Hebrews 7:8

And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. Second point of superiority: Melchisedek's is an enduring, the Levitical a transitory, priesthood. As the law was a parenthesis between Abraham's dispensation of promise of grace, and its enduring fulfillment at Christ's coming [Romans 5:20, pareiseelthen (G3922), 'The law entered as something adscititious and by the way']: so the Levitical priesthood was parenthetical between Melchisedek's typically-enduring priesthood and its antitypical realization in our ever-continuing High Priest, Christ. HERE - in the Levitical priesthood. THERE - in the priesthood after the order of Melchisedek. To bring out the typical parallel more strong...

8._Of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. _He takes the silence respecting his death, as I have said, as an evidence of his life. This would not indeed hold as to others, but as to Melchisedec it ought rightly to be so regarded, inasmuch as he was a type of Christ. For as the spiritual kingdom and priesthood of Christ are spoken of here, there is no place left for human conjectures; nor is it lawful for us to seek to know anything farther than what we read in Scripture. But we are not hence to conclude that the man who met Abraham is yet alive, as some have childishly thought, for this is to be applied to the other person whom he represented, even the Son of God. And by these words the Apostle intended to show, that the dignity of Melchisedec’s priesthood was to be perpetual, while that of the Levites was temporary. (116) For he thus reasons, — those to whom the Law assigns tithes are d...

4-10 That High Priest who should afterward appear, of whom Melchizedec was a type, must be much superior to the Levitical priests. Observe Abraham's great dignity and happiness; that he had the promises. That man is rich and happy indeed, who has the promises, both of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This honour have all those who receive the Lord Jesus. Let us go forth in our spiritual conflicts, trusting in his word and strength, ascribing our victories to his grace, and desiring to be met and blessed by him in all our ways....

Verse Hebrews 7:8. _HERE MEN THAT DIE RECEIVE TITHES_] The apostle is speaking of the ecclesiastical constitution of the Jews, which was standing at the time this epistle was written. Under the Jewish dispensation, though the priests were successively removed by _death_, yet they were as duly replaced by others appointed from the same family, and the payment of tithes was never interrupted. But as there is no account of Melchisedec _ceasing to be a priest_, or of _his dying_, he is represented as still living, the better to point him out as a type of Christ, and to show his priesthood to be more excellent than that which was according to the law, as an _unchanging_ priesthood must be more excellent than that which was continually _changing_. _BUT THERE HE RECEIVETH THEM_] The ωδε, _here_, in the first clause of this verse refer

AND HERE MEN THAT DIE RECEIVE TITHES - Another point showing the inferiority of the Levitical priesthood. They who thus received tithes, though by the right to do this they asserted a superiority over their brethren, were mortal. Like others, they would soon die; and in regard to the most essential things they were on a level with their brethren. They had no exemption from sickness, affliction, or bereavement, and death came to them with just as much certainty as he approached other men. The meaning of this is, that they are mortal like their brethren, and the design is to show the inferiority of their office by this fact. Its obvious and natural signification, in the apprehension of the great mass of readers, would not be, as the meaning has been supposed to be, that it refers “to the brief and mutable condition of the Levitical priesthood;” see Stuart in loco. Such an interpretation wo...

EXPOSITION THE PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK. The exposition of Christ's heavenly priesthood is now at length taken up and carried out. It extends to Hebrews 10:19, forming the central part of the whole Epistle; and in the course of it is set forth also how the whole Jewish economy did in fact only prefigure and prepare for this one availing priesthood of the true High Priest of mankind. The peculiar thesis of Hebrews 7:1. is "after the order of Melchizedek," the question being—What is signified by this designation of the Messiah in the hundred and tenth psalm? The remarkable import of that psalm, in that it assigns priesthood as well as royalty to the Son, wa

AND HERE MEN THAT DIE RECEIVE TITHES, c,] The priests and Levites were not only men, and mortal men, subject to death, but they did die, and so did not continue, by reason of death, Hebrews 7:24 BUT THERE HE RECEIVETH THEM, OF WHOM IT IS WITNESSED THAT HE LIVETH which is to be understood of Melchizedek; who is not opposed to men, as if he was not a man, nor to mortal men, but to men that die; nor is he said to be immortal, but to live: and this may respect the silence of the Scripture concerning him, which gives no account of his death; and may be interpreted of the perpetuity of his priesthood, and of his living in his antitype Christ; and the testimony concerning him is in Psalms 110:4....

Hebrews 7:1. _For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace._ His very names being instructive, Righteousness first, and Peace afterwards, as it is with our divine Lord, who has brought in everlasting righteousness, and speaks peace to guilty men. Hebrews 7:3. _Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually._ Melchisedec just passed across the page; he has no predecessor, he has no successor. We see him in

CHAPTER 7 _ 1. The priesthood of Melchisedec in contrast with the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 7:1)_ 2. The holy and heavenly priesthood of Christ (Hebrews 7:20) Hebrews 7:1 The interrupted argument concerning the priesthood of Christ is now resumed. It connects with Hebrews 5:10. There we find Melchisedec mentioned for the first time, and here the historical Melchisedec is first of all described. The record is given in Genesis 14:18. He met Abraham, who returned from the smiting of the Kings, and blessed him. Abraham gav

THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST. It is shown that Scripture itself makes reference to a type of priesthood which is quite distinct from the Levitical. The nature of this priesthood is set forth (Hebrews 7:1) in terms of the description given in Genesis 14 of the priest Melchizedek. That some peculiar significance attached to him may be inferred from his name, and the name of his city. Still more suggestive is the fact that nothing is said as to his parentage, or his descent, or his birth and death. He was not one of a family of priests, but stands solitary, a priest in his own right, who never assumed and never lost his office. In all his attributes he comes before us as an earthly type of the Son of God (Hebrews 7:1)....