Hebrews 1:1

Introduction: God Has Spoken Fully and Finally in His Son

1:1 After God spoke long ago ¹  in various portions ²  and in various ways ³  to our ancestors ⁴  through the prophets,

Hebrews 7:1-28

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. ⁵  7:2 To him ⁶  also Abraham apportioned a tithe ⁷  of everything. ⁸  His name first means ⁹  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 ¹⁰  Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe ¹¹  of his plunder. 7:5 And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office ¹²  have authorization according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen, ¹³  although they too are descendants of Abraham. ¹⁴  7:6 But Melchizedek ¹⁵  who does not share their ancestry ¹⁶  collected a tithe ¹⁷  from Abraham and blessed ¹⁸  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 ¹⁹  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 ²⁰  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 ²¹  as well. 7:13 Yet the one these things are spoken about belongs to ²²  a different tribe, and no one from that tribe ²³  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 ²⁴  but by the power of an indestructible life. 7:17 For here is the testimony about him: ²⁵  “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” ²⁶  7:18 On the one hand a former command is set aside ²⁷  because it is weak and useless, ²⁸  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 ²⁹  this was not done without a sworn affirmation – for the others have become priests without a sworn affirmation, 7:21 but Jesus ³⁰  did so ³¹  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’” ³²  – 7:22 accordingly Jesus has become the guarantee ³³  of a better covenant. 7:23 And the others ³⁴  who became priests were numerous, because death prevented them ³⁵  from continuing in office, ³⁶  7:24 but he holds his priesthood permanently since he lives forever. 7:25 So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 7:26 For it is indeed fitting for us to have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 7:27 He has no need to do every day what those priests do, to offer sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people, since he did this in offering himself once for all. 7:28 For the law appoints as high priests men subject to weakness, ³⁷  but the word of solemn affirmation that came after the law appoints a son made perfect forever.

[1:1]  ¹ tn Or “spoke formerly.”

[1:1]  ² tn Or “parts.” The idea is that God’s previous revelation came in many parts and was therefore fragmentary or partial (L&N 63.19), in comparison with the final and complete revelation contained in God’s Son. However, some interpret πολυμερῶς (polumerw") in Heb 1:1 to mean “on many different occasions” and would thus translate “many times” (L&N 67.11). This is the option followed by the NIV: “at many times and in various ways.” Finally, this word is also understood to refer to the different manners in which something may be done, and would then be translated “in many different ways” (L&N 89.81). In this last case, the two words πολυμερῶς and πολυτρόπως (polutropw") mutually reinforce one another (“in many and various ways,” NRSV).

[1:1]  ³ tn These two phrases are emphasized in Greek by being placed at the beginning of the sentence and by alliteration.

[1:1]  ⁴ tn Grk “to the fathers.”

[7:1]  ⁵ sn A series of quotations from Gen 14:17-19.

[7:2]  ⁹ 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.

[7:2]  ¹⁰ tn Or “a tenth part.”

[7:2]  ¹¹ sn A quotation from Gen 14:20.

[7:2]  ¹² tn Grk “first being interpreted,” describing Melchizedek.

[7:4]  ¹³ tn Grk “to whom.”

[7:4]  ¹⁴ tn Or “a tenth part.”

[7:5]  ¹⁷ tn Or “the priesthood.”

[7:5]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “from their brothers.” See BDAG 18-19 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.b.

[7:5]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “have come from the loins of Abraham.”

[7:6]  ²¹ tn Grk “the one”; in the translation the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified for clarity.

[7:6]  ²² tn Grk “is not descended from them.”

[7:6]  ²³ tn Or “a tenth part.”

[7:6]  ²⁴ sn The verbs “collected…and blessed” emphasize the continuing effect of the past actions, i.e., Melchizedek’s importance.

[7:10]  ²⁵ 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).

[7:11]  ²⁹ tn Grk “based on it.”

[7:12]  ³³ tn Grk “of necessity a change in the law comes to pass.”

[7:13]  ³⁷ tn Grk “shares in.”

[7:13]  ³⁸ tn Grk “from which no one.”

[7:16]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “a law of a fleshly command.”

[7:17]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “for he/it is witnessed that.”

[7:17]  ⁴⁶ sn A quotation from Ps 110:4 (see Heb 5:6 and 6:20).

[7:18]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “the setting aside of a former command comes to pass.”

[7:18]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “because of its weakness and uselessness.”

[7:20]  ⁵³ 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.”

[7:21]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:21]  ⁵⁸ tn The words “did so” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[7:21]  ⁵⁹ sn A quotation from Ps 110:4 (see Heb 5:6, 6:20, and 7:17).

[7:22]  ⁶¹ tn Or “surety.”

[7:23]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “they on the one hand” in contrast with “he on the other hand” in v. 24.

[7:23]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “they were prevented by death.”

[7:23]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “from continuing” (the words “in office” are supplied for clarity).

[7:28]  ⁶⁹ sn See Heb 5:2 where this concept was introduced.