Text -- Hebrews 7:1-20 (NET)

The Nature of Melchizedek’s Priesthood

7:1 Now this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him. 7:2 To him also Abraham apportioned a tithe of everything. His name first means king of righteousness, then king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 7:3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, he has neither beginning of days nor end of life but is like the son of God, and he remains a priest for all time. 7:4 But see how great he must be, if Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of his plunder. 7:5 And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have authorization according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen, although they too are descendants of Abraham. 7:6 But Melchizedek who does not share their ancestry collected a tithe from Abraham and blessed the one who possessed the promise. 7:7 Now without dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior, 7:8 and in one case tithes are received by mortal men, while in the other by him who is affirmed to be alive. 7:9 And it could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid a tithe through Abraham. 7:10 For he was still in his ancestor Abraham’s loins when Melchizedek met him.

Jesus and the Priesthood of Melchizedek

7:11 So if perfection had in fact been possible through the Levitical priesthood– for on that basis the people received the law– what further need would there have been for another priest to arise, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in Aaron’s order? 7:12 For when the priesthood changes, a change in the law must come as well. 7:13 Yet the one these things are spoken about belongs to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever officiated at the altar. 7:14 For it is clear that our Lord is descended from Judah, yet Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe. 7:15 And this is even clearer if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 7:16 who has become a priest not by a legal regulation about physical descent but by the power of an indestructible life. 7:17 For here is the testimony about him: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” 7:18 On the one hand a former command is set aside because it is weak and useless, 7:19 for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 7:20 And since this was not done without a sworn affirmation– for the others have become priests without a sworn affirmation,

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Heb 7:1

¹ sn A series of quotations from Gen 14:17-19.

NET Notes: Heb 7:2

¹ tn Grk “to whom,” continuing the description of Melchizedek. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

² tn Or “a tenth part.”

³ sn A quotation from Gen 14:20.

⁴ tn Grk “first being interpreted,” describing Melchizedek.

NET Notes: Heb 7:4

¹ tn Grk “to whom.”

² tn Or “a tenth part.”

NET Notes: Heb 7:5

¹ tn Or “the priesthood.”

² tn Grk “from their brothers.” See BDAG 18-19 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.b.

³ tn Grk “have come from the loins of Abraham.”

NET Notes: Heb 7:6

¹ tn Grk “the one”; in the translation the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified for clarity.

² tn Grk “is not descended from them.”

³ tn Or “a tenth part.”

⁴ sn The verbs “collected…and blessed” emphasize the continuing effect of the past actions, i.e., Melchizedek’s importance.

NET Notes: Heb 7:10

¹ tn Grk “in the loins of his father” (a reference to Abraham). The name “Abraham” has been repeated in the translation at this point (cf. v. 9) in order to clarify the referent (i.e., what ancestor was in view).

sn The point of the phrase still in his ancestor’s loins is that Levi was as yet unborn, still in his ancestor Abraham’s body. Thus Levi participated in Abraham’s action when Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek.

NET Notes: Heb 7:11

¹ tn Grk “based on it.”

NET Notes: Heb 7:12

¹ tn Grk “of necessity a change in the law comes to pass.”

NET Notes: Heb 7:13

¹ tn Grk “shares in.”

² tn Grk “from which no one.”

NET Notes: Heb 7:16

¹ tn Grk “a law of a fleshly command.”

NET Notes: Heb 7:17

¹ tn Grk “for he/it is witnessed that.”

² sn A quotation from Ps 110:4 (see Heb 5:6 and 6:20).

NET Notes: Heb 7:18

¹ tn Grk “the setting aside of a former command comes to pass.”

² tn Grk “because of its weakness and uselessness.”

NET Notes: Heb 7:20

¹ sn The Greek text contains an elaborate comparison between v. 20a and v. 22, with a parenthesis (vv. 20b-21) in between; the comparison is literally, “by as much as…by so much” or “to the degree that…to that same degree.”