VII. JESUS THE HIGH PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK. (1) FOR THIS MELCHISEDEC. — The sentence is completed in the last words of Hebrews 7:3,... “abideth a priest continually;” the connection with the last chapter, therefore, is very clear. Of Melchizedek we know nothing beyond what we learn fr... [ Continue Reading ]
GAVE A TENTH PART. — Literally, _divided a tenth._ This point is fully treated of in Hebrews 7:4. KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. — Josephus notes the significance of this name: “The first founder of Jerusalem was a chief of the Canaanites, who in our tongue is called Righteous King; for indeed such he was.”... [ Continue Reading ]
WITHOUT FATHER, WITHOUT MOTHER, WITHOUT DESCENT. — The last words, “without descent” (or rather, _without genealogy_)_,_ throw light on the meaning of those which precede. Not because we find no mention of the parents of Melchizedek is he thus spoken of as fatherless and motherless, but because he i... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW GREAT THIS MAN WAS. — Better, _is:_ the greatness abides, set forth in the words of Scripture. In the rest of the verse (where the best MSS. omit the word “even”) it is well to follow the literal rendering, _unto whom Abraham gave a tenth out of the chief spoils_ — (_Abraham_)_ the patriarch. “_... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY THAT ARE OF THE SONS. — Rather, _those of the sons of Levi that receive,_ &c. There is an apparent difficulty here. The priests, it is urged, did not receive tithes from the people; the tithe was paid to the Levites, and but the tenth part of this tithe fell to the lot of the priests. Two consi... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSE DESCENT. — Better, _whose genealogy_ (Hebrews 7:3). RECEIVED TITHES. — Rather, _hath taken tithes of Abraham, and hath blessed him that hath the promises._ In Melchizedek we see a man who, though no law gave him pre-eminence, takes tithes of Abraham, and therefore appears in Scripture as hold... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WITHOUT ALL CONTRADICTION. — Better, _but without any dispute._ Two parts of the argument are specified in this verse and Hebrews 7:6. Melchizedek has blessed Abraham; but certainly (in every such act of blessing as is here contemplated) it is the less that is blessed by the greater. The conclus... [ Continue Reading ]
“Here,” under the Levitical economy, dying men receive the various tithes. Men enter by birth into a state with which this right is associated, and by death again pass out of it. No special significance, therefore, attaches to the men themselves. “There,” in the history now considered, one (receives... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS I MAY SO SAY. — Or, _so to speak_: an apologetic mode of introducing an expression which might seem strange. In the thought itself there is no real difficulty, if we are careful to take into account the principle which prevailed throughout, that pre-eminence depended upon descent alone. Had J... [ Continue Reading ]
The connection of thought may be given thus: — It has been shown that the position of Melchizedek towards Abraham involves of necessity his superiority to Abraham, to Levi also and his descendants, so that “the order of Melchizedek” is altogether different from, and higher than, “the order of Aaron.... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse connects itself with the parenthesis in Hebrews 7:11. “For if the priesthood is changed there takes place also of necessity a change of law.” It is no light matter to speak of the order of Aaron as set aside: this carries with it a change of law.... [ Continue Reading ]
In Hebrews 7:11 the “other priest” is spoken of as not connected with Aaron; Hebrews 7:12 is interposed to show the serious significance of such a fact; here the assertion of Hebrews 7:11 is substantiated — not, however, from the words of the Psalm, but from their fulfilment in Jesus. PERTAINETH. —... [ Continue Reading ]
EVIDENT. — That is to say, manifest before the eyes of all. SPRANG. — Better, _hath arisen out of Judah._ In every other place in the New Testament this word is applied to the rising of the sun, the light, the day-star (2 Peter 1:19), or the clouds (Luke 12:54); and in the prophecies of Numbers 24:1... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT IS. — That which is “yet far more evident” is the proposition of the preceding verses, viz., the failure of the Levitical priesthood to bring “perfection” (Hebrews 7:11), a failure placed beyond doubt by the change of priesthood (Hebrews 7:13). “And what we are speaking of is yet more abundan... [ Continue Reading ]
A CARNAL COMMANDMENT. — Literally (according to the true reading of the Greek), _a commandment of flesh:_ one that is limited to the sphere of man’s nature of flesh. As such, it is bound up with distinctions of race and tribe and family; it is limited by human infirmity and the changes wrought by si... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE TESTIFIETH. — A slight change of reading makes the sense clearer: “For witness is borne to him” — as to this “power” of indissoluble life — in the words of the prophecy itself.... [ Continue Reading ]
The intimate connection between these two verses is obscured by the ordinary translation. They point out with greater fulness and clearness what is involved in the statement of Hebrews 7:16. “For there is an annulling of a preceding commandment, because of its weakness and unprofitableness (for the... [ Continue Reading ]
This and the next two verses constitute one sentence, the third verse answering to the first, and Hebrews 7:21 being parenthetical. Hitherto no reference has been made to the remarkable opening of Psalms 110:4, so often quoted: these three verses are occupied with the thought of the oath — or rather... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOSE PRIESTS. — Rather, _For they indeed have been made priests without an oath._ BY HIM THAT SAID UNTO HIM. — Better, _by_ (or, _through_)_ Him that saith of Him._ The last five words of the verse are absent from the best authorities: they were not needed for this part of the argument, and ar... [ Continue Reading ]
BY SO MUCH WAS JESUS MADE. — Better, _by so much also hath Jesus become surety of a better covenant._ The form of the sentence recalls Hebrews 1:4. As the priest whose appointment is confirmed by the oath of God is raised above all former priests, in the same proportion is the covenant of which Jesu... [ Continue Reading ]
WERE MANY PRIESTS. — Rather, _have been made priests many_ (_i.e.,_ in large numbers), _because by death they were prevented from continuing._ (Comp. Hebrews 7:8, where the thought is somewhat similar.)... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THIS MAN. — Better, _But He, because He remaineth for ever, hath His priesthood inviolable_ (or, _unchangeable_). The former ordinance related to a race, and the individuals were ever passing away; since His life is “indissoluble” (Hebrews 7:16), none can trespass on His right and invade His pri... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE. — Since His priesthood is inviolable, His power of saving is _complete._ The association of the thought of “salvation” with the priesthood recalls Hebrews 5:9; as indeed several points in the later verses of this chapter show that the writer’s thought is resting on the first section of He... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR SUCH AN HIGH PRIEST. — Better, _For such a one also became us as_ (_our_)_ High Priest._ Such a priest as has been portrayed was the High Priest that befitted us — no one less exalted could have met our necessities. The added words carry the description farther still. The thought of high priest... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse carries on the description, presenting what follows from this purity and sinlessness. AS THOSE HIGH PRIESTS. — The high priest’s offering up sacrifices first for himself and then for the people constituted a chief part of his duty upon the Day of Atonement. (See Hebrews 5:3.) The _annual_... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE LAW MAKETH MEN HIGH PRIESTS WHICH HAVE INFIRMITY... — Better, _For the Law appointeth men high priests,_ (_men_)_ having infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was after the Law, appointeth a Son, who hath been perfected for ever._ On “the word of the oath” see Hebrews 7:20. Coming “afte... [ Continue Reading ]