Hebrews 7:8

Hebrews 7:8. And here indeed (as in Hebrews 7:5, ‘indeed' is useful only to make more clear the contrast of the following clause; an emphatic ‘ and here ' would be better) refers not to the time of Melchisedec, though that is last spoken of, but to the time of the Levitical priesthood, which extends down to the writer's own age.

Men that die (literally, ‘dying men' they are who) receive tithes; but there (i.e in the case of Melchisedec of which he is immediately speaking, but which as belonging to the past is more remote) he receiveth them, of whom It is witnessed that he liveth, i.e we read of him not as dying but as living. No ‘end of life' is affirmed of him at all. This is spoken not of Melchisedec as man, but of the Melchisedec of the sacred narrative, who is made in this way like unto the eternal priest. As man he no doubt died, but as priest he did not belong to that order. Under the law the priesthood was temporary. Before the law the priest was priest as long as he lived, and so was perpetual (as at Rome the dictator for life was known as ‘Dictator perpetuus'); and as Christ lives for ever, so for ever He is able to make intercession for us.