12:54, of a cloud, and here. See lxx, Genesis 32:31; Exodus 22:3; Numbers 24:17; Judges 9:33; Isaiah 14:12; Isaiah 40:1; Malachi 4:2. Also of the springing up of plants, Genesis 2:5; Genesis 3:18; Deuteronomy 29:23; of the growing of the beard, 2 Samuel 10:5. Hebrews 7:14 ——————————————————————————– It is evident (prodηlon).

Old compound adjective (pro, dηlos), openly manifest to all, in N.T. only here and 1 Timothy 5:24-25. ——————————————————————————– Hath sprung (anatetalken). Perfect active indicative of anatellτ, old compound to rise up like the sun (Matthew 5:45).

Hebrews 7:15

Hebrews 7:15 Hebrews 7:15 ————————– καιG2532 AND περισσοτερονG4054 MORE ετιG2089 YET καταδηλονG2612 QUITE εστινG2076 [G5748] IT IS, ειG1487 SINCE καταG2596 TO τηνG3588 THE ομοιοτηταG3665 μελχισεδεκG3198 OF ανισταταιG450 [G5731] ARISES ιερευςG2409 A PRIEST ετεροςG2087 , after: Hebrews 7:3, Hebrews 7:11, Hebrews 7:17-21, Psalms 110:4 Hebrews 5:6 - Thou Hebrews 7:15. ———————- Yet far more evident means the testimony on behalf of the priesthood of Jesus is still more clearly shown. Paul refers to the comparison made between Melchisedec and Him, and the point is made stronger by the fact that Melchisedec lived several centuries before the Mosaic system was started. And it was concerning Melchisedec that another priest was to arise; flint is, another besides him. Hebrews 7:15 ——————————————————————————– Evident (κατάδηλον) N.T.o. Thoroughly evident. Not referring to that which is declared to be πρόδηλον evident in Hebrews 7:14, viz., that Christ sprang out of Judah, but to the general proposition— the unsatisfactory character of the Levitical priesthood. ——————————————————————————– Similitude (ὁμιότητα) Better, likeness: answering to made like, Hebrews 7:3, and emphasizing the personal resemblance to Melchisedec. Hebrews 7:15 ——————————————————————————– Yet more abundantly evident (perissoteron eti katadηlon). Only N.T. instance of the old compound adjective katadηlos thoroughly clear with eti (still) added and the comparative perissoteron (more abundantly) piling Ossa on Pelion like Philippians 1:23. ——————————————————————————– Likeness (homoiotηta). See Hebrews 4:15, only N.T. examples.

Cf. the verb in Hebrews 7:3. ——————————————————————————– Ariseth another priest (anistatai hiereus heteros). As said in Hebrews 7:11, now assumed in condition of first class.

Hebrews 7:16

Hebrews 7:16 Hebrews 7:16 ————————– οςG3739 WHO ουG3756 NOT καταG2596 TO νομονG3551 LAW εντοληςG1785 OF σαρκικηςG4559 FLESHLY γεγονενG1096 [G5754] HAS BEEN , αλλαG235 BUT καταG2596 TO δυναμινG1411 POWER ζωηςG2222 OF LIFE ακαταλυτουG179 . the law: Hebrews 9:9, Hebrews 9:10, Hebrews 10:1, Galatians 4:3, Galatians 4:9, Colossians 2:14, Colossians 2:20 the power: Hebrews 7:3, Hebrews 7:17, Hebrews 7:21, Hebrews 7:24, Hebrews 7:25, Hebrews 7:28, Revelation 1:18 Leviticus 8:34 - General Romans 6:9 - Christ Galatians 3:3 - having Ephesians 2:15 - the law Hebrews 7:16. ———————- Carnal means pertaining to the flesh; the Levitical priests received their office through their fleshly birth. Melchisedec was made a high priest by the Lord independent of any fleshly relationship to anyone. Endless life is used in the sense set forth in verse 3, namely, his life is still continuing as far as any record of his death is concerned. This makes Melchisedec’s priesthood more like that of Christ than was that of the priests in the Levitical order. Hebrews 7:16 ——————————————————————————– The law of a carnal commandment (νόμονἐντολῆςσαρκίνης) The phrase N.T.o. Νόμον the norm or standard, as Romans 7:21; Romans 7:23. Εντολῆς, the specific precept of the Mosaic law regarding Levitical priests. Comp. Ephesians 2:15. Σαρκίνης fleshly, indicates that the conditions of the Levitical priesthood had reference to the body. Fitness for office was determined largely by physical considerations. The priest must be of proper descent, without bodily blemish, ceremonially pure. See Hebrews 9:1-5; Hebrews 9:10, and comp.

Romans 8:3. Such a priesthood cannot be eternal. ——————————————————————————– After the power of an endless life (κατὰδύαναμινἀκαταλύτου) Δύναμιν inherent virtue. Rend. for endless, indissoluble. Comp. καταλύθῃ loosened down, of a tent, 2 Corinthians 5:1; of the stones of the temple, Matthew 24:2. Jesus was high priest in virtue of the energy of indissoluble life which dwelt in him, unlike the priests who die, Hebrews 7:8. This truth the writer finds in the Psalm.

Hebrews 7:16 ——————————————————————————– Carnal (sarkinηs). “Fleshen” as in 1 Corinthians 3:1, not sarkikηs (fleshlike, 1 Corinthians 3:3). The Levitical priests became so merely by birth. ——————————————————————————– Of an endless life (zτηs akatalutou). Late compound (alpha privative and verbal adjective from kataluτ, to dissolve, as in 2 Corinthians 4:1), indissoluble. Jesus as priest lives on forever. He is Life.

Hebrews 7:17

Hebrews 7:17 Hebrews 7:17 ————————– μαρτυρειG3140 [G5719] γαρG1063 οτιG3754 FOR HE , συG4771 THOU “ART” ιερευςG2409 A PRIEST ειςG1519 τονG3588 FOR αιωναG165 EVER καταG2596 AFTER τηνG3588 THE ταξινG5010 ORDER μελχισεδεκG3198 OF . Hebrews 7:15, Hebrews 7:21, Hebrews 5:6, Hebrews 5:10, Hebrews 6:20, Psalms 110:4 Exodus 40:15 - everlasting Numbers 25:13 - an everlasting Zechariah 11:10 - that Hebrews 7:3 - a priest Hebrews 7:11 - another Hebrews 7:16 - the power Hebrews 7:17. ———————- The pronoun he refers to God, who testified or declared that the Son was to be priest for ever (unchanging, throughout the age) after the order of Melchisedec. Hebrews 7:17 ——————————————————————————– It is witnessed (martureitai). Present passive indicative of martureτ. The author aptly quotes again Psalms 110:4.

Hebrews 7:18

Hebrews 7:18 Hebrews 7:18 ————————– αθετησιςG115 μενG3303 A PUTTING AWAY γαρG1063 FOR γινεταιG1096 [G5736] THERE IS προαγουσηςG4254 [G5723] OF THE GOING BEFORE εντοληςG1785 , διαG1223 BECAUSE OF τοG3588 αυτηςG846 ασθενεςG772 ITS καιG2532 AND ανωφελεςG512 , a disannulling: Hebrews 7:11, Hebrews 7:12, Hebrews 8:7-13, Hebrews 10:1-9, Romans 3:31, Galatians 3:15, Galatians 3:17 the weakness: Hebrews 7:19, Hebrews 8:7, Hebrews 8:8, Hebrews 9:9, Hebrews 9:10, Hebrews 10:1-4, Hebrews 13:9, Acts 13:39, Romans 8:3, Galatians 4:9, Galatians 4:21, 1 Timothy 4:8 Numbers 25:13 - an everlasting Job 40:8 - disannul Galatians 2:16 - but Galatians 3:24 - the law Colossians 2:14 - the handwriting Hebrews 8:13 - he hath Hebrews 10:9 - He taketh Hebrews 7:18. ———————- To disannul signifies to cancel the force of the law which went before. God declared that such an act would be done by changing the priesthood and also the commandment (law of Moses). The reason for this annulling was the weakness and un-profitableness thereof. This weakness was not through any failure of God. for it was not brought into the world with the idea of its being final and complete. (See Galatians 3:18-25.) Hebrews 7:18 ——————————————————————————– There is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before (ἀθέτησιςμὲνγὰργίνεταιπροαγούσηςἐντολῆς) Verily is superfluous. Ἀθέτησις only here and Hebrews 9:26; a very few times in lxx: The fundamental idea is the doing away of something established (θετόν). The verb ἀθετεῖν to make void, do away with, is common in N.T. and in lxx, where it represents fifteen different Hebrew words, meaning to deal falsely, to make merchandise of, to abhor, to transgress, to rebel, to break an oath, etc. The noun, in a technical, legal sense, is found in a number of papyri from 98 to 271 a.d., meaning the making void of a document. It appears in the formula εἰςἀθίτησινκαὶἀκύρωσιν for annulling and canceling. Προαγούσηςἐντολῆς rend. of a foregoing commandment. The expression is indefinite, applying to any commandment which might be superseded, although the commandment in Hebrews 7:16 is probably in the writer’s mind. Foregoing, not emphasizing mere precedence in time, but rather the preliminary character of the commandment as destined to be done away by a later ordinance.

With foregoing comp. 1 Timothy 1:18; 1 Timothy 5:24. ——————————————————————————– For the weakness and unprofitableness thereof (διὰτὸαὐτῆςἀσθενὲςκαὶἀνωφελές) Rend. “because of its weakness and unprofitableness.” It could not bring men into close fellowship with God. See Romans 5:20; Romans 8:3; Galatians 3:21. Ἀνωφελής unprofitable, only here and Titus 3:9.

Hebrews 7:18 ——————————————————————————– A disannulling (athetηsis). Late word from atheteτ (alpha privative and tithηmi), to set aside (Mark 6:26), in N.T. only here and Hebrews 9:26. Common in the papyri in a legal sense of making void. Involved in metathesis (change in Hebrews 7:12). ——————————————————————————– Foregoing (proagousηs). Present active participle of proagτ, to go before (1 Timothy 1:18). ——————————————————————————– Because of its weakness (dia to autηs asthenes). Neuter abstract adjective with article for quality as in Hebrews 7:7 with dia and accusative case for reason. ——————————————————————————– Unprofitableness (anτpheles).

Old compound (alpha privative and ophelos) useless, and neuter singular like asthenes. In N.T. only here and Titus 3:9.

Hebrews 7:19

Hebrews 7:19 Hebrews 7:19 ————————– ουδενG3762 γαρG1063 FOR NOTHING ετελειωσενG5048 [G5656] οG3588 THE νομοςG3551 LAW, επεισαγωγηG1898 “THE” δεG1161 AND κρειττονοςG2909 OF A BETTER ελπιδοςG1680 HOPE διG1223 BY ηςG3739 WHICH εγγιζομενG1448 [G5719] τωG3588 WE DRAW NEAR θεωG2316 TO GOD. the law: Hebrews 7:11, Hebrews 9:9, Acts 13:39, Romans 3:20, Romans 3:21, Romans 8:3, Galatians 2:16 made: Ουδεν G3762, ετελειωσεν, completed nothing; it was the introduction, but not the completion. the bringing in: or, it was the bringing in, Galatians 3:24 a better: Hebrews 6:18, Hebrews 8:6, Hebrews 11:40, John 1:17, Romans 8:3, Colossians 1:27, 1 Timothy 1:1 we: Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 10:19-22, Psalms 73:28, John 14:6, Romans 5:2, Ephesians 2:13-18, Ephesians 3:12 Leviticus 16:26 - wash Numbers 19:21 - General Romans 4:14 - For if Ephesians 2:18 - through Colossians 1:5 - the hope 2 Thessalonians 2:16 - good Hebrews 7:18 - the weakness Hebrews 7:25 - come Hebrews 8:13 - he hath Hebrews 10:9 - He taketh Hebrews 10:14 - he Hebrews 10:22 - draw Hebrews 12:2 - finisher James 4:8 - Draw nigh to God Hebrews 7:19. ———————- Law made nothing perfect. The last word means something complete regardless of the quality of the thing spoken of. Since the law was added for a limited time only (see reference in Galatians cited above), it follows that God did not equip it with the entire requirements of a spiritual life. Better hope is a term used to designate the hope that is held out to those who serve under the priesthood of Christ in the place of the Levitical one. Hebrews 7:19 ——————————————————————————– For the law made nothing perfect (οὐδὲνγὰρἐτελείωσενὁνόμος) Parenthetical. The A.V. overlooks the parenthesis, ignores the connection of bringing in with disannulling, translates δὲ but instead of and, and supplies did; thus making an opposition between the law which made nothing perfect and the bringing in of a better hope, which did make something perfect. What the writer means to say is that, according to the Psalm, there takes place, on the one hand, a disannulling of the preliminary commandment because it was weak and unprofitable, unable to perfect anything, and on the other hand, the introduction of a better hope. ——————————————————————————– The bringing in of a better hope (ἐπεισαγωγὴκρείττονοςἐλπίδος) ΕπεισαγωγὴN.T.o, olxx, is “a bringing in upon” (ἐπὶ), upon the ground formerly occupied by the commandment. So Rev., correctly, “a bringing in thereupon.” For κπείττων better, see on Hebrews 1:4. The comparison is not between the hope conveyed by the commandment, and the better hope introduced by the gospel, but between the commandment which was characteristic of the law (Ephesians 2:15) and the hope which characterized the gospel (Romans 5:2-5; Romans 8:24). ——————————————————————————– By the which we draw nigh to God (δι’ ἧςἐγγίζομεντῳθεῳ) Giving the reason why the hope is better. Christianity is the religion of good hope because by it men first enter into intimate fellowship with God.

The old priesthood could not effect this. Hebrews 7:19 ——————————————————————————– Made nothing perfect (ouden eteleiτsen).

Another parenthesis. First aorist active indicative of teleioτ. See Hebrews 7:11. And yet law is necessary. ——————————————————————————– A bringing in thereupon (epeisagτgη). An old double compound (epi, additional, eisagτgη, bringing in from eisagτ). Here only in N.T. Used by Josephus (Ant. XI. 6, 2) for the introduction of a new wife in place of the repudiated one. ——————————————————————————– Of a better hope (kreittonos elpidos).

This better hope (Hebrews 6:18-20) does bring us near to God (eggizomen tτi theτi) as we come close to God’s throne through Christ (Hebrews 4:16).

Hebrews 7:20-28

“THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS”

The Superiority Of Christ’s Priesthood (Hebrews 7:20-28)

1. In the first seven chapters of “The Epistle To The Hebrews”, the main thought is the superiority of Christ… a. To the prophets - Hebrews 1:1-3b. To angels - Hebrews 1:4 to Hebrews 2:18c. To Moses - Hebrews 3:1-5d. To Aaron and his Levitical priesthood - Hebrews 5:1-10; Hebrews 7:1-28
2. In showing the superiority of Jesus’ priesthood, the author has done so step-by-step… a. Jesus is qualified to be a priest by virtue of His calling by God and His suffering - Hebrews 5:1-8b. He has been called to be “a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” - Hebrews 5:9-10c. The priestly order of Melchizedek is shown to be superior by comparing Abraham and Melchizedek - Hebrews 7:1-10d. That Christ has become such a priest has several implications

• Hebrews 7:11-191) The Levitical priesthood could not make one perfect before God

2. The Law upon which the Levitical priesthood was based has been annulled
3. Christ now provides “a better hope, through which we draw near to God”

3. This brings us to Hebrews 7:20-28, in which we find a climatic comparison… a. Where Jesus is contrasted with those who served in the Levitical priesthood b. Where “The Superiority Of Christ’s Priesthood” is clearly demonstrated

[In this passage, we find at least four points illustrating Jesus’ superiority, the first of which pertains to…]

I. HIS DIVINE (20-22) A. PRIESTS WERE BY A “COMMAND”…1. Beginning with Aaron, he and his descendants served in the Levitical priesthood 2. It was a divine command that so appointed them - Exodus 28:1-43. While divinely commanded, it was not with an oath

A. JESUS WAS MADE A PRIEST WITH AN “OATH”…1. Again, the reference is to Psalms 110:4, in which God swore an oath concerning the coming Messiah and His priesthood 2. We saw earlier that a promise joined with an oath really confirms the “immutability” (unchangeableness) of God’s counsel - cf. Hebrews 6:172. Appointed by an oath and not just a command, Jesus has become “a surety of a better covenant”… a. “surety” means “guarantor” (NEB) b. Appointed by such an oath from God, Jesus guarantees the new covenant, that it is “better” (there is that key word again!)

[The superiority of Christ’s priesthood is also illustrated by…]

II. HIS ETERNAL (23-25) A. PRIESTS WERE LIMITED IN SERVICE BY “DEATH”…1. When one died, another took his place 2. Of necessity there had to be “many priests”

B. JESUS “EVER LIVES” TO MAKE FOR US…1. That is because “He continues forever” 2. As seen earlier, Jesus came “according to the power of an endless life” - Hebrews 7:163. He therefore “has an unchangeable priesthood” a. He is “able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him”

1. He can do what the law could not do: make one “perfect”

• cf. Hebrews 7:192) That is, make one “holy, and blameless” - cf. Colossians 1:21-22b. And “He ever lives to make intercession for them”

1. I have always been impressed by this phrase
2. For it suggests what Jesus is doing for us now, and is most willing to do!

[As we continue in our text, we see yet another contrast with Levitical priests…]

III. HIS PERFECT (Hebrews 7:26-27) A. PRIESTS WERE “SINNERS”…1. Some more so than others 2. Even the best of them had to “offer up sacrifices”… a. On a daily basis b. For his own sins before offering sacrifices others

B. JESUS IS " FROM SINNERS”…1. We see our High Priest described in regards to… a. His holy character: “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” b. His preeminent position: “higher than the heavens” – Thus He does not need to offer sacrifices for Himself 2. This makes Him a High Priest “fitting” (becoming, seemly) for us

[Add to His perfect character another element that shows His superior priesthood…]

IV. HIS (Hebrews 7:27) A. THE PRIESTS “DAILY”…1. Every day they offered sacrifices for their own sins and for those of the people 2. That they had to be continually offered implies a fundamental weakness in the efficacy of the sacrifices themselves 3. Later we learn that the problem was the inability of animal sacrifices to make one perfect and to cleanse the conscience of sins - Hebrews 10:1-4; cf. Hebrews 9:9 B. JESUS OFFERED HIMSELF “ONCE FOR ALL”…1. This implies the efficacy of His sacrifice 2. The superiority of Jesus’ sacrifice will be explained further, later on- cf. Hebrews 9:11-15; Hebrews 10:11-14

1. In Hebrews 7:28, we find a summary statement that contrasts the two priesthoods… a. The “law”, upon which the Levitical priesthood derives its authority, appoints men who “have weaknesses”; for example:

1. They are sinners themselves, and death terminates their service
2. Their sacrifices cannot truly remove sin, so had to be repeated daily and yearly b. The “oath”, given after the law and the basis for Christ’s priesthood, appoints the Son “who has been perfected forever”; for example:
3. His humanity and the obedience learned through suffering makes Him most “fitting” to be our High Priest

• cf. Hebrews 2:17-18; Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 5:8-92) His sinlessness makes the sacrifice of Himself the perfect and all-sufficient sacrifice, given once for all! - cf. Hebrews 10:12-14

2. In chapters 9 and 10, the focus of this epistle will center on the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice; but for now, our attention has been on those things that illustrate what our great High Priest: a. His appointment by an oath from God, not just a command b. His eternal intercession, not limited by death c. His perfect character, untainted by sin d. His permanent sacrifice, offered once for all when He offered Himself

Don’t you desire to have such a High Priest interceding in your behalf? Then as Christians…

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” - Hebrews 4:16 Let us never forget that “He ever lives to make intercession” for those who come to God through Him!

Hebrews 7:21

Hebrews 7:21 Hebrews 7:21 ————————– οιG3588 μενG3303 THEY γαρG1063 FOR χωριςG5565 WITHOUT “THE” ορκωμοσιαςG3728 OF AN OATH εισινG1526 [G5748] ARE ιερειςG2409 PRIESTS γεγονοτεςG1096 [G5756] [G7 - 21] BECOME, οG3588 δεG1161 BUT HE μεταG3326 WITH ορκωμοσιαςG3728 “THE” OF AN OATH, διαG1223 BY τουG3588 HIM WHO λεγοντοςG3004 [G5723] SAYS, προςG4314 AS TO αυτονG846 HIM, ωμοσενG3660 [G5656] SWORE κυριοςG2962 “THE” LORD, καιG2532 AND ουG3756 μεταμεληθησεταιG3338 [G5700] WILL NOT REPENT, συG4771 THOU “ART” ιερευςG2409 A PRIEST ειςG1519 τονG3588 FOR αιωναG165 EVER καταG2596 TO τηνG3588 THE ταξινG5010 ORDER μελχισεδεκG3198 OF , an oath: or, swearing of an oath The Lord: Hebrews 7:17, Psalms 110:4 sware: Hebrews 6:16-18 Psalms 61:7 - abide Psalms 89:3 - sworn Psalms 89:49 - thou Jeremiah 4:28 - because Jeremiah 30:21 - and I Ezekiel 37:25 - and my Acts 2:30 - knowing 2 Corinthians 3:11 - if Hebrews 5:6 - Thou Hebrews 6:18 - two Hebrews 7:11 - another Hebrews 7:16 - the power Hebrews 7:28 - the word Hebrews 7:21. ———————- Without an oath is a negative statement, based on the truths that are recorded in the books of Exodus and Leviticus. In all those passages where so much is said about the priesthood of the Levites, the reader will not find one instance of an oath in connection with their office. On the other hand we find a positive declaration (Psalms 110:4) that an oath was made in reference to the priesthood of Christ. Will not repent means that the Lord will never change his mind concerning the priesthood of Christ, namely, that it is to be after the order of Melchisedec. Hebrews 7:21 ——————————————————————————– For those priests were made (οἱμὲνγὰρ—εἰσὶνἱερεῖςγεγονότες) Rend. for they have been made priests. Lit. are priests, having become such. ——————————————————————————– Without an oath Without the taking of an oath by God. Scripture says nothing of an oath of God when he appointed Aaron and his posterity to the priesthood. ——————————————————————————– But this with an oath (ὁδὲμετὰὁρκωμοσίας) Rend. but he with the taking of an oath. The taking of the oath accompanied (μετὰ) the inauguration into the priesthood. ——————————————————————————– That said (λέγοντος) Better, saith. Still says, since the promise is realized in Christ’s priesthood. Hebrews 7:21 ——————————————————————————– Have been made (eisin gegonotes).

Periphrastic perfect active indicative of ginomai (perfect active participle of ginomai) and then eisin. The parenthesis runs from hoi men gar (for they) to eis ton aiτna (for ever, end of Heb 7:21). ——————————————————————————– But he with an oath (ho de meta horkτmosias). Positive statement in place of the negative one in Hebrews 7:20.

Hebrews 7:22

Hebrews 7:22 Hebrews 7:22 ——————————– καταG2596 τοσουτονG5118 BY SO MUCH κρειττονοςG2909 OF A BETTER διαθηκηςG1242 γεγονενG1096 [G5754] HAS BECOME εγγυοςG1450 SURETY ιησουςG2424 JESUS. a surety: Genesis 43:9, Genesis 44:32, Proverbs 6:1, Proverbs 20:16 of a: Hebrews 8:6-12, Hebrews 9:15-23, Hebrews 12:24, Hebrews 13:20, Daniel 9:27, Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25 testament: Rather covenant, διαθηκη G1242. Genesis 44:33 - instead Deuteronomy 18:18 - like unto Job 17:3 - put me Psalms 119:122 - surety 2 Corinthians 3:6 - the new Galatians 4:24 - the two Hebrews 11:40 - better Hebrews 7:22. ———————- By so much refers to the oath by which Jesus was made a High Priest, and it enabled Him to make a testament (or covenant) that was better. The last word does not infer that the first one was not good as to its qualities or principles of righteousness. Paul elsewhere (Romans 7:12) declares the law to be good and holy, but the second is better in the sense of having more advantages and being more useful. Hebrews 7:22 ——————————————————————————– Was Jesus made a surety of a better testament (κρείττονοςδιαθήκηςγέγονενἔγγυοςἸησοῦς) Ἔγγυος surety, N.T.o. Comp. Sir 29:15-16; 2Ma 10:28. Occasionally in Class., where also occur ἐγγυᾶν to give as a pledge, ἐγγύη surety, ἐγγύησις giving in surety, ἐγγυητής one who gives security, and ἐγγητός plighted, always of a wife. The idea underlying all these words is that of putting something into one’s hand (ἐν in γύαλον hollow of the hand) as a pledge. For testament rend. covenant and see on Hebrews 9:16.

The thought of a covenant is introduced for the first time, and foreshadows Hebrews 8:6-13. It adds to the thought of the inferiority of the Levitical priesthood that of the inferiority of the dispensation which it represented. Hebrews 7:22 ——————————————————————————– By so much also (kata tosouto kai). Correlative demonstrative corresponding to kath’ hoson (the relative clause) in Hebrews 7:20. ——————————————————————————– The surety (egguos). Vulgate sponsor. Old word, here only in the N.T., adjective (one pledged, betrothed), from egguη, a pledge, here used as substantive like egguηtηs, one who gives a pledge or guarantee.

There may be a play on the word eggizτ in Hebrews 7:19. Egguaτ is to give a pledge, eggualizτ, to put a pledge in the hollow of the hand. It is not clear whether the author means that Jesus is God’s pledge to man, or man’s to God, or both. He is both in fact, as the Mediator (ho mesitηs, Hebrews 8:6) between God and man (Son of God and Son of man).

Hebrews 7:23

Hebrews 7:23 Hebrews 7:23 ————————– καιG2532 AND οιG3588 μενG3303 THEY πλειονεςG4119 MANY εισινG1526 [G5748] γεγονοτεςG1096 [G5756] ARE ιερειςG2409 PRIESTS διαG1223 τοG3588 ON ACCOUNT OF θανατωG2288 BY DEATH κωλυεσθαιG2967 [G5745] BEING FROM παραμενεινG3887 [G5721] ; were: Hebrews 7:8, 1 Chronicles 6:3-14, Nehemiah 12:10, Nehemiah 12:11 Genesis 48:21 - Behold Exodus 29:9 - consecrate Leviticus 6:22 - is anointed Numbers 20:26 - General Joshua 1:2 - Moses Son 2:3 - my beloved Zechariah 1:5 - General 1 Corinthians 15:17 - ye are Hebrews 7:3 - a priest Hebrews 7:23. ———————- The first system was served by priests whose terms were terminated by death, which made it necessary for it to have many priests. Hebrews 7:23 ——————————————————————————– Were many priests (πλείονέςεἰσινγεγονότεςἱερεῖς) Comp. Hebrews 7:21 for the construction. Rend. have been made priests many in number. ——————————————————————————– Because they were not suffered to continue (διὰτὸκωλύεσθαιπαραμένειν) Rend. because they are hindered from continuing. Παραμένειν “to abide by their ministration.” Hebrews 7:23 ——————————————————————————– Many in number (pleiones). Comparative predicate adjective, “more than one,” in succession, not simultaneously. ——————————————————————————– Because they are hindered (dia to kτluesthai). Articular infinitive (present passive) with dia and the accusative case, “because of the being hindered.” ——————————————————————————– By death (thanatτi). Instrumental case. ——————————————————————————– From continuing (paramenein). Present active infinitive of the compound (remain beside) as in Philippians 1:25 and in the ablative case.

Hebrews 7:24

Hebrews 7:24 Hebrews 7:24 ————————– οG3588 δεG1161 BUT HE, διαG1223 BECAUSE OF τοG3588 μενεινG3306 [G5721] αυτονG846 HIS ABIDING ειςG1519 τονG3588 FOR αιωναG165 EVER, απαραβατονG531 εχειG2192 [G5719] HAS τηνG3588 THE ιερωσυνηνG2420 . But: Οδε G1161, But he, that is, Christ, because he continueth ever, hath απαραβατον G531, ιερωσυνην G2420, a priesthood that passeth not away from him. he continueth: Hebrews 7:8-25, Hebrews 7:28, Hebrews 13:8, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 9:7, John 12:34, Romans 6:9, Revelation 1:18 hath: 1 Samuel 2:35 an unchangeable priesthood: or, a priesthood which passeth not from one to another Numbers 16:48 - General Numbers 20:26 - General Numbers 20:28 - died there Joshua 1:2 - Moses Joshua 24:33 - died 2 Chronicles 7:3 - For he is Jeremiah 32:40 - I will make Zechariah 1:5 - General Zechariah 6:12 - behold Zechariah 6:13 - a priest Galatians 2:17 - is Hebrews 7:16 - the power Hebrews 7:25 - ever 1 John 2:1 - we have Hebrews 7:24. ———————- This man refers to Christ who continueth ever because He never died after becoming a priest. Unchangeable means the priesthood did not pass or change from one man to another, hence it necessarily was a stronger system. Hebrews 7:24 ——————————————————————————– Hath an unchangeable priesthood (ἀπαράβατονἔχειτὴνἱερωσύνην) Rend. hath his priesthood unchangeable. The A.V. misses the possessive force of the article, his priesthood, and the emphasis is on unchangeable ἀπαράβατος, N.T.o. olxx. This may be explained either as inviolable, or which does not pass over to another. Comp. Exodus 32:8; Sir 23:18. Usage is in favor of the former meaning, but the other falls in better with the course of thought.

Hebrews 7:24 ——————————————————————————– Because he abideth (dia to menein auton). Same idiom as in Hebrews 7:23, “because of the abiding as to him” (accusative of general reference, auton). ——————————————————————————– Unchangeable (aparabaton). Predicate adjective in the accusative (feminine of compound adjective like masculine), late double compound verbal adjective in Plutarch and papyri, from alpha privative and parabainτ, valid or inviolate. The same idea in Hebrews 7:3. God placed Christ in this priesthood and no one else can step into it. See Hebrews 7:11 for hierτsunη.

Hebrews 7:25

Hebrews 7:25 Hebrews 7:25 ————————– οθενG3606 WHENCE καιG2532 ALSO σωζεινG4982 [G5721] TO SAVE ειςG1519 τοG3588 παντελεςG3838 δυναταιG1410 [G5736] HE IS ABLE τουςG3588 THOSE WHO προσερχομενουςG4334 [G5740] διG1223 BY αυτουG846 τωG3588 HIM θεωG2316 TO GOD, παντοτεG3842 ALWAYS ζωνG2198 [G5723] LIVING ειςG1519 τοG3588 εντυγχανεινG1793 [G5721] TO υπερG5228 FOR αυτωνG846 THEM. he is: Hebrews 2:18, Hebrews 5:7, Isaiah 45:22, Isaiah 63:1, Daniel 3:15, Daniel 3:17, Daniel 3:29, Daniel 6:20, John 5:37-40, John 10:29, John 10:30, Ephesians 3:20, Philippians 3:21, 2 Timothy 1:12, Jude 1:24 to the uttermost: or, evermore come: Hebrews 7:19, Hebrews 11:6, Job 22:17, Job 23:3, Psalms 68:31, Psalms 68:32, Isaiah 45:24, Jeremiah 3:22 by him: Hebrews 13:15, John 14:6, Romans 5:2, Ephesians 2:18, Ephesians 3:12, 1 John 2:1, 1 John 2:2 ever: Hebrews 7:8, Hebrews 7:16, Hebrews 7:24 to make: Hebrews 9:24, Isaiah 53:12, Isaiah 59:16, Daniel 9:16, John 14:13, John 14:16, John 16:23, John 16:24, John 17:9-26, Romans 8:34, 1 Timothy 2:5, 1 John 2:1, 1 John 2:2, Revelation 8:3, Revelation 8:4 Genesis 17:1 - Almighty Exodus 28:12 - the shoulders Exodus 30:8 - a perpetual Exodus 37:25 - General Exodus 37:29 - incense Exodus 40:26 - General Leviticus 16:13 - the cloud Leviticus 16:20 - live goat Leviticus 24:7 - pure Numbers 16:46 - from off Numbers 16:48 - General Numbers 20:28 - died there Numbers 35:25 - abide in it Deuteronomy 33:10 - they shall put incense 1 Samuel 2:25 - who shall 2 Chronicles 7:3 - For he is Job 42:8 - my servant Job shall Psalms 21:2 - General Psalms 72:12 - For Isaiah 62:1 - Zion’s Zephaniah 3:17 - is mighty Zechariah 1:12 - the angel Zechariah 6:13 - a priest Matthew 1:21 - for Mark 10:27 - for Luke 5:12 - if Luke 9:41 - Bring Luke 19:10 - General Luke 22:32 - I have Luke 23:43 - To day John 3:15 - whosoever John 6:37 - I will John 10:10 - more abundantly John 10:28 - they John 11:42 - I knew John 14:19 - because Romans 5:10 - we shall Romans 6:9 - Christ Romans 14:4 - he shall Romans 16:25 - to him Ephesians 5:2 - as Ephesians 6:11 - able Colossians 3:3 - your 1 Timothy 1:15 - that 1 Timothy 1:16 - for a Hebrews 2:3 - so Hebrews 4:14 - that is Hebrews 10:14 - he Hebrews 10:19 - to enter James 4:12 - able 1 Peter 1:21 - by Revelation 1:18 - that liveth Revelation 4:9 - who Hebrews 7:25. ———————- An advocate or representative may start pleading for a client, and be getting the case in good shape. Then if something makes it needful to change representatives, he may be unable to do as satisfactory a service as the previous one because of the break in the procedure. Christ never died and hence he is always on the case and is at all times “up to date” on the conditions. Hebrews 7:25 ——————————————————————————– To the uttermost (εἰςτὸπαντελὲς) Παντελής all complete, only here and Luke 13:11. Not perpetually, but perfectly. ——————————————————————————– Come unto God (προσερχομένουςτῳθεῳ) The verb oP., and in this sense only in Hebrews and 1 Peter 2:4. See a peculiar usage in 1 Timothy 6:3. Comp. ἐγγίζειν to draw near, James 4:8; Hebrews 7:19. ——————————————————————————– To make intercession for them (εἰςτὸἐντυγχάνεινὑπὲραὐτῶν) The verb only here in Hebrews. Comp. ὑπερεντυγχάνειν, Romans 8:26, See also on ἐντεύξεις supplications, 1 Timothy 2:1. The idea is not intercession, but intervention.

It includes every form of Christ’s identifying himself with human interests. The attempt has been made to trace this idea to Philo, who alludes to the λόγοςἱκέτης the supplicant Logos, and the λόγοςπαράκλητος the advocate-Logos.

But the Logos is not treated by Philo as a divine-human personality intervening for men, but as a poetical personification allegorically considered. In one instance the suppliant Logos is the cry of the oppressed Israelites; in another, Moses, as the allegorical representative of the universal reason of mankind. It represents certain functions of human reason and speech. Again, the suppliant is the visible Cosmos striving to realize its ideal. Hebrews 7:25 ——————————————————————————– Wherefore (hothen). Since he alone holds this priesthood. ——————————————————————————– To the uttermost (eis to panteles).

Old idiom, in N.T. only here and Luke 13:10. Vulgate renders it in perpetuum (temporal idea) or like pantote.

This is possible, but the common meaning is completely, utterly. ——————————————————————————– Draw near (proserchomenous). Present middle participle of proserchomai, the verb used in Hebrews 4:16 which see. ——————————————————————————– To make intercession (eis to entugchanein). Purpose clause with eis and the articular present active infinitive of entugchanτ for which verb see Romans 8:34. “His intercession has red blood in it, unlike Philo’s conception” (Moffatt).

Hebrews 7:26

Hebrews 7:26 Hebrews 7:26 ————————– τοιουτοςG5108 γαρG1063 FOR SUCH ημινG2254 US επρεπενG4241 [G5707] BECAME αρχιερευςG749 A HIGH PRIEST, οσιοςG3741 HOLY, ακακοςG172 , αμιαντοςG283 , κεχωρισμενοςG5563 [G5772] αποG575 FROM τωνG3588 αμαρτωλωνG268 SINNERS, καιG2532 AND υψηλοτεροςG5308 HIGHER τωνG3588 THAN THE ουρανωνG3772 HEAVENS γενομενοςG1096 [G5637] BECOME : such: Hebrews 7:11, Hebrews 8:1, Hebrews 9:23-26, Hebrews 10:11-22 became: Hebrews 2:10, Luke 24:26, Luke 24:46 holy: Hebrews 4:15, Hebrews 9:14, Exodus 28:36, Isaiah 53:9, Luke 1:35, Luke 23:22, Luke 23:41, Luke 23:47, John 8:29, John 14:30, Acts 3:14, Acts 4:27, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 1:19, 1 Peter 2:22, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 3:5, Revelation 3:7 made: Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 8:1, Hebrews 12:2, Psalms 68:18, Matthew 27:18, Mark 16:19, Ephesians 1:20-22, Ephesians 4:8-10, Philippians 2:9-11, 1 Peter 3:22, Revelation 1:17, Revelation 1:18 Genesis 23:8 - entreat Exodus 12:5 - be without Exodus 28:2 - holy garments Exodus 29:1 - without Exodus 29:30 - that son Exodus 39:30 - the plate Exodus 40:10 - most holy Leviticus 1:3 - a male Leviticus 1:14 - of fowls Leviticus 2:4 - the oven Leviticus 4:32 - a lamb Leviticus 4:35 - and the priest shall make Leviticus 8:14 - he brought Leviticus 12:6 - a lamb Leviticus 15:14 - General Leviticus 16:4 - holy linen coat Leviticus 16:10 - to make Leviticus 21:8 - for I Leviticus 21:17 - blemish Numbers 8:14 - separate Numbers 11:2 - the fire Numbers 19:2 - no blemish Numbers 19:9 - clean Deuteronomy 9:20 - General Deuteronomy 26:3 - the priest Deuteronomy 33:8 - with thy Deuteronomy 33:16 - separated 1 Samuel 2:35 - I will raise Psalms 8:1 - thy Psalms 18:20 - cleanness Psalms 45:2 - fairer Psalms 45:7 - Thou Son 5:10 - beloved Isaiah 42:6 - called Jeremiah 30:21 - engaged Ezekiel 44:27 - he shall offer Ezekiel 45:18 - without blemish Daniel 9:24 - the most Malachi 1:9 - beseech Matthew 1:18 - of the Matthew 3:15 - for Matthew 27:4 - the innocent Mark 15:14 - Why Luke 11:32 - a greater Luke 18:19 - General Luke 23:14 - have found John 8:46 - convinceth John 15:10 - even John 16:23 - Whatsoever John 19:4 - that ye Romans 1:1 - separated Galatians 3:13 - redeemed Ephesians 4:10 - ascended Philippians 2:15 - and Hebrews 1:9 - loved Hebrews 2:3 - so Hebrews 2:18 - he is Hebrews 3:1 - and Hebrews 9:24 - but Hebrews 10:21 - an 1 Peter 2:24 - being 1 John 2:1 - the righteous 1 John 2:29 - he Isaiah 1 John 3:3 - even Hebrews 7:26. ———————- Became us means it was fitting that we of the last dispensation should have a High Priest having the best of qualifications. Holy, harmless, undefiled all means a character that is perfect, and Christ has such because He is separate from sinners; has no association with them. Higher refers to rank or importance rather than bodily position; Jesus is more lofty as a High Priest than all the heavens. Hebrews 7:26 ——————————————————————————– Became us (ἡμῖνἔπρεπεν) See on Hebrews 2:10. For the verb see on Titus 2:1. There was an essential fitness in the gift of our great high priest. Comp. Hebrews 2:17. ——————————————————————————– Holy (ὅσιος) See on Luke 1:75. Always with a relation to God; never of moral excellence as related to men. Of Christ, Acts 2:27; Acts 13:35; of a bishop, Titus 1:8. ——————————————————————————– Harmless (ἄκακος) Rend. guileless. Free from malice and craft.

Only here and Romans 16:18. Undefiled (ἀμίαντος), see on 1 Peter 1:4. ——————————————————————————– Separate (κεχωρισμένος) Rend. separated: denoting a condition realized in Christ’s exaltation. Comp. Romans 6:10. ——————————————————————————– Higher than the heavens (ὑψηλότεροςτῶνοὐρανῶν) Comp. Ephesians 4:10, Hebrews 4:14. Hebrews 7:26 ——————————————————————————– Became us (hηmin eprepen).

Imperfect active indicative of prepτ as in Hebrews 2:10, only there it was applied to God while here to us. “Such” (toioutos) refers to the Melchizedek character of Jesus as high priest and in particular to his power to help and save (Hebrews 2:17-18) as just explained in Hebrews 7:24-25 Moffatt notes that “it is generally misleading to parse a rhapsody” but the adjectives that follow picture in outline the qualities of the high priest needed by us. ——————————————————————————– Holy (hosios). Saintly, pious, as already noted.

Cf. Acts 2:24; Acts 13:35. ——————————————————————————– Guileless (akakos). Without malice, innocent. In N.T. only here and Romans 16:18. ——————————————————————————– Undefiled (amiantos). Untainted, stainless. In the papyri. Not merely ritual purity (Leviticus 21:10-15), but real ethical cleanness. ——————————————————————————– Separated from sinners (kechτrismenos apo tτn hamartτlτn). Perfect passive participle.

Probably referring to Christ’s exaltation (Hebrews 9:28). ——————————————————————————– Made higher than the heavens (hupsηloteros tτn ouranτn genomenos). “Having become higher than the heavens.” Ablative case (ouranτn) after the comparative adjective (hupsηloteros).

Hebrews 7:27

Hebrews 7:27 Hebrews 7:27 ————————– οςG3739 WHO ουκG3756 εχειG2192 [G5719] HAS NOT καθG2596 ημερανG2250 DAY BY DAY αναγκηνG318 , ωσπερG5618 AS οιG3588 THE αρχιερειςG749 HIGH PRIESTS, προτερονG4386 FIRST υπερG5228 FOR τωνG3588 OWN ιδιωνG2398 HIS αμαρτιωνG266 SINS θυσιαςG2378 αναφερεινG399 [G5721] TO OFFER UP, επειταG1899 THEN τωνG3588 FOR THOSE τουG3588 OF THE λαουG2992 PEOPLE; τουτοG5124 γαρG1063 FOR THIS εποιησενG4160 [G5656] HE DID εφαπαξG2178 ONCE FOR ALL, εαυτονG1438 HIMSELF ανενεγκαςG399 [G5660] HAVING OFFERED UP. daily: Hebrews 10:11, Exodus 29:36-42, Numbers 28:2-10 first: Hebrews 5:3, Hebrews 9:7, Leviticus 4:3-35, Leviticus 9:7-24, Leviticus 16:6, Leviticus 16:11 and then: Leviticus 4:13-16, Leviticus 9:15, Leviticus 16:15 this: Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 9:25, Hebrews 9:28, Hebrews 10:6-12, Isaiah 53:10-12, Romans 6:10, Ephesians 2:22, Titus 2:14 Exodus 29:38 - two lambs Leviticus 6:20 - the offering Leviticus 8:2 - bullock Leviticus 8:34 - General Leviticus 9:2 - a young Leviticus 10:19 - this day Leviticus 16:5 - General Leviticus 16:10 - to make Numbers 6:2 - When Numbers 29:11 - beside Ezra 6:20 - killed Ezekiel 43:19 - a young Ezekiel 46:15 - a continual Zechariah 3:9 - remove Malachi 1:9 - beseech Galatians 3:13 - redeemed Hebrews 1:3 - by himself Hebrews 8:3 - General Hebrews 9:11 - an high priest Hebrews 9:26 - he appeared 1 Peter 2:22 - did Hebrews 7:27. ———————- There are two contrasts between Christ and the Levitical priests, namely, they had to offer sacrifices daily and also needed to atone for their own sins. Christ had to offer a sacrifice only once for the people, and not one time for Himself for he had no sins for which to make atonement. Hebrews 7:27 ——————————————————————————– Who needeth not daily (καθ’ ἡμέραν) Apparently inconsistent with Hebrews 9:7 : but the sense is, “who hath no need day by day as the high priest had (year by year) to offer sacrifices,” etc. The great point is repetition, whether daily or yearly. ——————————————————————————– Once (ἐφάπαξ) Rend. once for all. Contrasted with daily. ——————————————————————————– When he offered up himself (ἑαυτὸνανενέγκας) A new thought. For the first time Christ appears as victim. Comp. Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:14; Ephesians 5:2.

Hebrews 7:27 ——————————————————————————– First (proteron). Regular adverb for comparison between two, though prτton often occurs also (John 1:41), with epeita (then) following. ——————————————————————————– For the sins (ton). Only the article in the Greek with repetition of huper or of hamartiτn. ——————————————————————————– When he offered up himself (heauton anenegkas). First aorist active participle of anapherτ, to offer up. See same idea in Hebrews 9:14 where heauton prosηnegken is used. Old verb for sacrifice to place on the altar (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:24).

Hebrews 7:28

Hebrews 7:28 Hebrews 7:28 ————————– οG3588 νομοςG3551 γαρG1063 FOR THE LAW ανθρωπουςG444 MEN καθιστησινG2525 [G5719] αρχιερειςG749 HIGH PRIESTS, εχονταςG2192 [G5723] " WHO " HAVE ασθενειανG769 ; οG3588 λογοςG3056 δεG1161 BUT THE WORD τηςG3588 OF THE ορκωμοσιαςG3728 OF THE OATH, τηςG3588 WHICH “IS” μεταG3326 AFTER τονG3588 THE νομονG3551 LAW, υιονG5207 A SON ειςG1519 τονG3588 FOR αιωναG165 EVER τετελειωμενονG5048 [G5772] HAS . the law maketh: Hebrews 5:1, Hebrews 5:2, Exodus 32:21, Exodus 32:22, Leviticus 4:3 the word: Hebrews 7:21, Psalms 110:4 maketh the: Hebrews 7:3, Hebrews 1:2, Hebrews 3:6, Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 5:5, Hebrews 5:8 who: Hebrews 7:21, Hebrews 7:24 consecrated: Gr. perfected, Hebrews 2:10, Hebrews 5:9, Luke 13:32, John 19:30,*Gr. Exodus 28:41 - and consecrate them Exodus 29:27 - General Leviticus 8:35 - the tabernacle Leviticus 9:7 - offer thy Leviticus 16:5 - General Numbers 3:3 - whom he consecrated Romans 4:14 - For if Hebrews 7:16 - the power Hebrews 7:28. ———————- The priests made under the law were infirm in that they were subject to death. Word of the oath came after the law since David (to whom the oath was made) lived some centuries after Moses (through whom the law was given). The point is that since the oath came after the law, it proves that document was not considered absolutely perfect. This later act (the oath) maketh the Eon (High Priest). The grand total conclusion is our High Priest has a service that continues evermore. Hebrews 7:28 ——————————————————————————– Summarizing the contents of Heb 7:26-27.— The law constitutes weak men high priests. God’s sworn declaration constitutes a son, perfected forevermore. Ἀνθρώπους men, many in number as contrasted with one Son. Ἔχονταςἀσθένειαν having infirmity, stronger than ἀσθενεῖς weak, which might imply only special exhibitions of weakness, while having infirmity indicates a general characteristic. See on John 16:22. ——————————————————————————– A son Again the high-priesthood is bound up with sonship, as in Hebrews 5:5-6. Hebrews 7:28 ——————————————————————————– After the law (meta ton nomon). As shown in Hebrews 7:11-19, and with an oath (Psalms 110:4). ——————————————————————————– Son (huion). As in Psalms 2:7; Hebrews 1:2 linked with Psalms 110:4.

Perfected (teteleiτmenon). Perfect passive participle of teleioτ. The process (Hebrews 2:10) was now complete. Imperfect and sinful as we are we demand a permanent high priest who is sinless and perfectly equipped by divine appointment and human experience (Hebrews 2:17-18; Hebrews 5:1-10) to meet our needs, and with the perfect offering of himself as sacrifice.