Hebrews 7:15

7:15 And this is even clearer if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,

Hebrews 7:21

7:21 but Jesus ¹  did so ²  with a sworn affirmation by the one who said to him, “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever’” ³  –

Hebrews 5:6

5:6 as also in another place God ⁴  says, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” ⁵ 

Hebrews 5:10

5:10 and he was designated ⁶  by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek. ⁷ 

Hebrews 6:20

6:20 where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. ⁸ 

Psalms 110:4

110:4 The Lord makes this promise on oath ⁹  and will not revoke it: ¹⁰ 

“You are an eternal priest ¹¹  after the pattern of ¹²  Melchizedek.” ¹³ 

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

² tn The words “did so” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

³ sn A quotation from Ps 110:4 (see Heb 5:6, 6:20, and 7:17).

⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ sn A quotation from Ps 110:4.

⁶ tn Grk “having been designated,” continuing the thought of Heb 5:9.

⁷ sn The phrase in the order of Melchizedek picks up the quotation from Ps 110:4 in Heb 5:6.

⁸ sn A quotation from Ps 110:4, picked up again from Heb 5:6, 10.

⁹ tn Or “swears, vows.”

¹⁰ tn Or “will not change his mind.” The negated Niphal imperfect of נָחַם (nakham) is a way of marking an announcement as an irrevocable decree. See 1 Sam 15:29; Ezek 24:14, as well as R. B. Chisholm, “Does God ‘Change His Mind’?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99.

¹¹ sn You are an eternal priest. The Davidic king exercised a non-Levitical priestly role. The king superintended Judah’s cultic ritual, had authority over the Levites, and sometimes led in formal worship. David himself instructed the Levites to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (1 Chr 15:11-15), joined the procession, offered sacrifices, wore a priestly ephod, and blessed the people (2 Sam 6:12-19). At the dedication of the temple Solomon led the ceremony, offering sacrifices and praying on behalf of the people (1 Kgs 8).

¹² tn The phrase עַל־דִּבְרָתִי (’al-divratiy) is a variant of עַל־דִּבְרָת (’al-divrat; the final yod [י] being an archaic genitival ending), which in turn is a variant of עַל דָּבַר (’al davar). Both phrases can mean “concerning” or “because of,” but neither of these nuances fits the use of עַל־דִּבְרָתִי in Ps 110:4. Here the phrase probably carries the sense “according to the manner of.” See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 81.

¹³ sn The Davidic king’s priestly role is analogous to that of Melchizedek, who was both “king of Salem” (i.e., Jerusalem) and a “priest of God Most High” in the time of Abraham (Gen 14:18-20). Like Melchizedek, the Davidic king was a royal priest, distinct from the Aaronic line (see Heb 7). The analogy focuses on the king’s priestly role; the language need not imply that Melchizedek himself was “an eternal priest.”