Verses 7:1-10
v1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him. v2 Abraham gave him a tenth of all that he had. Melchizedek's name means ‘king of what is right’. It also means ‘king of Salem’, that is, ‘king of peace’. v3 There is no reference to his father or mother or family. There is no record of his birth or death. He is like the Son of God, because he always remains a priest.
v4 Think how great Melchizedek was! Even the father of our people, Abraham, gave him a tenth part of what he won in a war. v5 The sons of Levi who became priests had the right by law to take a tenth part from what their people had. This is so, even if both priests and people all came from Abraham. v6 This man, Melchizedek, did not come from the family of Levi. Yet he received a tenth part from Abraham, although Abraham had the promises of God. v7 There is no doubt that those who are less important receive a blessing from one who is greater than they are. v8 In the first case, men who will die one day are receiving the tenth part. In the other case, one who the Bible declares will always live. v9 In fact, we could say that even Levi, who also received the tenth part, already paid it through Abraham. v10 For when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was not born. Levi was not a member of Abraham’s family until much later.
Commentary
Verse 1
Melchizedek was the king of Salem. Salem was probably a short form of "Jerusalem." He was not only a king but also a priest of the most high God. In those days it was not unusual for a king to be a priest. For the Jews, a king could not be a priest. The Bible speaks of their Messiah, who was to come. He would be both a king and a priest.
Genesis chapter 14 tells how 5 kings came and attacked the kings of the land. They seized many of the people and their goods. Among them was Lot, who was a nephew of Abraham. So Abraham went after them and fought the 5 kings. He overcame them and brought back all the people and the goods. Then Melchizedek, priest of the most high God, met him and brought out bread and wine. He blessed Abraham in the name of God most high.
Verse 2
Abraham gave him a tenth part of all the goods that he had taken in the fight. The name "Melchizedek" means "king of what is right" and "Salem" means "peace." So this man was the king of right and peace. In this, he is a picture of the Messiah (that is, of the Christ) for whom the Jews were waiting.
Verse 3
The Bible does not tell us anything about the family of Melchizedek. There is no mention of his father or his mother. It was as if he had no parents. The Jews took this to mean that he had no beginning. There is no record of his death. They took this to mean that he did not die. Here is a person who to them was a priest before time began. He will be a priest without end. He was like the Son of God who was in the beginning and ever will be. The priests of the Jews had to be of the family of Levi. The family records had to mention their parents, their births, and their deaths. Of course, they could not continue as priests when they died. But Melchizedek was a priest of a different kind that lasts for all time. Jesus is a priest like this. He was not of the family of Levi. He is the Son of God and he lives forever.
Verse 4
In the next 7 verses, the writer shows that as a priest Melchizedek is greater than Aaron. Aaron was of the family of Levi and he was the first chief priest of Israel. There are 4 things that show that Melchizedek is greater than Aaron:
• He accepted a tenth part of all that Abraham had taken from the kings (verses 4-5).
• He blessed Abraham (verses 6-7).
• He was a priest forever. Aaron could only be a priest while he was alive (verse 8).
• He must be greater than Levi, who came from the family of Abraham, much later (verses 9-10).
It was the custom to give the gods the best part of the things taken in war. It was a way of giving thanks for their help in battle. The leader would give these gifts to the priest of his god. The priest who received the gift would be more important than the one who gave it. So here, Abraham gave the best part to Melchizedek as the priest of the most high God. Melchizedek accepted the gifts and this shows that he was more important than Abraham.
Verse 5
Abraham and Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons and God changed his name to Israel. His 12 sons became the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel. Levi was one of these sons. Later, from the tribe of Levi God chose the sons of Aaron to be the priests. By the law of Moses, the people of Israel had to give a tenth part of all that they had to God. It was these sons of Levi who collected the tenth part, although it was from their own people who formed the 12 tribes.
Verses 6-7
Melchizedek did not come from the family of Levi. Yet he received the tenth part from Abraham and blessed him.
Abraham was a great man. God had called him and led him. God had promised to make him great. His family was to own the whole of the land that God had shown him. They were to be a blessing to all the people on earth. This shows how great Abraham was. But it is true that the one who blesses is greater than the one whom he blesses. Melchizedek blessed Abraham in the name of the most high God. So he must have been greater than even Abraham.
Verse 8
Aaron and the priests who came after him were only men. They lived and died. While they were alive, they took the tenth part from the people. There is no record of the birth or death of Melchizedek. The Jews took this to mean that he was still a priest, and still alive. In this way, the writer shows that Melchizedek is greater than Aaron.
Verses 9-10
It was from the sons of Levi that the priests came. Levi was a son of Jacob. Jacob was a son of Isaac. Isaac was the son of Abraham. So Levi came from Abraham. When Abraham gave Melchizedek the tenth part, Levi had not been born. The idea is that Levi was still in his parents, and that they were still in their parents. In this way, one can say that the priests in the family of Levi already paid the tenth part through Abraham. This again shows that Melchizedek is greater than Levi. And because Jesus is a priest like Melchizedek, he too is greater than the priests of the Jews.
Verses 7:11-14
v11 The Hebrews received the law of Moses while Levi and his sons were priests. If those priests and what they did had been good enough, what need would there have been for another kind of priest? Yet another kind of priest did come. He was one like Melchizedek and not a relative of Aaron’s. v12 Any change in the kind of priests requires a change in the law of Moses as well. v13 The man we are talking about did not come from the family of Levi. He belonged to a family that had never served as priests. v14 For it is clear that our Lord came from the family of Judah (Revelation 5:5). Moses said nothing about priests from that family.
Commentary
Verse 11
God gave the people the law by Moses and made Aaron the first chief priest. The purpose of the priests was to link men and women to God. To do this the priests had to offer sacrifices to God on the people’s behalf. No person is perfect and without sin in the sight of God, and this includes the priests of Levi’s family. They were not good enough, because of their sins. But God said that there would be a new kind of priest, one like Melchizedek. There would have been no need for a different type of priest if the priests of Levi’s family had been perfect.
Verse 12
It was the law of Moses that set up the priests of Levi’s family. So a different kind of priest required a change in the law of Moses about sacrifice.
Verse 13
Under the old law, all priests had to come from the family of Levi. Aaron came from this family. Levi was one of the 12 sons of Jacob, who became the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel. No priest came from any of the other sons. The old law did not allow it. Jesus came from the family of Judah and not from the family of Levi.
Verse 14
There is no doubt that the Messiah was to come from Judah (Micah 5:2). The prophets also said that he was to come from the family of David (Isaiah 16:5). He is king David's greater son. The Jews knew this. They knew that Messiah would be both king and priest. Yet Moses never said that a priest would come from the family of Judah.
Verses 15-19
v15 What we have said becomes even clearer if another kind of priest like Melchizedek appears. He did. v16 But it was not because of any relationship to Levi. Jesus became a priest by the power of a life that has no end. v17 For the Bible says about him, ‘You are a priest always, like Melchizedek’ (Psalm 110:4). v18 God has put the old law aside, for it was weak and failed in its purpose. v19 The old law did not make anything right. God brought in a better hope by which we can approach him.
Commentary
Verses 15-16
Jesus has come as a priest after the type of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was a king and a priest. He was not a priest by the law that came by Moses. He was a priest before God gave the law to Moses. This is also true about Jesus, for he was God before the law came. The Jews did not know where Melchizedek came from and had no record of his death. So they saw a life which had no beginning and no end. Jesus was with God in the beginning and he will have no end. He is the priest who has made the perfect sacrifice. He lives forever as the priest before God on our behalf.
Verse 17
It is God who made Jesus the new chief priest. God said to Jesus, ‘You are a priest forever after the type of Melchizedek’ (Psalm 110:4). In this he makes Jesus greater than the law of Moses which set up the priests of Levi. Those priests were human and so had to die one day. Jesus lives forever. He is the only one who can always be our agent to God.
Verses 18-19
The law that God gave to Moses was good. By that law, the priests of Levi came to God on behalf of the people. But that law was also weak because people could not do all that the law said. No matter how hard people tried to keep the law, they failed because they sinned. But now, because Jesus is our priest, God will accept us. This is better than the old law. There is no need now for the sacrifices that the priests of the family of Levi offered. By what God has done through Jesus, we can be sure of life with him both now and forever. We have to trust in Jesus and follow him. Jesus is now our chief priest and he is far better than priests of the old law. He has come and he has made the one perfect sacrifice for us. He accepts all our sins by dying on our behalf. As God accepts what Jesus has done, he makes us clean from all sin.
Verses 20-22
v20 Moreover this hope came with a vow from God. By the old law, men became priests without a vow. v21 Jesus became a priest with a vow. God said to him, ‘The Lord has made a vow and will not change his mind. You are a priest always (Psalm 110:4)’. v22 So Jesus has been able to make a better and a more certain agreement with God on our behalf.
Commentary
Verses 20-21
When the sons of Aaron became priests, it could only be while they lived. But the word that God spoke about Jesus made him a priest forever (Psalm 110:4). When God makes a vow, it means that he will never change what he has vowed. He said that Jesus is a priest forever and so we know that this is true.
Verse 22
The old law of Moses appointed sacrifices, but these could not make people clean from sin. Priests who offered these sacrifices were like other men because in the end they too had to die. But Jesus offered the sacrifice of himself on our behalf, and that has effect for all time. He is the priest who lives forever. God accepts his sacrifice for us. He is the agent of God to bring us his blessing. He is our agent to God to bring us to him. Jesus can make us ready and clean to live with God forever. In this, he is greater than the old law of Moses and all other priests.
Verses 23-25
v23 Now there have been many priests of the old law. They could not continue to be priests when they died. v24 But Jesus lives always, and so he will always be a priest. v25 Therefore he is able to make perfect all who come to God by him. This is because he always lives to pray for them.
Commentary
Verses 23-24
Under the old law of Moses, there were many priests. They all died in the end, for they were only men like us. They could not be priests after they had died. There had to be new priests to take their place. With Jesus, all has changed. He is alive and will never die again. He is our one and only priest. We have no need of other priests. There will be no more priests, for Jesus will always be alive. God has made him to be the one priest for all time and for all people.
Verse 25
Jesus is the one priest who will be with God forever. He has made the one sacrifice that is perfect and God accepts that sacrifice for all time. He alone has the power to make us whole. By it Jesus makes us clean and takes away all our sins. It is Jesus who can make us right with God. It is only by Jesus that we can come to God. As he lives with God, he is the agent of all who believe in him. God accepts all who trust in Jesus, because of what he has done for us.
Verses 26-28
v26 We need such a chief priest as Jesus. He is holy, pure, and has no shame, for he has never sinned. God took him away from those who sin and he is now above the heavens. v27 Jesus does not need to make sacrifices every day as the other chief priests did. They had to do so, first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people. Jesus did this once for all time when he sacrificed himself for us. He did not need to do this on his own behalf, for he was perfect and without sin. v28 The law makes men chief priests, but they are weak. The vow of God, which came later than the law, makes the Son the chief priest. He is perfect and lives always.
Commentary
Verse 26
Jesus is the chief priest who satisfies all our needs. He is the perfect priest for us. He is much more than a human, for he is also God. He is not distant from us. He has lived on earth as a human being. He knows all the problems that we have. He knows how we feel. In all his life here he did no sin. He lived a perfect life with his God. He died to take away all that was wrong in us. As our chief priest, he always lives as our agent with God. He has taken his place with God as the king of heaven.
Verse 27
For the old law, there had to be sacrifices made every day for the sins of the people. In addition, the chief priest went once a year into the most holy place to offer sacrifices. The chief priest first had to offer a sacrifice for his own sins. Then he offered a sacrifice for the sins of the men and women. Jesus did not need to offer any sacrifice on his own behalf, because he had no sin. He offered the sacrifice of himself for the sins of us all. What he did is the complete answer for all our sins. We have no need now for any sacrifice other than the one which he offered.
Verse 28
The law of Moses made men chief priests. These men were weak, as are all men. We all do wrong and we all die. The law came from God, but it had to work with weak men and women and so could never satisfy their need. In contrast, God by his word made Jesus the chief priest. Jesus is not weak as we are. He did no wrong and he came back from the dead. He continues to live a perfect life and will never die. He is able to make us clean from all sin, so that we can be with God.
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