The Letters · New Testament

Hebrews 7

Hebrews 7: Melchisedec, tithes and a priesthood held by oath

General context

Melchisedec is introduced as king of Salem and priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him; Abraham gave him a tenth part of all. His name is interpreted as King of righteousness, and then King of Salem, King of peace. He is described as without father, mother or descent, with neither beginning of days nor end of life, made like the Son of God, abiding a priest continually. The sons of Levi take tithes from their brethren by commandment, but this man, whose descent is not counted from them, took tithes from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises, and the lesser is blessed by the greater. Dying men receive tithes here; there they go to one of whom it is witnessed that he lives. Levi, still in the loins of his father, is said to have paid tithes through Abraham. If perfection came by the Levitical priesthood, no other order would be needed, and a change of priesthood forces a change of law. The one spoken of belongs to another tribe: the Lord sprang out of Juda, of which Moses said nothing about priesthood. The new priest is made by the power of an endless life rather than a carnal commandment. The earlier commandment is disannulled for weakness; the law made nothing perfect, and a better hope brings men near to God. An oath is quoted, and by it Jesus becomes surety of a better testament. The old priests were many because death stopped them; this one continues ever, saves to the uttermost and lives to make intercession. He is called holy, harmless and undefiled, and offered up himself once rather than daily.

Cited passages: Hebrews 7:1, Hebrews 7:2, Hebrews 7:3, Hebrews 7:4, Hebrews 7:5, Hebrews 7:6, Hebrews 7:7, Hebrews 7:8, Hebrews 7:10, Hebrews 7:11, Hebrews 7:12, Hebrews 7:14, Hebrews 7:16, Hebrews 7:18, Hebrews 7:19, Hebrews 7:21, Hebrews 7:22, Hebrews 7:23, Hebrews 7:25, Hebrews 7:26, Hebrews 7:28

Hebrews 7 (KJV)

¹For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

²To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

³Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

⁴Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

⁵And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

⁶But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

⁷And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

⁸And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

⁹And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

¹⁰For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

¹¹If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

¹²For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

¹³For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

¹⁴For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

¹⁵And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,

¹⁶Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

¹⁷For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

¹⁸For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

¹⁹For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

²⁰And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:

²¹(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

²²By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

²³And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

²⁴But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

²⁵Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

²⁶For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

²⁷Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

²⁸For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

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Historical context

The Melchisedec of this chapter comes from a short episode. Genesis 14:18 calls him "Melchizedek king of Salem" and "the priest of the most high God", and Genesis 14:20 ends "And he gave him tithes of all" without naming which man gave; the letter states that it was Abraham, and adds the interpretations of the names. Genesis also records that he "brought forth bread and wine", which this chapter does not mention. The oath at verse 21 matches Psalm 110:4, but the letter reads "The Lord sware and will not repent" where the psalm reads "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent", and it spells the name Melchisedec where the psalm spells it Melchizedek. The description "Without father, without mother, without descent" is the letter's own statement, set against the Levites whose right to tithes runs by descent. On the priesthood of Jesus the chapter concedes a problem rather than hiding it: he belongs to Juda, and "of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood". The chapter names no date, no place of writing and no reader.

Cited passages: Genesis 14:18, Genesis 14:20, Hebrews 7:2, Hebrews 7:3, Hebrews 7:5, Hebrews 7:21, Psalms 110:4, Hebrews 7:14

Literary context

The whole chapter is drawn out of three verses of narrative by pressing on what they say and on what they leave out. Silence works as evidence: the letter lists what is not on record, without father, without mother, without descent, and draws from the absence "having neither beginning of days, nor end of life". A rule of rank does the rest, "the less is blessed of the better", and the tithe is traced back through Abraham to Levi "yet in the loins of his father". From verse 11 the argument shifts from one man to two systems and runs on paired opposites: commandment against oath, carnal commandment against "the power of an endless life", many priests who die against one who "continueth ever", daily offerings against what "he did once". The words for ever, repeated at verses 17, 21 and 28, tie the chapter together, and the closing contrast between infirm men and the consecrated Son hands the argument to the summary that opens chapter 8.

Cited passages: Hebrews 7:3, Hebrews 7:7, Hebrews 7:10, Hebrews 7:16, Hebrews 7:17, Hebrews 7:23, Hebrews 7:24, Hebrews 7:28

Key moments

Melchisedec meets Abraham (Hebrews 7:1). A priest and king blesses Abraham returning from battle.
No father, no mother (Hebrews 7:3). The letter describes him as without recorded descent or end of life.
The less blessed by the better (Hebrews 7:7). A rule of rank is used to rank the two priesthoods.
Levi paid tithes in Abraham (Hebrews 7:9). The tithe is traced through Abraham to his unborn descendant.
Priesthood changed, law changed (Hebrews 7:12). The letter draws a change of law from a change of priesthood.
Sprang out of Juda (Hebrews 7:14). The letter admits the tribe has no priestly commandment from Moses.
Offered up himself once (Hebrews 7:27). A single offering is set against the daily sacrifices of other priests.

For reflection

The argument here rests as much on what the older record does not say about Melchisedec as on what it does. How much weight can a reader fairly place on a silence in a text?